British Residents’ Association of Switzerland

The Blues with Joy !!

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This was not just a Central Region event. Members from Basle, Geneva and Zurich made up the 17 who attended the enjoyable Lenk Jazz Weekend from 14-16 July where we stayed at the reasonably priced Wildstrubel Sporthotel, situated conveniently in the town centre.

Members who got there early enough on the Friday appreciated the street parade and antics of the Bienville Street Band.  The evening concert was in the big marquee on the Kronenplatz, to listen to the Bowler Hats, a group of six celebrating 50 years of jazz. Astoundingly, three of the original group were still playing so understandably this was not a young group Neither was their jazz, all very enjoyable traditional well-known numbers. Star of the show was pianist, Moody Rassouli, who dazzled us with his flying fingers. As befits their style, the second encore was “When the Saints” and they finished to a standing ovation. Their website is at www.bowlerhats.ch/.

No tickets were left for the Jazz Train with the Bienville Street Band on Saturday afternoon, although one devoted member used her Liverpool chutzpah to wangle a seat. The rest of us took the cable car (an impressive new construction) up to the Metschstand, where we had a magnificent view of the Wildstrubel and the edge of the Glacier of the Plaine Morte, above Crans Montana. We were also enthralled by a lush display of Alpine flora.

The evening jazz session was a group based in Brighton, England, but whose members came from all over the place. The Swing Ninjas were much less “trad”, replacing the banjo with two electric guitars and a Suzaphone but no trumpet. Most of them sang in many of their pieces but their “lead” singer, Helena, was not fantastic! However, she did provide some astonishing solos on her Baritone Sax! 

Sunday was the last day and some of us decided to spend the morning going up the Betelberg to Stoos (part of the deal was a free pass to all the cable cars) and then continuing to the top at Leiterli! There was no time though for a coffee as we wanted to be back for the start of the 11:00 concert: what a good job we did as The Chris Conz Trio were the stars of the weekend! Not only was the leader just as good a Boogie pianist as Moody Rassouli but his drummer, Mario von Holten, and bassist, Arno Schulz, were almost as good. The many solos were long enough to really enjoy and applaud. Not only was Chris endowed with flying fingers but towards the end he brought on his young protégée, a young man of about 14 who matched him in dexterity if not quite in power (as yet). Four boogie hands on one piano – an absolute delight!  Find out more about this group at www.boogiepiano.ch/english.

Thank you Joy Sandoz for organizing this super weekend; we’re definitely on for the next one. But then you will have to do something special to get such superb weather as well!

Nigel Coombs