Let's talk about jazz…and the circle of life
“After the concert is before the concert,” Sepp H. was once quoted as saying. And with that, he hits the nail on the head: Everything is in flux, the wheel keeps turning, ashes to ashes, dust to dust—you know the drill… And even if (or perhaps precisely because?) we can’t even imagine it right now—just a few days after the end of yet another exhilarating festival—the great jazz visionary is right!
Still, right after the festival, we treated ourselves to a few days of rest. After all, we need time to process everything that’s happened: many months of festival planning and preparation, then nearly 30 concerts, countless conversations and encounters, panel discussions, little sleep, and bad food—but in return, many exciting and new insights into the past, present, and future.
This year’s anniversary edition, in particular, sparked a stimulating exchange between generations and different factions within the scene. This became clear as early as the opening night, when Alexander von Schlippenbach’s “Globe Unity Orchestra” and the guitar duo Charlie Hunter & Ella Feingold presented two fundamentally different approaches to jazz on the venerable opera stage: On one side, the world’s oldest free-jazz orchestra, representing a distinctly European conception of jazz. On the other, Hunter and Feingold, whose minimalist take on funk, soul, and jazz is deeply rooted in the American musical tradition. Two sides of the same coin—and in the end, standing ovations for everyone!
But we couldn’t celebrate and party too long on Saturday night, because the audio walk kicked off with a group tour the very next morning. Across a total of six listening stations, the project takes an in-depth look at the various phases and stages of the “ Leipziger Jazztage ” and its scene—from the Kongreßhalle to the naTo and on to the Skala. The great thing is: The audio plays can be streamed via our website, among other places, so the project will live on even after the festival ends. We, the team at the “ Jazzclub ” in Leipzig, have already made plans for an autumn jaunt to explore the stations together. In this case, imitators and copycats are expressly welcome!
Since we haven’t quite been able to say goodbye to the festival yet, we’ve saved “a kloans Happerl” for November 15: On that day, the Spielvereinigung Sued will perform at the Gewandhaus to present their new program, “Requiem in Jazz,” developed in collaboration with the GewandhausChor—and thus bring the 50th “ Leipziger Jazztage ” to a festive close. First released in 1993 by Swedish composer Nils Lindberg, this work for choir, big band, two sopranos, and baritone blends Nordic folk music, jazz, and classical craftsmanship.
You'll find all the other tips and dates on the following pages. A little spoiler: It won't be boring.
See you soon,
Luca
Jazzkalender-Editorial office
