Jazz town Cologne

New online guide; new club; new artist. This was a fabulous return to jazz in Koln. I'd been told factoids about Koln before this visit, like 4711 was the first eau di cologne and it's just that, a fragrance from Cologne, and that Koln was the site of the first tertiary jazz education in Germany thus a jazz centre. And the WDR Big Band is here, too, of course. Firstly I found JazzStadt Koln https://jazzstadt.de/. I don't remember that from fours years back. Or King Georg jazz club. I asked at the door and apparently it turned to jazz ~four years back. That fits. It's very close to where I last stayed so I probably would have found it. It's a little club, rectangular with a big bar space and a floor level stage space with some seating. Entry is not too cheap but same as Frankfurt JazzKeller, our $A is very poor, but we were ridiculously close and perfectly comfortable. They also have a €5 live stream option like Smalls and others and looks like a great program. With luck I'll get to Gilad Hekselman on Thurs and a very interesting Kara Linn on Saturday. But this concert was was a French signer and her band. I had a good feeling; in the end it was a stunner. 

Camille Bertault had studied classical piano and composition, opera, theatre and dance, writing, singing and improv over various courses. She'd written the music and lyrics and presented with a connecting presence and dance-like performance, this time in tails. Now there's composition and composition but this was not just 1-4-5; this was interesting, all odd and changing times and written grooves and hits, all structured neatly with effective repetition and space for solos of all manner. And there's lyrics and lyrics and this was not just moon-june-croon love-dove songs, but social and political themes that she introduced, although all in French which slipped by me. Like the best of Paul McCartney, my guess is the melody follows the lyrics. Also there's stage presence and..., you get it, and this was effectively interpretive dance with an obvious smile at the solos and connections and occasional guiding glances and a willing conversation with the audience (in English). She started solo, with just a tap on a xylophone for pitch, then looping three voices and the melody of My favourite things over. Otherwise all original other than an encore from Hermeto Pascoal. About 20 songs over 2 sets with a strong band, tight, driving, regular and insistent, occasionally expansive in solos from trumpet or piano, a hugely un-straight-jazz presence in intriguing tango drummer and general jolly-maker, Minino, and a very effective first concert with this band from new bassist Sylvain. There were trumpet/vox pairings and ecstatic scat-like vocals of the most intriguing type, all intervals and patterns with classical awareness. And always this presence, this joy, this connection, this purpose. Should I say I was blown out? And BTW that she's worked with WDR BB, Chris Potter, Dan Tepfer, Jeff Ballard, Christian McBride, Mat Penman, Eric Harland, Ben Monder and the like and got 5 stars from Downbeat and is lauréate artiste vocale 2023. All impressive but her gigs are better. Loved it immensely.

Camille Bertault (vocals, compositions and lyrics) performed at King Georg, Koln, with her band comprising Fady Farah (piano), Sylvian Romano (bass), Minino Garay (percussion, drums) and Julien Alour (trumpet).

Dark and ever present

The Koln Dom is the centre of (tourist) life in Koln. It survived the war; it's old and huge and holds some absolute gems. You can understand the words awe-inspiring when you've seen it, inside or out. It demonstrates something of the middle ages and the power of the Church. It's dark, it took 800+ years from start to finish, it's a complex and glorious structure amongst the quick builds following carpet bombing in 1944. Suffice to say, it's worth a visit. Just some pics.

Coincidences

Just an interlude. It was a Sunday morning and I was about to leave Frankfurt and I tool a walk to pass some time. Then a wind busker, a sat and watched. Could it be? Yes, I'd chatted to him in September 2018 on the same stretch of road. He's Cuban Leonel Fernandez Ortega, clarinetist and composer. He told me of a recent film commission. We chatted on making a living in music. A retired professor, Flora Guidry, now children's book author and in town for the Book Fair, turned up to chat. Then off but what felicitous coincidences! Small world.

A bigger chamber

I'd attended an opera and several other small performances before at the modern opera house in Frankfurt, but never the Alte Oper. It's a building of the 1880s, bombed in 1944, rebuilt in the 1970s and reopened in 1981. I checked out what was on and lucked out with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in the Grosser Saal (seats 2,500). I was chatting with some series subscriber locals (from Hanau, no less, which is already noted in CJ) before the performance and they were especially excited to hear the young Polish/Canadian pianist on the program, Jan Lisiecki. the program was fairly popular: Beethoven Coriolan, Mozart piano concerto no.22, Beethoven 4 and a few Chopins to finish up. I expected a smaller orchestra but it's representing a continent and this is a big chamber. I counted 46 including 3 basses. The opening of Coriolan felt a little wobbly on pitch to my ears but that settled quickly and I noticed such wonderful dynamics, quick expressions, long crescendos, huge variation, so lovely. It's not an easy thing to do. It continued throughout: sweet expression with intention and passion. Sometime a part might stick out, but maybe it should be that way. I wasn't sure. Whatever, I drooled over this ensemble playing. The piano was brought out for Mozart. Yep, a quick and attractive player, again expressive, perhaps a bit impulsive (I could say rushed) on the frequent semiquaver fills. And sometimes lost in the larger sound of the orchestra. Not his fault! It's a request we get often in orchestras playing concerti. Nice to hear it from the other side. I will be more careful! Then an interval and the Beethoven 4 and the Chopin and a warming applause. I think I was lucky with seating. I was in the final row, on a rise, under an overarching balcony. I've found this a good location in Llewellyn Hall, too, and a modest cost. Rear walls, especially those under a ceiling, seem to amplify parts. Nice to chat to a few locals, too, while sad that some conversations are welcomed but fade after seconds given no shared language. It's my weakness for being here not knowing their language, but their strength when they know mine.

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe performed under Andrew Manze (conductor) with soloist Jan Lisiecki (piano) in the Grosser Saal at the Alte Opera, Frankfurt.

Bach close to home

Concert day today. First up is Bach, specifically a cantata "Ach! Ich sehe, itst, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe" (= Oh! I see now that I'm going to the wedding) BWV162. This was embedded in an Evangelical church service at a church I knew but had not seen inside. Telemann Ensemble Frankfurt were the Bach performers, but there was an organist and of course the cleric. I had never attended an Evangelical service, but I recognised plenty from my Catholic days. But we never got Bach! The Telemann Ensemble was SATB singers out front with vln1, vln2, vla, flute, clo, violone and organ/director. The cantata had most sitting out most of the time, but they came together for the chorus movement 6 to finish it all. Otherwise there were snippets of organ and three songs for the congregation to sing with organ accompaniment and a psalm (36:6-10). And a recitation of Matthew 22:1-14 (wedding feast) with accompanying sermon and communion and out. The Bach was lovely. All period instruments so soft gut tones and those four lovely voices up front, mostly individual, but coming together for the final chorus. Bach, of course, was so ingenious, irrepressible, intelligent and other adjectives. The group were a little wavering at first, but settled to comfortable and sweet for long notes and triplet-feeling 12/8 and quick recovery semiquavers throughout. Hearing Bach in Germany just seems right. So to celebrate, I had a local beer in a local, old pub just next door with wattle and daub construction but laid on beer taps and TV and even disco lights. This is how you live with history, I guess.

Telemann Ensemble Frankfurt and Andreas Kohs (organ) performed at a Cantata service at Evangelical Dreikonigskircke (Two Kings church) in Frankfurt. The Telemann Ensemble comprised Simone Schwark (soprano), Anne Bierwirth (alto), Georg Poplutz (tenor), Konstantin Paganetti (bass), Leanne Hinnicks (transerse flute), Nebuko Yamahuchi (violin 1), Kerstin Fahr (violin 2), Keiko Suginaka-Munshgesang (viola), Petra Kohs (cello), Christian Zincke (violone), and Andreas Kohs (organ, director). Pfarrer Jurgen Seidl (liturgy, sermon) led the service. The local pub next door was Zur Glocke.

Thus they save the churches

I'm travelling alone for in Frankfurt so another a day to fill. Not another museum (there are plenty) but I picked up a brochure with a suggested route through churches in the city centre so this was my task. Central Frankfurt was flattened by carpet bombing by the Allies in WW2 so much of the buildings are new and unimaginative, but churches were often not bombed so they could serve to orient bombing raids. They were still damaged and often under repair to these days, so luckily, valuable movable art was also stored for the duration. The result can be disconcerting: paper thin rebuilt history with some glorious historical art works. I also dropped in on a Book fair showing: just a line of books to peruse, but events to happen in the space later. Meanwhile, I also heard an organist preparing for a wedding, met the bride and groom as they entered, heard some very poor bell ringing (presumably first lessons) and had a decent chat with someone I shared a bench with. Thus is the sole traveller yearning for conversation. And today's busker was Oleksander Darmits on violin; nice. Just some pics.

Smiths' sister

It's been a surprise to me that Frankfurt seems to have so few jazz venues. After all, it has 750k in the city alone, plus 5m in the broader metro area and it's a financial centre, so some cluey types. There were a few suggested online but just bars in upmarket hotels but then I found a more obscure place, Mampf. Strange name; strange story dating back to '60s and a place for "journeyman butchers, cone drinker and puzzle fanatics" which was taken over by free jazz in 1972. Now it's a cosy pub with a very small stage in the corner and an interesting musical outfit every night if maybe not professionals. This night was Trio 75, a guitar trio playing original tunes in the style of Abercrombie, e-bass, 16th note rhythms, effected guitars and some really decent interplays and solos. I enjoyed it, got to chat to the players, met an office of architects (the normal collective noun for architects is confusion or argument, but I prefer my invention) out for the Friday night. BTW, the drummer was a local town planner so a friend of the office. As I said, spacey guitar, sharp e-bass (mostly picked, I think) and tight, driving and also very relevant grooves. And grooves benefit e-bass. Plenty of tight little phrasings, stop and starts, unexpected changes, nice fusion chords. Plenty of solos, all around, too. Bass took longs ones; drums was ever ready and just right this night; guitar too, naturally. So a lovely night, but I mused on a few other things on the walk and at the pub. Firstly, it's seems common enough over here to order, receive and consume and only pay at the end of the night from a record jotted on a coaster; I've done it several times. An honour system. I admire it and I guess it works well enough for them to keep it. I like the social implications and expectations of such a system. Secondly, I walked some distance with Google's advice. First up I took the less recommended route and found myself in less comfortable streets, brothels, threatening guys. The return was through a lovely, busy, joyous mall. I've been surprised at how few cars there are here for the population, but a Euro city has density and public transport and a readiness to walk. I'd forgotten how nice that is. Whatever, if you pass through Frankfurt and you enjoy Smith's, I can recommend Mampf.

Trio 75 played at Mampf in Frankfurt. Trio 75 are a guitar trio comprising Markus Kramer (guitar), Chris Ries (bass) and Philipp Gutbrod (drums).

And ivory

Städel's offsider is a lovely but smaller gallery that collects statuary from Egyptian through to the last century or so, the Liebieghaus Skulpturen Sammling. Sadly it seems relatively unloved, or at least poorly attended whenever I visit. I wasn't the only one to notice it, but also not the only to note how undeserved that is. But then it's not a huge collection in any field, except an incredible basement full of exquisite works of ivory. Now ivory is not well thought of these days, what with its relationship to extinctions and colonialism, but the decimation of elephant herds was not of this era: that had to await the arrival of decent armouries to kill animals on an industrial scale. But regardless of the ethical issues, the artistic outcomes are breathtaking. Otherwise, I loved the visits to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Islam, mediaeval, baroque, rococo. All there and so close: touchable, but I don't, but so close to view and experience like an object on your own shelf. And not so large that you need all day to touch on it. Everything to love in a gallery in my book. And my little story of the day. I was looking at souvenirs and found a fridge magnet that's on our fridge. I asked if it's in their collection; I don't remember buying it there. Presumably I did. A staffer took me to see it and was surprised it had been replaced by a new exhibition on early science, the Antikythera mechanism and more. We both learnt something.

The Liebieghaus Skulpturen Sammling (sculpture collection) is in Frankfurt.

Another Frankfurt inevitability

Along with the Städel, the Jazzkeller is another unmissable when I'm in Frankfurt. Impressively, this is its 70th anniversary year. That's 20 years older than the Sydney Opera House and shortly after WW2. I think of the devastation of bombing in Germany and assume that basements were amongst the few usable spaces after carpet bombing. I guess they were used for protection then temporary accommodation, then became available for cheaper uses like jazz clubs. Whatever, it's a classic space with a noble history of major artist visits, if small and acoustically imperfect. This night Jazzkeller featured a quartet around Martin Sasse and Tony Lakatos; I think it was Tony sitting in with Martin's trio. This was good old hard bop done with considerable skill and plenty of solos all round. I heard Martin's piano as playing the changes but with frequently moving chromatic substitutions. Tony seemed mostly a big, fat tenor tone running though chordal cells, interesting in themselves without substitutions, but they were often enough thrown in as well. Vladimir on drums wrote some worthy tunes, not least a lovely ballad, and soloed solidly, heavy on toms and middy-pitched rolls. Martin, this time the bassist, again wrote some interesting tunes, not least one with several somewhat unconnected but effective passages and explosive melodies ending on descending tritones which were nicely played unison by bass and tenor. This Martin sat nicely, undemandingly, but could double up for some light flurries of notes at breakneck speed. Loved that! Otherwise, they played 2 sets of 5 and 4 tunes over a few hours. The Jazzkeller attracts tourists so there were departures in the break then mid-second set and urgently when the gig ended. Thus are the renowned jazz clubs in Europe. But it was an enlivening night out, hearing breakneck swing (the second take on a blues was at 260). The one non-original was Skylark and that was sweet and familiar. Otherwise originals by the trio. The night ws enlivening also for the chats with various people over for the Frankfurt Bookfair (400k attendees and 7k stands in the venue. Wow). I chatted with guys from New Jersey (bigger population) and Finland (smaller population, 5m). Like I chatted with two Fins from a Sami Museum at the Städel yesterday. This is all nicely cosmopolitan and part of why we travel. Oh, and a chat with Martin the bassist, about amps (Glockenklang Blue Bird and Acoustic 8-1 bin) and pickups (again Glockenklang) and strings (Spirocore Weich solo strings tuned down a semitone) and acoustics, but that's just jazz.

Martin Sasse (piano) and Tony Lakatos (tenor) led a quartet with Martin Gjakonovski (bass) and Vladimir Konstadinovic (drums) at the Jazzkeller, Frankfurt.

Catching up with old girlfriends

Catching up with old girlfriends: it's what I told my wife, too, with no repercussions. This girlfriend is a fave Botticelli in Frankfurt. Why a fave? Not sure, really. I have seen better, but this one just fell on me when I entered a room one day and ever since she's been a fave. Botticelli, of course, was a lively character as is trivially obvious in his painting. Pretty men and women with glowing skin and glorious clothing in sensuous poses. What's not to like? This is not the biggest and best past masters gallery, but it's got a nice collection and I get to visit it so it's a personal favourite. And today I noticed myself making connections. There's a Raphael here of Pope Julius 2. I thought I knew it from Rome, and sure enough that's also Raphael with the pope in the same pose. It happened with a Tiepolo, too, where the woman in the transaction if also Cleopatra in Melbourne's major Tiepolo. I suppose they are the same model. And I got bowled over again by the details in Canaletto.  And I love Perugino for having lived in Perugia for a time (and he was Raphael's teacher). But I like earlier periods, too, and more. A multi-part painting of deaths of the apostles was so gruesome as to draw a chuckle. A series of husband/wife portrait pairs had me seeing especially the women as feasible close relatives. And the ordinary life stories with exquisite detail of the Dutch school made me gasp for the beauty of a tiny group in a small painting. I took a break after the old masters and returned for the modern era. That was lucky. Nothing too much there of such beauty and interest so I could get through it pretty quickly. Not that nothing was interesting, but quite a bit wasn't. As a bassist, I feigned objection to a real double bass smashed then memorialised in resin. The artist had done it with 20-or-so bows, too, but they were just for violins. And a modern discovery was Max Beckman who did the most revealing modern portraits of people pairs last century.

And one little musical outing the day of arrival, suffering jet lag. I walked through the very touristy centre of town and heard strains of something I'd played a few years back. Not the original Four seasons, but the Max Richter take. Attractive and interesting. Then I saw the accordionist on button accordion. I didn't listen for so long, but I did catch Libertango and some Bach. Sergei Sadovoy is with an acquaintance who remembered him as an accompanist for a local professional dance group.

The Städler Gallery is the main art gallery in Frankfurt. Sergei Sadovoy (button accordion) played in Markt Lane, behind Römerberg, Frankfurt.