All That Jazz

A question frequently asked of the average expatriate is whether one misses something from “home.” This can be as specific as a brand of tea or as broad as local attitudes about the role of the citizen. But in fact, the more interesting question may be something else, having to do with rediscovering abroad the things one had become accustomed to at home.  

For the jazz fan, this town reveals itself as a place of wonder. While there are legendary locations, neighborhoods, avenues, and clubs recognized as touchstones: New Orleans-, Harlem, 52nd St., Birdland, The Hi-Hat, the Onyx, Central Avenue, Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse, the West Coast and its “cool school,” etc., Vienna is well on its way to earning its place among them.

It took a few decades for the guitar to join the jazz family. The instrument seemed at first to blend naturally within the intimacy of the blues, while next to louder instruments like the trumpet or the saxophone, the delicate acoustic guitar simply had no chance. It took electric amplification to allow it the possibility to speak on an equal level with the others. 

Only a few names come to mind before the mid-’50s – Charlie Christian (one of the first to adopt the amplified guitar) and the legendary manouche Django Reinhardt (whose song titles this article). 

It was a daring move by this proud Austrian export to the global music stage. Ignoring the revered standards of the great American Songbook, Puschnig spoke to his audience, making Carinthian themes alive again, reworked in new apparel.Long a member of the A-team of European jazzers, Puschnig was a founding member of the Vienna Art Orchestra, and more than most, truly embraces both his local and Continental musical roots, not simply acknowledging his forebears but drawing upon them for inspiration.

The great Gidon Kremer seems full of self-pity at the moment. But although over 60, he is still bright and energetic; there is no sign of retirement.

In his performance evening, Being Gidon Kremer, at Theater an der Wien, Kremer presented the rise and fall of a (classical) musician, describing a life of suffering by reading out of his autobiography and then doing some hearty fiddling. Born in Latvia of German Jewish parents, he hasn’t given up attempting to cast out the devil with the Beelzebub. No matter which (political) system he denounces or satirizes, he has been a part of it. What was also discretely not mentioned: his abnormal relation to money, his recruiting of lovers from his own orchestra, and how he treats his friends.

The smoky air is vibrant with the sounds of glasses clinking together, people chatting, and jazz playing from the speakers in the background. Once the quartet steps onto the stage, everything quiets down and on the “one, two, three, four” count, the room comes alive in a different, more effervescent way.

“Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker.” The lower sensual range of Dutch-born actress and mezzo-soprano Susan Rigvava-Dumas’ powerful voice floated across the neo-Renaissance Café Central. And almost whispering to the delicate accompaniment of the rhythm section of the Vienna-based mini-big-band Project Two – “wherever you’re going I’m going your way.”

Now that the jazz scene has returned to the cozy environs of Vienna’s Klubs and Kellers, it’s time to entertain the question nagging aficionados the most. Is jazz best enjoyed sitting or standing?

Recent concerts in the Began in Africa series at Porgy & Bess exemplified the pros and cons of seating. Afrobeat legend Tony Allen attracted enough people to warrant removal of the tables and chairs in front of the stage. Fortunately at the Porgy, those who arrived early nabbed one of the tables in the wrap-around balcony. For Allen’s concert, though, even those sitting couldn’t resist the urge to stand and wiggle to the groovy beat.

Just a few decades ago, jazz was almost exclusively enjoyed in small, dark and smoky clubs. Preferably at night. It seemed that jazz and sun didn’t go together.

Things have certainly changed, as summer jazz festivals explode in and outside of Vienna, and now offer the possibility to both swing and get a suntan! Imagine a typical Austrian village with a spectacular mountain backdrop and an idyllic lake – perhaps an outdoor paradise. Now picture the biggest names of the jazz avant-garde battalion. Sound like heaven?

A recent column was dedicated to the best places to hear live jazz in Vienna. This time it’s the best places to get our spiritual food: jazz recordings. Of course, I don’t pretend this list is exhaustive, much less impartial. Let’s say that you’ll simply find here some hints.