Nacht der Thüringer Jazzmeile 2025

Seven in a row – or on one night

Kunstfest Weimar once again revives an old idea from the era of Nike Wagner and celebrates with its artists, guests and visitors by presenting an evening of jazz in seven pubs in the city. Curated and organised for Kunstfest Weimar by the Director of the Thüringer Jazzmeile, Holger Gonska.

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PRO ART 

Founded by musicians from Ilmenau in the summer of 1973, the band “pro art” has now represented the best in handmade music for 52 years. Starting out more in the field of jazz-rock, in the 1980s the band became one of the GDR’s most popular blues line-ups before turning increasingly towards funk and soul jazz in later years. Even if none of the founder members are present any longer, the band lives on. Over the years almost 100 musicians have left their footprints behind, either for shorter or longer periods, and there have barely been two concerts a year with exactly the same cast. For 26 years the sound has been built around Andi Geyer’s Hammond organ and a four-strong brass contingent. The repertoire is comprehensive and varied. Along with a number of classics, the band will play a series of its own compositions, the music driven by a catchy groove and numerous, sometimes expansive passages of improvisation.

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DOGMA'N – BLUES IS ON FIRE 

Chicago, Texas & avantgarde blues in the spirit of Albert Collins, Freddie King, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy and Frank Zappa. Four established musicians celebrate the blues in its most varied
forms. Here the rolling and stamping Chicago sound meets earthy, raw-boned Texas blues. Added to this comes the avantgarde influence of Frank Zappa. This crazy mix makes up the typically fresh Dogma'n sound. The project based in Weimar and Gotha founded by Michael Rötsch, who performs as guitarist and singer, is completed by Robert Boddin on bass, Andreas Saul on guitar and the blues harp and the young percussionist Marius Baum, who shares this job with Lin Dittmann. The musicians are also active in other projects, notably Bayon, Keimzeit and gothacoustic.

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SILKE GONSKA – SOLO SOUNDS FOR VOICE 

Silke Gonska searches for vocal sound worlds that also transcend words; she paints vocal pictures, making notes dance in space and creating new dimensions of sound. Music, nature
and technology provide the co-ordinates for her inspiration. The basis can be an old folk song, a pop hit, a simple rhythm, a lyric, poem or just a phrase of a melody. Improvisation is the key and what connects all the parts together.

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MARCUS HORN ORGEL TRIO

The Marcus Horn Organ Trio is an exciting new contemporary jazz line-up. At its heart lies the energy-packed and richly nuanced percussion of Marcus Horn, which gives the trio a clear direction and an unmistakable sound profile. He is supported by two stylistically versatile companions: Jan von Klewitz on saxophone and Christian von der Goltz on Hammond Organ. The playing of these three musicians is characterised by superb interaction, spontaneity and mutual trust. The Marcus Horn Organ Trio combines rhythmic power with lyrical clarity – challenging, seductive and surprising music.

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FRIEDER W. BERGNER 

Trombinist Frieder W. Bergner reads from his autobiography and plays jazz by himself and others.
He began his musical career as a chorister with the Thüringer Sängerknaben. Later, after studying the trombone in Dresden, he played in rock bands and as a studio musician in the Radio Big Band Leipzig. He then went on to become Professor for Big Band at the University of Music in Weimar. He has now had a formative influence on the East German jazz scene for 30 years – with his Contemporary Jazz Band, Ensemble Creativ and as the author of musical revues, performances and audio dramas. In his book, he describes his musical biography up to reunification – caught between a Christian home, socialist education and tours of both East and West. In his readings, he combines the texts with music, for example from his CD “kein schöner land – deutsches lied gut”.

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DUO FRÄNZEL / BÖTTGER 

Erfurter Robert Fränzel trained on the saxophone and flute at the “Franz Liszt” University of Music in Weimar and, after living in Dresden for six years, has now returned to his native city. Following tours with Al DeLoner from Norway and the Brandenburg cult band “Keimzeit”, he now adorns the Thuringian cultural scene as a solo saxophonist, leads his own projects such as the “Robert Fränzel Quartet”, plays lead alto in the “Nerly Big Band” and makes welcome guest appearances with numerous Erfurt bands and the orchestra at “Theater Erfurt”. Marco Böttger from Eisenach is active in a range of jazz and rock projects. His bands include the “Marco Böttger Swingtett” with Sandra Peschke, the duo “Jazzguitar & Vocal” with Nele Hartig and playing guitar with the punk rock band he co-founded “Geile Götter”.

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NELE HARTIG TRIO | Die Mischung macht’s – Jazz, Rock, Pop und Standards

The duo Hartig & Degenhardt consists of the versatile Erfurt jazz singer Nele Hartig, who conjures up expressive images with her voice and whose touching, richly timbred renditions are her trademark – along with her powerful, open personality and great empathy. And the guitarist Carsten Degenhardt, who has recently developed from a jazz guitarist to a sensitive and creative accompanist in the duo and enjoys being able to bring his broad range of musical influences to life on the guitar. Their pleasure in interacting with their audience, their enjoyment of making music and Nele Hartig’s flexible and dynamic voice thrill their listeners. For several years, they have both played together in the Nerly BigBand from Erfurt, whose leader, Bernhard Wundrak, joins them for this trio on saxophone.