Pascal Klewer Bigband

Cologne has been a big band stronghold for many years. This played a major role in Pascal Klewer choosing the city as a place to study in 2015. Initially, he felt a lot of admiration for this scene, but at the same time felt both inspired and intimidated by it.

In almost six years since the first concert of the Pascal Klewer Bigband, it has experienced a lot of change and development as well as dared some experiments: first of all the concert series in the LOFT with grandmasters and scene greats such as Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Christopher Dell, Pablo Held, Kit Downes, Niels Klein and Christian Lillinger, before the focus was put on the musicians:inside the band. In May of this year, a new program for Klewer's feature film "there's no such things as altruism" (tba) was recorded with harpist Kathrin Pechlof.

With the concert in the Stadtgarten, the Pascal Klewer Big Band says goodbye. Klewer's urgent desire to combine free jazz with big band and to be allowed to write for his individual, strong musician:s has brought the band over the years. Now the bandleader will put his focus on new big projects like movies, his avant-pop project. However, the conclusion and the concept could not be more fitting: on this evening, coinciding with the release "Pascal Klewer Bigband - live at LOFT (recorded for DLF)", 17 solo works will be presented. These explore the individual sounds of the very distinctive players of the band in an intimate compositional exchange and create a "big band sound" that finally breaks away from its conventions.

This concert is dedicated to Peter Brötzmann, who is a formative part for the foundation and existence of this band. The musicians thank him for his inspiration, words and art.