Jacob Collier: singing in the rain — and rewriting all the rules — in Stuttgart

When I heard that we’d be streaming Jacob Collier on medici.tv, I was over the moon! I came across him for the first time a few years ago when I found his YouTube channel full of wonderfully creative covers of popular songs, filmed in his room surrounded by his many instruments. His covers are unlike any others — they’re groovier, jazzier, and harmonically adventurous in a way no one quite expects. I was struck by the originality Collier brought to well-known songs and have since been a keen follower of his career, from his childhood bedroom to some of the biggest stages in the world.

Among these grand stages is the iconic Jazzopen festival in Stuttgart. His setlist for this show is similar to that of his current tour (for his recently released album, Djesse Vol.4), but he manages to make every concert a unique experience. That’s the Jacob Collier magic. Between his boundless energy and his extremely talented band, his performances are pure joy. Not only is he an outstanding musician — as a singer or on piano, guitar, bass guitar, or drums — he also offers his crowds a unique experience when he directs them as a choir, dividing his audience into sections, giving them their pitches and rhythms, and concocting captivating and beautiful moments at each concert.

There are a few parts of Collier’s Stuttgart performance that I found particularly memorable. The first is when the rain starts to pour: unphased, the 30-year-old Londoner decides the rain is an event in itself and uses the inclement weather as the source of inspiration for an impromptu improvisation (something he often does when something unexpected happens at his concerts)! After leading the crowd in song for a few minutes, he performs a cover of “Singin’ in the Rain,” accompanied by the sound of the raindrops captured by the microphones — a truly charming moment.

With an artist of so many talents and styles at the microphone, it is hard to say what genre this concert falls into; Collier gives a groove-driven rendition of his hit “Time Alone with You,” his “Box of Stars” sounds more influenced by rap and hip hop, and his improvisation on “Mi Corazon” ventures firmly into jazz territory. His performance of the latter is another of my favorite moments: it’s so clear how much fun all the musicians are having as they perform together and, after a mesmerizing journey through faraway harmonic lands, they return to the original key and satisfyingly resume the original Spanish song together.

Jacob Collier really does have it all. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of listening to him because of his constant musical exploration and seemingly limitless creativity. It’s impossible to describe everything that happens in this concert — you’ll have to go watch it for yourself!