Music, not from a wind tunnel

Musicians Network provides an audience for Stuttgart jazz talents

Jazz has had many homes in Stuttgart: rarely above, mostly below the pavement. Now there's a new venue,
this time under the Treodoro Heuss Street: "Musicians Network" presented itself on Friday evening
at Piano Fischer's studio. Celebrity chef Vincent Klink is one of the sponsors. Friday the 13th: by no means an
unlucky day for Stuttgart jazz musicians. On the contrary. "Musicians Network," a musicians' initiative properly
registered in the register of associations, celebrated its opening night before a hundred interested listeners.
Jazz professor Bernd Konrad kicked things off with a blazing baritone
saxophone solo and then introduced the musicians: saxophonists Nikola Lutz and Frank
Kroll, violinist Klaus Marquart, pianist Patrick Bebelaar, bassist Branko Arnsek, and drummer Bernd Settlmeyer.
Before Konrad wished the musicians' association "long haul" with another solo, this time on the soprano sax,
he commented on the purpose of the network. It should be a point of contact for young, professional musicians.
Because they risk getting lost in the machinery of the large commercial festivals. The initiative, consisting of
up-and coming jazz musicians, seasoned professionals, and supporters, wants to offer these talents a platform and
demonstrate to the audience the talent that exists in the city and the surrounding region, especially in Stuttgart.

Incidentally, jazz on the Neckar River, like everywhere else in the world, is a "lively reaction to the prevailing conditions."
Speaking of conditions: they were quite comfortable. Music dealer Dieter Fischer had provided an underground studio
free of charge for this evening (and the next nine). Vinz Klink had brought a gourmet buffet, complete with Prosecco
and red wine, from his "Wielandshöhe" restaurant. Furthermore, Klink, a multi-talented cook, writer, and performing musician, gave a truly programmatic speech: In times when photo models,
young managers, and yuppies look as if they've emerged from the wind tunnel of the zeitgeist, many jazz musicians
still live on the edge of poverty. Klink's demand: "Jazz must unite all available forces to stand together against the
trash and musical pollution of our time. We demand: less stench in the ear."
The next ear-friendly jazz evening starts at Theodor-Heuss-Straße 8 on October 25 at 8 p.m.
As already announced in Friday's StZ arts section, Paul Schwarz, piano, Florian King, bass, Martin Keller,
saxophone, and Uwe Kühner, drums, will each have the opportunity for their own performance, followed by a joint jazz finale.

Martin Hohnecker
Stuttgarter Zeitung