For a jazzy evening

  • | Friday | 24th February, 2017

How did Klaus Graf Quartett begin? Having worked as a sideman in various national and international jazz formations, I decided to form Klaus Graf Quartett in 2002. The troupe consists of Klaus Graf (alto saxophone), Olaf Polziehn (jazz piano), Axel Kuhn (upright bass) and Meinhard Obi Jean (drums). We perform a mixture of my compositions, special arrangements of popular songs and songs from my saxophone hero, Cannonball Adderly. I think the audience enjoys our music, which is a blend of modern jazz, soul jazz and the blues.

Music, in any form, has the ability to strike a chord. In a city where jazz gigs are a rarity, music aficionados are in for a treat as German jazz band Klaus Graf Quartett is set to cast a spell with their performance on March 3, 7 pm. The troupe consists of Klaus Graf (alto saxophone), Olaf Polziehn (jazz piano), Axel Kuhn (upright bass) and Meinhard Obi Jean (drums). The concert, organised by Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum, is at Symphony Hall, Mascot Hotel. Excerpts from an email interview with Graf, the founder of the group. How did Klaus Graf Quartett begin? The musicians in our group are all internationally recognized jazz soloists. We constantly collaborate with different artistes. For instance, I have worked for musicians such as Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan and Phil Collins. Having worked as a sideman in various national and international jazz formations, I decided to form Klaus Graf Quartett in 2002. I had written a couple of music pieces and wanted to play them with my favourite musicians. I enjoy working with Polziehn, Kuhn and Jean. It helps that we live in the same area and can meet often to jam. Why just jazz? Jazz for me is a creative form of art. It is very open to styles. Even as a child, I have always liked to improvise on things; jazz allows me bring out that inner creativity. What is the sound of your quartet? We perform a mixture of my compositions, special arrangements of popular songs and songs from my saxophone hero, Cannonball Adderly. The sounds, I think, are influenced by musicians such as Miles Davis, Cannonball and Herbie Hancock. Although I respect traditional jazz, I do try to develop my own style, my own twist. I think the audience enjoys our music, which is a blend of modern jazz, soul jazz and the blues. We haven’t had to make many compromises in the kind of tunes we have played so far. What does each of you as artistes bring to the group? A respect for music and the talent to play it. In fact, we worked together and released two albums – Changes in Live (2002) and Moving On (2007). We got some rave reviews for our début album. Tour of India We are currently in Mumbai. Bangalore, Mysore and Coonoor are on our list. Thiruvananthapuram is our last stop. It was nice to meet other musicians and also those interested in music. The audience response has been great. What next? We plan on recording some new music and playing more gigs.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Latest Thiruvananthapuram headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles