Let's talk about jazz... and 2 for 1
Admittedly, the adapted advertising slogan may seem only moderately attractive for a flyer that is free anyway. However, it offers the opportunity to focus on the jazz club's new design alongside the reference to the annual summer double issue.
"I am not what I am", was once said evocatively in one of Shakespeare's plays, and our new logo can be interpreted in a similar way: A pipe, a saxophone, a J? It can be all of these things, and much more. The new design thus stands not least for the multifaceted nature of contemporary jazz, which can no longer be reduced to a single word, at most to a dictionary.
We have always tried to reflect this musical range and diversity within the framework of the Leipzig Jazz Days. This year, the opening evening will bear impressive witness to this: With Joachim Kühn and Michael Wollny as a duo as well as the US-American singer and three-time Grammy award winner Cécile McLorin Salvant, we have been able to attract three absolute international top-class artists who will be performing on the stage of the Leipzig Opera on October 19. You already have the opportunity to secure tickets for this extraordinary concert experience.
But it will still be a while before that happens. In addition to the obligatory visit to the lake or the beer garden, there are also a number of events in July and August that I would like to recommend at this point: First and foremost is the HMT Big Band's Flashback Concert, which, under the direction of Rolf von Nordenskjöld, will this time be dedicated to the oeuvre of the two big band greats Louie Bellson and Sammy Nestico. Born in the mid-1920s, both musicians were socialized in the golden era of the big band sound. At the same time, they played a decisive role in giving the sound new impetus over the decades, thereby contributing to the longevity of the genre.
If you imagine what the big band sound might sound like in an experimental indie rock guise, you quickly arrive at The Notwist. At least the music of the band from Weilheim in Upper Bavaria is similarly diverse and opulent. The multitude of brass instruments is replaced by a highly complex electronic sound framework, around which catchy, mostly melancholic melodies emerge. Live, however, the band's sound is usually much more powerful and danceable. You can see this for yourself on July 23 at the UT Connewitz.
If, on the other hand, you prefer open-air concert experiences in midsummer, the numerous festivals are highly recommended. In addition to the great classic - the Montreux Jazz Festival - there are also many other highlights to discover: this year in August, the Jazzwerkstatt Peitz takes place again, which in GDR times was known as the "Woodstock at the carp pond" and is currently one of the most innovative jazz festivals in East Germany. A jazz tradition is also cultivated at the Steinernes Meer in Austria: The Saalfelden Jazz Festival has been held there every year since 1978. And the jazz metropolis of Cologne will also live up to its reputation this year with the Cologne Jazzweek, which takes place at the end of August.
See you soon,
Luca
Jazz calendar editorial team
