An evening, three bands with a regional connection, three times the finest Jazz. This is Jazz im 3erPack. The event is once again presented this year by JA!ZZevau Kaiserslautern in cooperation with Kammgarn. Performing will be the trio My Funny Cellotine, the band Cheesecake ‘n’ Coffee, and the formation Djulia and Friends.

My Funny Cellotine

One of the most beautiful jazz ballads inspired this unusual trio in every respect. And as beautiful as the mentioned ballad is, so is the music: The noble melodies of classically trained cellist Christine Rutz and the improvisations of experienced jazz musicians Thomas Seibel (guitar) and Dieter Schmidt (piano) merge into a fascinating chamber music sound. Even without a drummer, an exhilarating groove develops. The repertoire of My Funny Cellotine includes jazz classics and lesser-known pieces from the last 100 years, which in this formation develop a melodious charm – music that gets under your skin.

Cheesecake ‘n’ Coffee

Cheesecake ‘n’ Coffee is a quartet comprising vocals, guitar, bass, and drums, that delights with playfully refreshing musical openness with a mix of Bossa Nova, swing, emotional ballads – both well-known and lesser-known pieces. We bring our favorite pieces from the jazz standard repertoire from various eras to the stage, sometimes cool and relaxed, sometimes groovy and captivating, and sometimes even quite romantically as a ballad.

The name of our band reflects our rehearsal tradition – because coffee and cake are simply a must for us! Inspired by Dexter Gordon’s “Cheesecake” and Sonny Burke’s “Black Coffee,” we chose a name that expresses both our love for music and coziness.

Vocals: Dagmar Küchlin, Guitar: Matthias Roth, Bass: Daniel Dupont, Drums: Winfried Speeter

Web: https://cheesecake-n-coffee.de/

Djulia and Friends

Djulia Jung sings classics from the Great American Songbook. She is accompanied by Helmut Engelhardt (saxophone), Matthias Stoffel (piano), Jörg Kirsch (bass), and Christoph Jung (drums). Together, they bring jazz in its purest form to the stage. An evening for lovers of timeless melodies and vibrant improvisation.

Doors open: 19:00

catfish row

The Berlin trio catfish row – named after the street made famous as the setting of the opera “Porgy and Bess” – interprets compositions by George Gershwin, born in New York in 1898, and Duke Ellington, born in Washington, D.C. in 1899. At the center of catfish row is the charismatic and versatile voice of jazz singer ANETT LEVANDER, accompanied by CHRISTIAN RAAKE on saxophone/flute and DIRK STEGLICH on bass clarinet.
Large orchestral instrumentation, rich piano chords, and richly instrumented jazz melodies that have long become standards – how can two woodwind players and a singer convey all this?
The answer lies in the refined arrangements of catfish row. But we don't want to reveal too much here: listen for yourself as the music of both composers sounds in this trio configuration – reduced to the essentials, transparent, and expressive in all its sensuality!

catfish row plays George Gershwin

George Gershwin easily moved between various genres as a composer. He composed countless songs for musicals and films as one of perhaps the most brilliant melodists of his generation, whose melodies never fell into the banal. His musical hits elevated him to become a celebrated Broadway favorite. At the same time, George Gershwin had higher musical ambitions. The premiere of Rhapsody in Blue (1924) brought him worldwide fame as a composer of “newly authentic American classical music.” Subsequently, he composed symphonic concert works, including the Piano Concerto in F major, the symphonic poem An American in Paris, and two operas (Blue Monday as early as 1922, Porgy & Bess in 1935). Today, Gershwin is regarded as one of the central pioneers of contemporary American classical music and “symphonic jazz.” At this intersection of jazz and classical music, the ensemble catfish row presents the music and life of the composer to the audience. Musical and film songs, along with a condensed version of the opera Porgy & Bess, will be heard in a way that has never been experienced before.

catfish row plays Duke Ellington

Music of the “King of Swing” – From Cotton Club to Sacred Concerts

Even as a teenager, Edward “Duke” Ellington was dubbed “Duke” (English: Duke) by his schoolmates, and he honored this title throughout his life.
Enormous musical talent, hard work, and keen business acumen, combined with noble charisma and polished manners, helped Duke Ellington achieve a brilliant music career as a composer, bandleader, and pianist.

Ellington's musical tradition is rooted in African American gospel and blues. His instrument was the piano. Here he implemented his musical and compositional ideas. At the same time, the instrument served as a mediator between Ellington and his ORCHESTRA. In close collaboration with his band members – each an individual contributing their own ideas, melodies, and harmonies – Duke Ellington shaped the unmistakable modern sound of his ORCHESTRA.

From 1920 onwards, no decade was unaffected by Ellington's musical style, this particular form of swing, known for its inventiveness in melody, harmony, and rhythm.

catfish row has made the music of this outstanding composer their own. Just as Duke Ellington composed specifically for his ORCHESTRA, catfish row respectfully arranges his music for themselves. The result is a new, equally distinctive sound that remains close to the original even in this trio configuration. Listen for yourself!

Concertgoers can expect a cross-section of Duke Ellington's works – from the dance music of the 1930s from the Cotton Club to excerpts of the “Far East Suite” and the “Sacred Concerts,” which counted among Ellington's most important compositions in his final years.
In honor of his 50th anniversary of death (May 24, 1974), the current CD of the catfish row ensemble “From Cotton Club To Sacred Concerts” will be released in autumn 2024.

We

Anett Levander (Vocals, Percussion)
Born in Brandenburg (Havel). Trained in Berlin in jazz and pop singing, Anett Levander takes on the vocal part here.
As a freelance singer, she has been working in stylistically diverse musical ensembles since 2000; from jazz quartets to big bands, from her own variety shows to a cappella world music.
She is a permanent member of the vocal ensemble Die Tontauben and the a cappella ensemble aquabella.
Levander has sung for various CD and film music productions.
She teaches singing at music schools in Berlin.
http://www.anett-levander.de

Christian Raake (Saxophonist, Flutist, Composer, Arranger)
Born in Berlin, Christian Raake studied flute and saxophone at the HfM Hanns Eisler Berlin. Later, the Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) was added.
In addition to his freelance musician activities in various band projects, he worked as a studio musician for many CD productions (including Mark Murphy & Till Brönner), as well as for soundtracks for film, television, radio, and theater. Christian is a long-time member of the Saxofonquadrat for which he also composes.
Since 2022, he has played in the newly founded BenSchu saxophone quartet. Christian Raake not only arranges for the ensembles in which he is active but also for other chamber music ensembles, such as aquabella or Die Tontauben. He taught flute at the HfM “Hanns-Eisler” (now the Jazz Institute Berlin) for 20 years and has been teaching saxophone and flute at the Berlin music school “Béla Bartók” since 1994.
http://www.christian-raake.de

Dirk Steglich (Bass Clarinet)
Born in Southern Germany, Dirk Steglich studied jazz and popular music, majoring in saxophone, at the State Conservatory of Würzburg. Since 1995, he has worked as a freelance musician with saxophone, clarinet, and flute, as well as a pedagogue in Berlin. In addition to film music, studio work, and theater projects, he plays in various bands from modern jazz to freer genres. With the bands Heliocentric Counterblast and Chiffchaff, he received the studio prize and support from the Berlin Senate.