, or is a jazz festival in Burghausen, Altötting, Germany. It was founded in 1970 by

Joe Viera Josef "Joe" Viera (born 4 September 1932) is a German jazz saxophonist and educator. Viera worked with the Riverboat Seven, , and Albert Mangelsdorff early in his career, and led a trio which played free jazz in the late 1960s. He taught at the ...

History

The local bailiff Helmut Viertl (1936 - 2023) founded the Birdland jazz club in Burghausen in May 1968, in the former Gasthof Zum in the old town. He had previously founded the Birdland jazz club in Neuburg an der Donau. In the winter of 1969/70, Viertl presented the idea of a festival in the jazz club with the Munich saxophonist Joe Viera as organizer (Viera was also traveling across the country at the time and presenting jazz films). In order to attract more guests, they also wanted to present pop and blues. The first festival took place from March 3rd to 8th, 1970. Viera showed jazz films, and at the final concert Viera and

Oskar Klein Oskar Benjamin Klein (; 15 September 1894 – 5 February 1977) was a Swedish theoretical physicist. Biography Klein was born in Danderyd outside Stockholm, son of the chief rabbi of Stockholm, Gottlieb Klein from Humenné in Kingdom of Hungary ...

performed with their bands, as well as the Romanian jazz pianist János Kőrössy, who soon afterwards emigrated to the USA. The final concert was broadcast several times on Radio Free Europe. Soon afterwards, in a dispute over the musical direction, Viertl left the jazz club (which closed at the beginning of 1971 when the lease was terminated, not least because the young audience was suspected of drug use) and founded IG Jazz, with which he organized the next festival. The venue was now the Grubenbar. Another performance location was the cellar of the town hall and the Mautnerschloss after its renovation in 1977. Well-known German jazz musicians such as

Albert Mangelsdorff Albert Mangelsdorff (September 5, 1928 – July 25, 2005) was a German jazz trombonist. Working mainly in free jazz, he was an innovator in multiphonics. Early life Mangelsdorff was born in Frankfurt on September 5, 1928, as the son of the book ...

and Peter Herbolzheimer performed. Viera also organized jazz courses in Burghausen. In 1975 the festival also received international star guests ( Dollar Brand, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass). In 1976 the festival became even more famous when

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

was arrested before his performance there and held in the local police cell until bail was posted. Also in 1976, the Dutch Swing College Band, Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband and the Old Metropolitan Band performed.

Benny Waters Benjamin Waters (January 23, 1902, Brighton, Baltimore, Maryland – August 11, 1998, Columbia, Maryland) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. known in part for the longevity of his career. He began on organ, then switched to cl ...

appeared in 1977,

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

in 1978, Horace Silver and the Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1979, Stephane Grappelli, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach and Mel Lewis in 1980,

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

and

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

in 1981, Randy Brecker, Ray Brown in 1982,

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note album '' Components'', is one of his best-known compositions.Huey, Steve. "Components – Bob ...

, 1983 Lester Bowie,

Baden Powell Baden-Powell () is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Baden-Powell * The Rev. Prof. Baden Powell (mathematician) (1796–1860), mathematician, clergyman and liberal theologian. By his first marriage father of: :* Baden Henry Powell ...

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

and

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, double ...

. The festival has been regularly recorded by Bavarian Television since 1982. In 1984 they moved from the Mautnerschloss to the Wackerhalle, the meeting hall of the local Wacker Chemie AG, because it could accommodate more listeners. At the end of the 1980s it was decided to also feature international stars in the opening concert - previously reserved for regional musicians.

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

performed in 1988, the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1990,

Al Di Meola Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his works in jazz fusion and world music, he began his career as a guitarist of the group Return to Forever in 1974. Between the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as ' ...

in 1992, Jim Hall in 1993 and

B. B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...

in 1994. At the 25th anniversary in 1994, Helmut Viertl handed over management to his previous deputy Herbert Hebertinger. Joe Viera continued to be the artistic director. The date was moved from the second half of March to the beginning of May in 2000 and to mid-April in 2005. After Hebertinger's death in 2004, Herbert Rißel, who was previously responsible for the festival's sound technology, took over the management. From 2009 the European Burghauser Young Jazz Prize was awarded. Around 8,500 visitors came to the concerts for the 40th anniversary in 2009.

Programme

The festival has established itself in Bavaria as one of the regular events of its kind with high-ranking national and international guests. An innovation since 2006 has been “Next Generation Day”, where newcomers perform on a Sunday. The first program in this series was presented in 2006 by Cyminology, Nadia Maria Fischer, Tré and Christian Krischkowsky. In 2009, the European Burghauser Young Jazz Prize was awarded for the first time as part of Jazz Week. An integral part of the jazz week is also a blues concert, where over the years artists such as

Big Jay McNeely Cecil James "Big Jay" McNeely (April 29, 1927 – September 16, 2018) was an American rhythm and blues saxophonist. Biography Inspired by Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young, McNeely teamed with his older brother Robert McNeely, who played barito ...

, Gene Conners, John Lee Hooker Jr., Joe Louis Walker, Dana Gillespie and

Angela Brown Angela M. Brown (born 1963) is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines. Early life and education Angela Brown was born in 1963 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is African-American. Her mother, Freddie M ...

have appeared. The main concerts take place in the Wackerhalle, the meeting hall of the local Wacker Chemie AG. There are Jazz Nights in various bars and restaurants in the old town of Burghausen, current music films in the “Ankersaal” cinema, and jam sessions in the jazz cellar of the historic Mautnerschloss. Numerous concerts are recorded and broadcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk. In addition to the Jazz Week, a Summer Jazz Night is held in the old town in June. Jazz courses also take place regularly in Burghausen, which were organized by the festival's artistic director, Joe Viera from 1970 until 2024.

References

External links

Official website
(in German) {{Authority control Jazz festivals in Germany Music festivals established in 1970 1970 establishments in Germany Altötting (district)