TIP

To its credit, the Initiative Leipziger Jazzmusiker e.V. unites Leipzig jazz musicians of all generations in collaboration with renowned outsiders at LeipJAZZig.

The royal opening of the festival by the LeipJAZZig Orchestra, which is jubilating in its twentieth year, is a fixed instance, and its extatic sounds are choristically crowned with the voices of the Leipziger Cantorey. Pianist Jörg Leistner lets the proven Four Steps step into a new program with fresh compositions. "Werkstatt für Freiheit 2018" is the name of Michael Breitenbach's experimental drum-timed eight-piece brass band project, in which Cologne's sensational Pinguin Moschner plays a sound-giving role on tuba. Saxon-Swiss color without the Elbe sandstone - that's what Florian Kästner on piano and Michael Jäger on saxophone offer in an exciting dialogue. At "Saxophone Summit" Roland Komitow on baritone sax meets the young-at-heart legendary tenors Forsthoff, Hering and Reinhardt. Under the motto "Schuh be doo on Four and Two", voice, double bass and tap dance can be experienced in an idiosyncratic trialogue. Trio.Diktion impresses in quartet formation with sound-aesthetic miniatures in an unmanaged playing style with a serious wink. What a stylish conclusion to a festival full of listening pleasure!

Helmut Forsthoff (ts), Roland Komitow (ts, bars), Manfred Hering (as, ss), Heiner Reinhardt (ts, bcl) - 23rd Festival LeipJAZZig (21.-24.3.)