October 7, 2026
Mongolian-born, Berlin-based pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar returns with Bright Folk, her third album for Motéma, due November 20, 2026. Recorded with her new quartet, it features Nils Kugelmann on bass, Simon Comté on tenor and soprano saxophone, and Amir Bresler on drums, with guest Jakob Manz on recorder and alto saxophone. The album draws on home, memory and the Gobi Desert, written from the perspective of a musician living between cultures.
Erdenebaatar’s 2023 debut, Rising Sun, earned a German Jazz Award for “Ensemble of the Year.” In 2025 she placed as Rising Star: Jazz Artist of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll. Bright Folk follows her 2025 duo album Under the Same Stars.
“In the end, Bright Folk carries the meaning of home, my life between cultures, and the invisible threads that connect us across time and space.” — Shuteen Erdenebaatar
Listen now: The first single, “Do You See the Stars I See?” is available to stream now.
Pre-order Bright Folk and stream the first single here: PRE-ORDER BRIGHT FOLK