Dixie, swing, bebop – that’s what most people on the street would think of when asked what they think is jazz. But the classic styles have hardly been seen in their pure form on the stages of jazz clubs and festivals for a long time. The Munich impresario, filmmaker and “Mr. Swing” Peter Wortmann helped them regain their rights in 2005: With the colorful concert evening “München swingt” he founded a very successful format for early jazz fans.
After all, the 18th edition will take place for the first time on Friday, March 8th in the Muffathalle. Wortmann himself is no longer there, he died in 2019, and influential musicians from the “Munich swings” evenings such as Gerry Hayes, Hermann Breuer and Dusko Goykovich have now left with him. But the swing is anything but dead.
Trumpeter Heinz Dauhrer has taken on the role of organizer and leader, and young faces like Alma Naidu joined them even before the Corona break. This year, the 23-year-old guitarist Elias Prinz is taking part. The current Kurt Maas Jazz Award winner plays with his trio Gypsy Swing – also often called Hot Jazz or Jazz Manouche – in the style of Django Reinhard, but with his own compositions and modern borrowings.
His bassist Ida Koch can then stay on stage. She’s part of the party Munich City Seven her father Claus Koch. In this format, the saxophonist, a fixture of the local scene for many years, is reminiscent of Count Basie’s legendary recordings with his Kansas City Seven.
At the end of the evening, the other king of the jazz orchestra era will be remembered: Duke Ellington, who would have celebrated his 125th birthday this year. Of course that takes care of that Wine & Roses Swing Orchestra, this one founded by Peter Wortmann especially for Munich also swings. For the first time this year it will be led by saxophonist Wolfgang Roth. The Berklee graduate is one of the most versatile masterminds in the Munich scene and, in addition to his own unusual projects such as a nonet, has worked extensively for big bands, theater, film and pop. Brand new is singer and musical actor Toby Heinz, also a swing disciple of the next generation.
Munich swings, Friday, March 8th, 8 p.m., Muffathalle, Zellstraße 4, www.muenchenswingt.de