If you want to see top international jazz, it’s pretty easy in Munich: you just have to go to Underpass go, he is offered such things almost every day. The jazz club, which has been in existence for 46 years, has long been not only the first address in Munich for music events that are increasingly inadequately described by the term “jazz”, but also one of the best in Europe.
Let’s take the current week. It begins with a look into the future, with two public final concerts of the Jazz Institute of the University of Music that are traditionally held here. There are two bass aces this Tuesday (January 30th): Susi Lotter, who has often been seen in the Unterfahrt, will compete with two formations on double and electric bass. The quartet moves towards funk and fusion with the band Aiken more about modern swing and neosoul. Lukas Kranjc, who follows her, has similar influences and celebrates funk jazz with his quintet penned by his saxophonist Tom Förster and the electric bass god Marcus Miller.
German talent will also be at the start afterwards. The Berlin singer Atrin Madani follows in the tradition of great crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé and Tony Bennett. But he likes to listen to modern pop classics like David Bowie, Nick Drake or Coldplay as a template and is already so successful that it is not a jazz agency that represents him, but the pop top dog DEAG (January 31st). And then there is the Munich saxophonist and flautist Nico Theodossiadis, who has Greek roots – also in terms of sound – and who founded his band for the sake of simplicity Nico Theo Quartet mentions (3.2.).
But with February things will become international again. The German saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler, who is well connected to the Paris scene, comes in a feather-light duo – “Aerial” is the name of her joint album – with the French star vibraphonist Franck Tortiller (1.2.). A real hit is the appearance of the American pianist Ethan Iverson, who was part of the cult band for almost 20 years until 2017 The Bad Plus and is now presenting his new trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Kush Abadey (2.2.).
In the tradition of the great crooners like Frank Sinatra: Atrin Madani.
(Photo: Martin Bauendahl)
The Unterfahrt is of course not only the first, but also almost the only address in Munich. The Jazz bar Vogler At least Rumfordstrasse is still an area for the locals. Regular guests include the pianist Arno Wahler (January 30) and the Grammy-nominated singer and pianist Karen Edwards (February 3). As does the pianist and singer Andrea Hermenau, who works alongside Lisa Wahlandt Brazilian Nights Quartet with Patrick Scales and Christian Lettner offering something special this time (2.2.). Even more extraordinary is the duo between saxophonist Hugo Siegmeth and Munich’s piano eminence Tizian Jost (February 1).
On average, that’s twice a week Nightclub in the Bayerischer Hof at the jazz dance. The next guests are the cellist Ruth Maria Rossel with an extraordinary solo accompanied by visuals, loops and electronics (January 30th), the multi-talented Julia Nagele alias Jules with her indie jazz quintet Listentojules (January 31st) and the Viennese jazz chameleon Ulrich Drechsler with two very different clubby trio projects one after the other (February 6th and 7th).