Albert Mangelsdorff and Konstantin Wecker started when they were 18, and then started drumming Wolfgang Haffner through stations like Klaus Doldingers Passport, Chaka Khan or Nils Landgrens Radio unit in the front row of jazz and funk drummers. Today at 55, he is the best-known German representative in his field. For a long time he has not only been a companion, but also a producer, composer and the head of his own projects, most recently the trilogy “Kind of Cool”, “Kind of Spain” and “Kind of Tango”. Now he’s got one Dreamband put together, with which organizer veteran Karsten Jahnke sends him through the most beautiful concert halls and halls in Germany.
SZ: You’re usually one of the busiest when it comes to performing live. How was the past year for you?
Wolfgang Haffner: As hard as for everyone during the lockdowns, but okay in summer. I’ve played with Bill Evans and Robben Ford’s band in Europe. And then a lot with my own trio, a good 20 gigs.
The program was “Haffner plays Haffner”?
Yes, after a few years with my trilogy, which dealt with other sources, I wanted to play my music again. Everything completely revised. Things like “Heart of Matter”, which was quite complex with wind instruments, now arranged for the trio with Simon Oslender and Thomas Stieger. And that was how crazy. I have probably never had another band that has been so acclaimed.
How good that the two now complete the rhythm section, the backbone of your “Dreamband”.
Yes, we’ll be on that too Dreamband-Tour play a small block in a trio. Because I logically break up the program a little – it is not possible to go through with seven people for two hours. OK, but I don’t want to.
Is everything a little more complex for seven?
We just had two days of production rehearsal. We meet with my technician and his crew in Schwäbisch-Gmünd, in his huge warehouse, where his equipment is, all the boxes, tons of stuff. He also has my drums in there, so I thought like a little boy again: Which one do I take with me this time, the black, the green or the red? It then became the red one.
You last lived in Ibiza, there are probably still a few kits left?
I’m sure there is still something of me around, for example in the studio of a friend that I once put one in. But otherwise I got everything back, it doesn’t get any better when it’s standing there in the damp air. And I’m not down there very often either. After eight years in Spain, I felt like going back to Germany, even with all the traveling. Since then I have had my main residence here near Nuremberg again. That was also better during Corona, because the island was completely cut off. No, I had the time of my life here now. That may sound strange, but this supposed period of standstill was not a standstill at all for me. I’ve set a lot in motion. The trio came about that way, and I just took care of myself once in a while. After all these years I calmed down a bit. To see: who do I think I am?
So back to the roots. Does Munich play a role here too?
Munich is extremely important to me. I can still remember the very first session, that was August 3, 1983, when I was 17 when I took the train and met Roberto Di Gioia straight away. And Joe Nay, the legendary drummer. I was then at least every second weekend at the Munich Sessions and got to know everyone in Munich. Back then I sometimes played 15 days a month in Munich. In the Al Porcino big band, at Konstantin Wecker, also in The kick by Wolfgang Schmid, an extremely important band for me. We often played in a club on the outskirts of town, and Klaus Doldinger came over once – that was my entry into, so to speak Passport.
Back to the present. You mentioned two days of production rehearsal. What happens there?
We design the set, so mainly me and Simon Oslender, who is my perfect partner and always knows what I’m getting at. This time it is mainly about the arc that the program should strike. The story that connects me to everyone in this band over the past 30 years. The longest with Randy Brecker, with whom I played for the first time in 1988. Then Bill Evans and Nils Landgren, they’re all players of my heart. Christopher Dell at the vibraphone, for example, is not only an amazing musician, but also an important person for me. We are close friends, I already played on his first own record in 1992. Later he was in the Jazz Baltica Ensemble, which I directed for two years, and for many years a decisive part of mine Kind of-Tape.
Most musicians probably have a dream band on their mind. Did you start early?
Not really, for the following reason: I’ve played in all kinds of dream bands. Among other things 17 years ago Soulbop, the band of Randy Brecker and Bill Evans, with whom I was on a big European tour. the Radio unit There was also such a Dreamband from Nils Landgren, I’ve already heard that, I didn’t even know the Nils then. But I put something like this together for myself at most for a day at a festival. But one and a half years ago I was in Karsten Jahnke’s office in Hamburg, just visiting, without even talking about Jazz Nights. I just fantasized about going on tour with a band of my dreams. Karsten asked me with whom, and I told him exactly what line-up we have now. He thought about it for a moment and then said: Yes, we will do that.
An offer that cannot be refused.
Yes, there are now 14 shows, which is of course an amazing luxury to be able to play in these great halls and halls like the Prinzregententheater or the Admiralspalast in Berlin. I’ve been preparing myself all the more thoroughly for months now, Corona was actually quite good for that too. But I also really enjoy putting together a program like this.
What can you expect from it?
Everyone who comes gets a typical Haffner evening. At my concerts there are elements that make up my music and are always there: hypnotic grooves, beautiful melodies, beautiful harmonies. Music for the heart! Then I put the pieces together by myself, but also included a number by Nils, which I like very much and have played hundreds of times, two pieces by Bill Evans, which we also do on his Spykillers play a number from Randy. But everything fitted in such a way that it doesn’t sound like something is strung together at will. But that it looks like a single long piece and creates an arch.
Wolfgang Haffner, Fri., Nov. 5, Ingolstadt Jazz Days, Sun., November 7th, Nuremberg Meistersingerhalle, Wed., November 10th, Prinzregententheater Munich, Prinzregentenplatz 12