A few things I am very happy to announce:

Upcoming concert with Jerry Granelli „Dancehall“ feat. Robben Ford (git) on July 13^th in Halifax.

Jerry released his latest album „Dancehall“ with Rhythm & Blues Tunes (from Louis Jordan to Aretha Franklin) with two guitar giants of these days, Bill Frisell & Robben Ford and J.-Anthony Granelli on bass. I hope I may do the rhythm part, while Robben is playing the Blues. (After the german saying: „Ach was für ein schönes Ding, 2, 3, 4, dass ich Rhythmus-Giatrrist bin, 2, 3, 4.)

Also during that week in July will be a bunch of concerts as part of the creative music series during the Halifax Jazz Festival. We start with one of those rare concerts of

Granelli/Kögel/Granelli on July 10, a trio that doesn’t meet too often, but plays wonderful new music each time they play.

And we all will teach again, the amazing creative music workshop (cmw) . Happy to meet those wonderful collegues again, like Michael Blake on sax, Peggy Lee on cello, Susanne Chui (dance/movement), and of course all the great students, that apply this year!

CD-Release-Concert of Flexkögel’s third album „America“, on August, 26^th in Berlin at the A-trane.

We recorded an album of Leonard Bernstein compositions, in „Flexkögel-Style“, we release it on the day after his 100. Birthday.

Premiere of „Queen Jazz 2018“ on September 20^th in Leipzig at the Leipziger Jazztage.

The british Band Queen released their 7^th album „Jazz“ in 1978. 40 years later, i decided to present the 2018 Berlin Jazz Version of Queen „Jazz“, an album that hardly has any jazz on it. I am in the middle of arranging and writing for that project right now, the musicians on that project will be: Peter Ehwald (ts/ clar.), Uli Kempendorff (ts/ clar./ bassclar.), Kai Brückner (E-Git/ Dobro), Rainer Winch (drs, synth-bass) and myself on Baritone-Git, Oud & Banjo. Looking forward!

CD-Release-Tour with Wood & Steel Trio w. Michael Schiefel (voc), presenting Hanns Eisler’s Hollywood Songbook.

After performing with that project on Berliner Jazzfest in 2016, we rehearsed some more and recorded our version of Hanns Eisler’s wonderful and strange compositions of his „Hollywooder Liederbuch“. It will be released on traumton records in the fall. Concerts will be:

October 23^rd: Berlin, Pianosalon

October 25^th: Weimar, Fürstensaal

October 26^th: Ismaning, Kallmann-Museum

October 27^th: Kaufbeuren, Stiftsterassen