Elbjazz
Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra / Michael Wollny Trio / Chassol
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.
In 2006 the composer and arranger Daniel Glatzel founded the Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra in Berlin. The big ensemble consists of 18 young instrumentalists and doesn’t really fit into any ordinary mould. It moves somewhere between jazz and contemporary music but its members are also familiar with afro funk, electronica and progressive rock. Four highly praised albums have already been released by the unorthodox orchestra. The orchestra has already cooperated with ensembles like The Notwist and Efterklang, and artists like Tony Allen, Kenny Wheeler, Robert Wilson and Bobby Hutcherson.
The 39 year-old jazz pianist and ELBJAZZ Artist in Residence, Michael Wollny, is one of the most phenomenal musicians on his instrument and is rated among the few German jazz musicians with the title »world class«. Wollny has been classically trained, so he knows as much about Gustav Mahler as he knows about Thelonious Monk. During the past few years he has consistently taken artistic risks: he leads his own trio, he appears as a soloist, he makes music together with a duet consisting of the French accordionist Vincent Peirani and the saxophone player Heinz Sauer, and he has taken part in countless all-star concerts with colleagues of the ACT-label. Wollny has the ability to produce highly romantic sounds and abruptly engage in a wild frenzy tormenting the keys in the best manner of free jazz artists. He doesn’t know any limitations.
At the age of four Christophe Chassol attended a music school, he studied jazz when he was 17, and at the age of 21 he founded his first band – an orchestra of 24 musicians. In France he is now considered one of the most innovative composers, producers and arrangers. Chassol presents his fourth and latest record »Big Sun« at ELBJAZZ. The record includes a series of experimental tracks and is closely connected with the sights and the sound of New Orleans, India, and Martinique, the birthplace of his family. His compositions follow the patterns of film composers, and »ultrascore« is the title of his audiovisual work.