jazz big band graz: ‘Urban Folktales … And A Rose!’ live at Jazzfest Berlin 2010

Horst-Michael Schaffer, vocals, trumpet, conductor
Heinrich von Kalnein, saxophones, flute, conductor
Christoph ‘Pepe’ Auer, saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet
Johannes Enders, saxophones, flute
Martin Harms, saxophones, bass clarinet
Bernhard Nolf, Axel Mayer, David Jarh, trumpet, flugelhorn
Johannes Herrlich, Robert Bachner, trombone
Wolfgang Tischhart, bass trombone
Uli Rennert, keyboards, lapsteel guitar
Matthias Loibner, electric hurdy-gurdy
Christof Dienz, e-zither, bassoon
Henning Sieverts, bass, cello
Gregor Hilbe, drums, programming
Barbara Buchholz, theremin
OchoReSotto, visuals

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 4, 2010

1. Band Introduction
2. Urban Tribes - Introduction
3. Seelenbaumeln
4. Spacetrip (or the day we landed)
5. Reve africain
6. High voltage

Among European jazz orchestras the Jazz Bigband Graz has earned an exceptionally good reputation. The international cohort of soloists performs on a superior level. The two artistic directors Heinrich von Kalnein and Horst-Michael Schaffer have managed to mould this heterogeneous flock of individualists into a homogeneous team with a genuine musical language.

The notion of a “Big Band” almost seems too conventional for the reckless musical adventures of this group from Styria since with each new project they further depart from their normal frame work of large jazz ensembles. In 2008, the JBBG celebrated triumphs with their progressive programme Electric Poetry & Lo-Fi Cookies. This year’s edition of JazzFest Berlin stages their latest extravaganza, Urban Folktales … And A Rose!
The poetry of the newly refurbished orchestra –extended by electric zither, amplified wheel fiddle/hurdy-gurdy and a theremin, plus visual projections by artist group OchoReSotto – revolves around one of the most elementary of all human issues – love.