How does the sound of a city sound? What does the “sound of Frankfurt” sound like? Photos, Videos

How does the sound of a city sound? What have musicians from the Main contributed to the rock, hit or hip-hop scene in Germany and beyond? In our summer series “Der Sound von Frankfurt” we feel this question. The first episode is dedicated to jazz. Jazz and Frankfurt have been synonymous for decades. Only techno is so closely linked to the city.

Formations like the “Max Clouth Clan” were able to exploit the popularity boost and courageously go their own way. Formations like the “Max Clouth Clan” were able to exploit the popularity boost and courageously go their own way.
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How does the sound of a city sound? What does the “sound of Frankfurt” sound like? We have listened to the past and the present, listening to sounds and rhythms, styles and moods and want to introduce them to you in the next few weeks. What have musicians from the Main contributed to the rock, hit or hip-hop scene in Germany and beyond? In our summer series “Der Sound von Frankfurt” we feel the question, remind of big personalities and introduce interesting newcomers. The first episode is dedicated to jazz. Jazz and Frankfurt have been synonymous for decades. Only techno is so closely linked to the city.

That the legend of the “jazz capital of the republic” could last so long may also be because there are some constants that may still suggest that. So next year the “Jazz im Palmengarten” celebrates a remarkable anniversary. Since the “oldest continuously performed open-air jazz festival worldwide” (quote Wikipedia) is 60 years old. That’s what the Jazz Initiative Frankfurt am Main e. V., who in 2003 took over the artistic direction of the initiator of the series, Heinz Werner Wunderlich, of course celebrate big.

Even longer there is the “German Jazz Festival” – namely since 1953. The Hessischer Rundfunk has been organizing it since 1984, the next time between October 22nd and 28th on five days in the Alte Oper, the HR-Sendesaal and the Mousonturm. Over the past few years, the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Archie Shepp, Dave Holland and John Scofield have met there. Not a world star who does not feel honored to perform here. The institute also offers the luxury of two renowned jazz groups. In the HR jazz ensemble, “youngsters” such as drummer Uli Schiffelholz and tuba player Ole Heiland meet veterans such as Günter Lenz (double bass) and Heinz Sauer (saxophone). The HR big band, under Chief Conductor Jim McNeely, is characterized by a lively concert career beyond the borders of Germany and has stylistically developed into true border crossers.

Precious find: – Most of the history, however, breathes a place in the Kleine Bockenheimer Str. 18 a (formerly known as “Jazzgass” on everyone’s lips), the “Jazzkeller” founded in 1952 by Carlo Bohländer as “Domicile du jazz”. Two films have recently been dedicated to the phenomenon of jazz in Frankfurt. Elisabeth Ok was fortunate enough to find old documents and personal items from Bohländer after moving in the basement. A precious find and an incentive for research and interviews with companions to make “Carlo, keep swingin ‘” a music-historically important film portrait. In addition to numerous interviews with protagonists of the jazz scene, author and director Jochen Hasmanis also brought together unique original notes, archive material and concert recordings for his “Ffm Jazz Film”.

“The Frankfurt sound: A city and its jazz history (n)” (Frankfurt Societäts-Druckerei) came in 2005 as a standard work in the trade. Musician and musicologist Jürgen Schwab wrote in the editorial: “It is undeniable that Frankfurt provided numerous impulses for national and international jazz events, such as those of Albert Mangelsdorff, Heinz Sauer and Volker Kriegel, but also many others. The fight for the recognition of jazz as an art form in the post-war period was mainly led from Frankfurt. “More plastic than anything written and filmed are performances by a contemporary such as Emil Mangelsdorff.

The 93-year-old saxophonist continues to inspire the audience in Holzhausenschlösschen with his powerful tone. Legendary are his talk concerts “Swing dance prohibited – as a jazz musician in the III. Reich “, also in front of young people in schools. They should be continued in the fall. As a “swing youth” with a counterculture to defy the National Socialists, provoked measures of the Gestapo to the point of arrest. “With such an enemy in the back as we had with the Nazis, and the constant danger of having to go to jail for his job and his passion, our dedication to jazz has only fueled us,” Mangelsdorff once said. He speaks of “sacrifice”. Would the young colleagues still be capable of so much civil courage today? The complained in any case massive and coveted with signature list against, as the winter semester 2012, the last degree program “Jazz and Popular Music” at the HfMDK should be deleted for cost reasons.

Mainz and Mannheim had just surpassed Frankfurt with their university offers. An absurdity. From there or also from Cologne and Amsterdam, the students brought what they had learned back to the Main. Although they could not resist a few swipes at the inferior status of the city, they sought consistently existing niches with their projects and created their own initiative with their own platforms.

An important role is played by the Frankfurt Jazzstipendium, which is awarded annually and worth 10,000 euros. Bands like the “Contrast Trio” and the “Max Clouth Clan” and soloists like Peter Klohmann, Valentin Garvie or recently Maximilian Shaikh-Yousef could use the popularity boost – and of course the money for a record production. They all fulfill the claim that Jürgen Schwab (meanwhile also one of the three program managers of the German Jazz Festival) wants from the local newcomers: Courageously go your own way.

Trombone legend Albert Mangelsdorff will dedicate the opening evening of the German Jazz Festival under the motto “Hut ab!”.
The “Contrast Trio” has mixed his jazz with folk from the Ukrainian home of pianist Yuriy Sych and electronics; Max Clouth lives out his love for Indian music in an imposing fusion sound; Peter Klohmann flirts with the funk and masters the art of large orchestrations; Valentin Garvie, as trumpeter of the “Ensemble Modern”, brings contemporary music to jazz; Maximilian Shaikh-Yousef loves chamber music arrangements.

Klohmann, the saxophone jack-of-all-trades, conquers the “jazz cellar” throughout August, when sometimes Elvis, Tom Jobim or Snoop Dog are jazzed up. The saxophonist Lorenzo Dolce is consistently focusing on a young and new audience for jazz with his “Jazz Montez” series at the Kunstverein in Honsellstraße. In summer, there are even three open-air events under the motto “Holidays” on the outside steps.