Elbjazz
CMQ Bigband / Michael Wollny & Konstantin Gropper
At ELBJAZZ, the Hamburg docks provide the backdrop for a unique musical event: since 2010, thousands of music lovers have been attracted by one of Europe’s biggest jazz festivals, which combines the unique maritime flair of the Hanseatic city with spectacular concert locations and immense musical diversity. In addition to nine concerts at the Elbphilharmonie, the many concerts and the supporting programme of the two-day festival take place at various locations such as the impressive Blohm+Voss shipyard. In 2018 the festival hosts concerts not only on both festival days (1 and 2 June 2018) at the Elbphilharmonie, but also three exclusive concerts on Thursday, 31 May 2018.
Jazz pianist Michael Wollny is the first Artist in Residence in the festival’s history. Wollny is currently regarded as one of Germany’s brightest jazz stars and at ELBJAZZ 2018 he’ll be performing on all three days in a variety of formations: with his trio; with guitarist Konstantin Gropper from Get Well Soon; and, as part of a quartet, with his friends and also ECHO Jazz award winners Andreas Schaerer, accordionist Vincent Peirani, and saxophonist Emile Parisien – a quartet that can safely be described as a supergroup of European jazz greats.
Festival passes are available at www.elbjazz.de. Due to the restricted capacity of the Elbphilharmonie, all festival guests – in addition to the purchase of a festival pass – can register for one concert at the Elbphilharmonie. Reservation is only possible from 8 November to 30 November 2017.
Beny Moré is considered the most important and most popular singer and interpreter of son, mambo and bolero in Cuba. At his funeral in Havanna in 1963, about 100,000 attendees came – at a time when dance music was a stately despised affair on the Caribbean island. A young Cuban pianist, relocated to Madrid, has committed himself to preserve the legacy of Beny Moré: Luis Guerra has taken many of Banda Gigante’s compositions, the name of Moré’s band, and rearranged them for orchestra. After their transcription, Guerra founded the CMQ Bigband, which exclusively plays Moré tracks. At Madrid’s jazz club Bogui in 2013 they premiered as a 17-member ensemble; at ELBJAZZ 2018 the CMQ Bigband celebrates their German debut.
Konstantin Gropper is the driving force behind the project Get Well Soon and one of the most successful Indie Alternative artists in Germany. Gropper is a marvellous poet who is inspired in his songs by literature and films. His arrangements are complex and highly sophisticated and either groove or are luscious ballads. Konstantin Gropper and Michael Wollny had their first contact in 2015: the pianist and the singing guitarist played music from films by David Lynch, they covered songs by the Flaming Lips and Pulp, and even songs by Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss were included in their repertoire. Expectations are high as to what the duo have cooked up for their appearance at the Elbphilharmonie.