Let's talk about jazz... and other fine arts
We at Jazzkalender have no objection to this, of course – quite the contrary! It has always been important to find the right soundtrack for every book and, conversely, the literary counterpart for every piece of music. And anyway, haven't numerous musicians throughout history proven to be extremely talented writers as well? Just think of Patti Smith, who recently published a magnificent new novel, Bread of Angels. And jazz history is also teeming with examples of crossover between the two spheres: Gil Scott-Heron, for example. Or Boris Vian. Or Charles Mingus. Or, or, or...
From Mingus, it is not far to Miles Davis, who, like few others, continues to shape the classical jazz canon to this day. To mark his upcoming 100th birthday in May, a highly readable new biography of the trumpeting grandmaster was recently published: In "Sound eines Lebens" (Sound of a Life), Stefan Hentz delves deep into jazz history and links the work and life of the "Prince of Darkness" in an astonishing and meticulous way. We are therefore all the more delighted that we were able to secure Hentz for a musical reading. On March 21, he will present his new book at the KUB Gallery as part of the "Leipzig liest" festival. He will be accompanied by Volker Heuken and Lorenz Heigenhuber, who will perform their own compositions featuring excerpts from Davis' work in unexpected harmonies especially for this evening.
Five days later, the band Garden Of Silences underscores the fact that literature is not necessarily required for lyrical moments. Their instrumental sound also tells stories that are in no way inferior to the poetic beauty of great literature. If you surrender to them, they will transport you to unimagined realms of sound, somewhere between baroque, modern avant-garde, and contemporary jazz. Or to UT Connewitz, where the quartet will celebrate its Leipzig premiere on March 26.
But that's just the beginning! Over 40 other cultural events await you on the following pages. These include top-class events such as the three-day LeipJAZZig Festival, an extremely exciting Bach-Ellington interpretation, and a new edition of the "Kids Jazz" Festival.
As you can see, moments of boredom are few and far between this month! And if they do happen to strike, enjoy them!
See you soon,
Luca
Jazzkalender-Editorial office
