The violin is still primarily a classical instrument and an exotic instrument in jazz. One person who was bothered by such drawbacks early on is the 56-year-old violinist Gregor Hübner. He studied classical violin, but also jazz piano and composition in Vienna, Stuttgart and New York. And from then on he remained a cross-border commuter. Whether with tango music of a different kind Tango Five, in the crossover projects of the jazz pianist Ritchie Beirach, with New York Latin bands, alongside Dianne Reeves or Uri Caine or with his Sirius Quartet. He also commutes between New York, where he lives with his family, and Munich, where he has a composition professorship.
His places of residence and his Sirius Quartet are also the anchors on which Hübner has anchored an extraordinary festival project. In 2017, Hübner started his “Progressive Chamber Music Festival” at the New York “Spectrum” club, famous for unusual projects. Searched and found in the Milla – which is also directed by fellow professor Gerd Baumann – a similar venue in order to transplant it to Munich. Committed to meeting musicians of all genres, from tradition to avant-garde, from sophisticated to experimental.
In this spirit, six ensembles will once again be performing “Shortcuts” lasting three quarters of an hour on two evenings at the sixth edition of the festival in the Milla. The Sirius Quartet is set to present a unique program of original compositions, pop adaptations and jazzy chamber music on the first evening. And at the very end this Munich Composers Collective MCC, the large formation also founded by Hübner in 2014 with students and alumni of the Munich Jazz Institute, in which many who have matured into scene stars, all composing greats such as Monika Roscher, Matthias Lindermayr, Moritz Stahl or Nils Kugelmann, and which is now international acquired reputation.
However, the start can be made in a Munich premiere Jacques-Pierre Collective with Nils Wrasse, Giuliano Loli, Flurin Mück and Robin Jermer. Their musical adventures between electronic sound worlds, complex rhythms and otherworldly atmospheres are followed at the end of Wednesday by the meeting between hosts Gregor Hübner and Gerd Baumann and the unique Jelena Kuljić. The celebrated actress and Kammerspiele ensemble member is a studied jazz singer and musician (e.g. with Kuu!) equally successful.
On Thursday, the wind duo of saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave with trumpeter Matthias Lindermayr and a new trio complete the program: Bei Prepared Chris Gall demonstrates a completely new way of playing the piano on the prepared grand piano and, together with Florian Riedl on the bass clarinet and Christoph Holzhauser on the drums, into clubby sound worlds between jazz and minimal music.
Progressive Chamber Music Festival, Wed. and Thu., Nov. 22 and 23, 8 p.m., Milla Club, Holzstr. 28, www.milla-club.de