Publication: Fox40
By: Andrew Gesner
Date: March 18, 2025

Musical Theatre Icon Ute Lemper releases her reimagined take of “Mack The Knife”

ROSELLE PARK, NJ, GERMANY, March 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Everybody knows the tune. But not everyone realizes the meaning that animates the song. “Mack the Knife” is one of the true standards of International pop and jazz — a song with an instantly recognizable melody, an intoxicating sway, and an undercurrent of thrilling menace. It’s also a broadside against the powers, an examination of corruption, and a warning shot directed toward the rich and powerful. Composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Bertolt Brecht were two of the original dissidents in international popular culture, and they poured their critique of manners and money-worship into The Threepenny Opera, their staggeringly influential 1928 musical. Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin have recorded the tale of the murderous Macheath; Jim Morrison used to turn to it when he wanted to add a little extra drama to his dangerous performances. Now, it’s been cut by one of the first voices of musical theater: the incomparable Ute Lemper.

The new version of “Mack the Knife” is the introductory track on Pirate Jenny, a full-length tribute to the music of Kurt Weill that includes plenty of words by Bertold Brecht, too. The collection of groundbreaking songs gives Lemper plenty of latitude to do what she does best — dazzle audiences with her interpretive singing, nuanced understanding of character, and musical daring. In a sense, she’s carried Brecht and Weill with her throughout her career: she’s brought their incisive sensibility to all of her roles, especially her famous turn as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, a show filled with musical and lyrical allusions to The Threepenny Opera. For many longtime listeners, Pirate Jenny will sound like a homecoming.

At the same time, Lemper’s take on “Mack the Knife” is a radical one, informed by contemporary trends and current events. She reconstructs the harmonic underpinnings of the song and introduces a beat that alludes to trip-hop and experimental pop. Lemper also fully inhabits the character, emphasizing Macheath’s amorality, his restlessness, and his bloodlust. In a clip she directed herself, she takes on the role of the killer, fitting herself with reflective sunglasses and drifting through a slumbering New York City. Her Macheath sails straight past the banks and the police cars — symbols of authority — intent as she is on a mission that has taken on chilling vengeful overtones. Lemper interspersed clips from her celebrated 1990 performance of “Bouffes Du Nord.” It is, simultaneously, a reminder of her stellar history, where she’s going, and who she has always been.

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Andrew Gesner
HIP Video Promo
+1 732-613-1779
info@hipvideopromo.com

Publication: Crossover Media
Date: March 7,2025

In honor of revolutionary composer Kurt Weill’s 125th birthday this year, acclaimed singer & actress Ute Lemper today announced her new album, Pirate Jenny, out April 25 via The Audiophile Society. Nearly 40 years after her breakthrough album Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill, she now presents fresh, electric reimaginings of Weill’s songs, whose critiques of societal injustices and corruption still ring true today.

Her first single “Mack the Knife” will be out on March 2nd, on Weill’s 125th birthday, followed by “Speak Low” from One Touch of Venus and “Pirate Jenny” from his work with Bertolt Brecht on The Threepenny Opera – full tracklist below. Sultry vocals and atmospheric beats are brought to life with The Audiophile Society’s immersive Mega-Dimensional Sound™, transporting longtime fans and new listeners alike to a smoky Berlin jazz club outside of time, reminiscent of Lemper’s award-winning roles as Cabaret’s Sally Bowles in Paris and Chicago’s Velma Kelly in New York and London.

“This project is about creating a new audience for Kurt Weill,” says Lemper. “By blending his timeless melodies with a groove. I’m opening the door for younger listeners who might not know his work. It’s about building a bridge between eras, where Weimar meets the club.”

Lemper will perform some of Weill’s eternal classics live at 54 Below on Tuesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 29 – tickets here.

A Billboard Crossover Artist of the Year, Lemper has reimagined icons like Marlene Dietrich (Rendezvous with Marlene is based on a three-hour phone call between Dietrich and Lemper), Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, alongside more modern collaborations with artists like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, and Roger Waters (The Wall: Live in Berlin, 1990).

Pirate Jenny isn’t just a revival—it’s a reinvention. Whether you’re a fan of cabaret, a lover of jazz, or someone who lives for groove, this album promises a fresh perspective on music that has shaped generations.

Tracklisting: