Jazz im Rathaushof - Axel Schlosser Quartett

"To Satch and Duke" is the title of the Axel Schlosser Quartet's current programme. The name says it all: Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington - two of the most influential figures in jazz history - are the evening's guiding stars.

Schlosser's band brings genuine musical passion to the wide-ranging work of these two legends, breathing new life into their distinctive sound worlds. The quartet explores many facets of their extensive output: familiar standards sit alongside rarely played pieces, and early compositions from the 1920s meet works from the late 1960s.

At the heart of the evening is the sheer joy of playing. The four musicians' interpretations are driven by swing, energy and a sharp ear for musical detail. Because neither Armstrong nor Ellington typically worked in quartet format, the group arrives at a sound perspective that is entirely its own.

With Axel Schlosser on trumpet, Olaf Polziehn on piano, Jean-Philippe Wadle on bass and Jean-Paul Höchstädter on drums, the Axel Schlosser Quartett approaches these classics with respect - and unmistakably personal flair.