Jakob Manz makes a strong statement with Supernova, the record of an exceptional concert given at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt before a sold-out audience of 2,600 spectators. At just 25 years old, he became the youngest artist in residence in the hall’s history. The album reveals both his virtuosity and his ability to rise to great moments with generosity and sincerity. Surrounded by artists who have marked his journey — Michael Wollny, Kinga Glyk and Nils Landgren — Manz delivers natural, unforced collaborations. With Max Mutzke and Sarah Connor, he also reveals two very different sides of his playing, moving from the explosive energy of “Welt Hinter Glas” to the delicacy of “Ich wünsch dir”. His talent for accompanying voices also echoes one of his heroes, David Sanborn, evoked from the album’s opening notes by a quote from “Butterfat”. As the Frankfurter Rundschau wrote, Supernova evokes “a star exploding… a sun splitting in two”. An image that perfectly sums up the radiance and intensity of this album.