The NICA Jazz Club will be made to groove: The Muret Big Band from Toulouse is coming to Hamburg! For 35 years, they have been making Toulouse and the South of France groove and swing at a wide variety of jazz festivals. Now they are daring to take the leap across the border into Germany. In Hamburg you can expect a concentrated load of brass sound and the best atmosphere. Young talents and experienced musicians combine their forces to create an explosive sound: an authentic big band, soloists who tell stories and an energy that will sweep the whole room away is guaranteed today. Under the musical direction of Dominique Rieux, it will be swinging, grooving and very happy!

And as if one big band wasn't enough, the Hamburg big band Criss Cross is also waiting for us today. This big band has a completely unique sound. Not least because the majority of the titles were arranged by long-time bandleader and founder Jochen Arp. At the beginning of 2022, Nils Gessinger took over as musical director and has since contributed many of his compositions. The musical styles range from swing to funk and Latin to tango nuevo. The repertoire of this band is constantly expanding. The band was founded in the mid-70s by Jochen Arp in the former Langenhorn Gymnasium as a pure school big band and developed over the years into one of the most sought-after big bands in Hamburg.

What a joy that these two big bands will be our guests today!

Link to audio sample