IMPRESSIONS
Internationaal BoogieWoogie Festival in Manno(Switzerland) 2002, april 19 and april 20.
It was a beautifull day, the sun was shining and the environment was so quite. Nobody could suppose that in the middle of the high Alpen mountains there would be an International BoogieWoogie Festival. Only the real BoogieWoogie lovers knew about it.
The festival was there in Manno, a little town above Lugano in Switzerland in Salle Aragonite. On April 19 en 20, two evenings you could hear just BoogieWoogie music. The artists, the actors, are the really Masters of BoogieWoogie. Silvan Zingg from Switzerland, who had organised this festival had a appearance. From Germany, the famous Axel Zwingenberger, from France, also a famous pianoplayer, Jean Paul Amouroux. From Italy, Triest, Stephano Franco and from the Netherlands, the talented pianist Martijn Schok. And last but not least, all from the USA, from Cincinatti, Ricky Nye!!
It has been two wonderful evenings, full with Boogiewoogie, sometimes a blues song by a way of change song in a fantastic way by Gretha Holtrop, also from the Netherlands. Of course accompanied by Martijn Schok. It is evident now an unique duo. The enthousiastic audience has enjoyed themselves everytime by the classis boogies, but also by the more modern boogiewoogies. Two Steinway grand pianos completed the atmosphere and the evenings go by so fast. Actually you wanted an evening with more boogiewoogie and more and more and more and more............
It was a pity the presentation was given in the Italian language, the boogiewoogie lovers from other countries have expected a more general language on this International BoogieWoogie Festival!
Silvan Zingg, the BoogieWoogie Master from Switzerland started of course. He, who
has organised this festival - the first international boogiewoogie festival in
Switzerland- has touched the keys like he used to do in his own virtouse way of playing the
piano. His newest CD was really new that evening, because it was just finished that week.He has arranged boogiewoogie standards in his way and recorded them. The audience was enthusiastic!!
Jean Paul Amouroux, the French BoogieWoogie Master, is inimitable with
his BoogieWoogie classics. Besides that he has such a way of playing , in which you were routed to the ground.
Even if you don't want to, you had to stay and listen. With a such creativity he still easy finds
the pianokeys and a typical French joy does not hide, that he still is an expert(dan son metier).
He also has played with some old Boogie Woogie Masters in de USA.
Especially his 'honky tonk' boogies walked around a long time in my head.
Also a with such a merriment is the performance of the Italian Boogiewoogie Master,
Stephano Franco. This BoogieWoogie Master comes from Triest and he played with such
a passion, you had to keep your eyes and ears to him.
From his left hand the 'walking bass' rolled on and on. Is was so wonderful to hear and
feel that. He did not only played with his hands, his whole body is BoogieWoogie! It was so perfectly silent in the auditorium when Axel Zwingenberger started his appearance.
His intro was so impressive,
that everyone hold one's breath. With a slow improvised blues he has build
up his appearance. No one could keep that atmosphere that evening as he can. His
changes over to faster boogiewoogies were perfect. Also he has his own style of playing boogiewoogie, you
will not forget. Beside that he is also an expert, who plays BoogieWoogie for thirty
years and even he played with the old BoogieWoogie Masters in the whole
world.
You can not pass those thoughts, because you hear it and everytime you hear
the reality, whether it is a standard or one of his own numbers. Here history
has written again. Wonderful Axel!
They were at their beck and call. Martijn toke along with him a lady blues-singer. Greta Holtrop, also from the Netherlands, she toke the microphone and she sang the blues as
if she used to do it for years. With sometimes a bit hoarse voice she interpreted the blues
like in the early years must have sounded.
A unique duo, who have been already many times on stage in the Netherlands!
One of the youngest BoogieWoogie Masters is the Dutch Martijn Schok.
First a coming talent, but now already he is a full professional boogiewoogie
player and also blessed with a lot of experience. As one of the members of the
Dutch Grand Piano Boogie Train - a theatre-tournement in the Nehterlands- he played
these evenings with full passion on the black and white keys of the 'Steinway'
grand piano. With inimatable right hand technics he played the boogie-standards and
his own boogiewoogie-numbers followed each other. The audience was more and more enthusiastic
and asked for more. How many times he has played here in Manno together with Silvan Zingg !!!
Last but not least, all from the United Stage, from Cincinatti, Ricky Nye. A unique person, in the way he toke place behind the grand piano. His all round appearance yu can find in his playing the piano and also in his songs. BoogieWoogie and blues with country-influence, it does not matter.
With lovely chats he enjoyed the audience and also with a magic formula he played the boogiewoogies in a subtle way into the Swishes atmosphere.Especially the second evening had been an evening you will never forget, full of passion and emotion, full with boogiewoogie en enjoying. Wonderful playing together of duo's, Jean Paul Amouroux with Silvan Zingg or Jean Paul with Axel Zwingenberger or name it. Even with three, four pianist behind the grand piano. Jamming like never has sounded. This has to be saved for the history of the boogiewoogie!
Thanks to Silvan Zingg en to you all!! Till the next international festival!!Wim Flohr (Webmaster)
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