Let’s talk about jazz…and lots and lots of names
“Live in the moment!”—that’s what calendar quotes and meditation apps never tire of emphasizing. “Yeah, right!” I reply, not without a touch of impatience—fully aware that, especially at this time of year, I’m once again failing to live up to this truly wise advice. Because: The 50th Leipzig Jazz Festival is just around the corner! And for the team at the Leipzig Jazz Center ( Jazzclub ), which is running at full speed, that means not living in the moment at all, but in a sense living in the future. Which, admittedly, sounds more cosmic than it actually is.
But let’s move on from the inherently complex dialectic between theory and practice to the finer things in life—such as music! Because, of course, there’s plenty of that in Leipzig again this fall. The question is: Where do we start? Perhaps right at the beginning—with Conny Bauer. When he played at the 1st Leipzig Jazz Festival in 1976, only two of the current nine employees of the Leipzig “ Jazzclub ” had even been born yet. And by their own admission, as elementary schoolers and toddlers, respectively, those two hadn’t yet developed a keen interest in the vibrant free-jazz scene of the GDR, where Bauer was making his mark at the time. Consequently, they missed the concert. Maybe you can guess where I’m going with this: It was “a long, long time ago”!
It’s all the more astonishing, then, that Bauer—now 83 years old—is still brimming with energy. He’ll dispel any doubts about this on October 20 at the Schaubühne Lindenfels. There, he will perform alongside Finnish guitarist Kalle Kalima and American drumming legend Hamid Drake before what is sure to be a full house of the “ Jazzclub ” crowd. But that’s not all: Following that, the group “serenatas disponibles,” led by New York avant-garde musician Brandon López, will take the stage to present his new program together with Mat Maneri and Sun-Mi Hong.
So many names, I know! So why not mention a few more? For example, Charlie Hunter and Ella Feingold, who will perform as a duo on October 17 to present a “masterpiece of minimalist funk” that not only captivated numerous media outlets last year but also won over Raphael Saadiq, Johnny Marr, Lenny Kravitz, and Bill Frisell, among others.
Speaking of Frisell: He’ll be celebrating his own birthday on the 22nd of next month as part of our favorite festival. The show will take place at the Schauspielhaus Leipzig, where he’ll be performing in a trio with Tim Angulo and Luke Bergmann. Now I could go on to talk about Bergmann, who…
…but yes, you’re right: all of that is still a long way off. And Dorothea—the caring yet firm AI guide from my favorite meditation app—has just rightly reminded me to refocus on the here and now. Of course, I’d like to do that right away.
So enjoy the September issue of * Jazzkalender*, which is once again packed with concert dates and recommendations. And for those of you who’d like to look beyond the horizon, here’s a final note: Presales for the 50th Leipzig Jazz Festival begin on September 3!
Sorry, Doro!
See you soon,
Luca
Jazzkalender-Editorial office
