Alumni and the beginnings of the PROJECT
In the perception of some listeners and chroniclers the project has only existed since 2009, which is not true. It might perhaps loosely fit, but only if one speaks of the changes that took place back then and of the current programmes. The prehistory, however, actually begins in the year... and already counts... At the very least, this project was conceived at the same time as its parent association. That is why we would like to briefly mention and honour some ex-Partysans here, no matter how briefly they were once part of the crew, and regardless of the fact that the project initially - or at times - went under other names.
Why "Partisans" in the first place, and with a "y" at that (as a victory sign)? For many years swing was suspected in Russia of being subversive - so much so that anyone playing this "Russian swing" still feels like a partisan today. The name thus points to this fact and to the Russian background, although the contributors do not come from Russia alone. One may also wonder whether the "wrong spelling" of the word "Partysans" carries a dash of cream for party freaks? The concept, however, is far removed from making "party music". As the result of years of meticulous research by the association's chairman, an alternative of a special kind emerged: a crossover and crème de la crème of exquisite works in the spirit of Eddie Rosner, the legendary Jewish trumpeter of the century, bandleader and composer. In his day he built a bridge from the dance palaces of the Weimar Republic to the revue stages of the USSR and, for 30 years - despite GULAG imprisonment and other adversities - was regarded as the sensational symbol of Russian swing and big-band jazz.
To bring rarities by Rosner and his colleagues, long believed lost, back to the stage, it was too little and too simple to carefully select slightly dusty classics and present them in a jazzy garb, now authentic, now stylised. Nor was it enough to write arrangements in which a symbiosis of Russian art song and relaxed international downtown jazz arises - where chanson meets foxtrot, slow fox meets ballad, two-beat meets bossa nova, smooth meets blues, and songs by Dmitri Dragilew meet nostalgic tunes. It would not have sufficed to present music for dreaming and unwinding, even one full of longing and reflection. As one of the songs has it: "Long is the road, and far". It was a long road, and it remains long. Without great volunteer commitment this road cannot be travelled.
Long, too, is the list of external musicians and other colleagues - but, as said, thoroughly incomplete. Still, it was important to us to name first and foremost those who either made a special, essential contribution to the project's development in its first phase, or who - thanks to their professionalism and creativity - decisively shaped and supported its success at the important events and performances of the early days.
Gerd Krambehr
For more than 7 years he was "the voice" of the project. You can hear it in the song "Schlachtefest", which Gerd wrote together with Ed Schneider. (2003)
UWE «ED» SCHNEIDER, STEFFEN GABEL...
Ed (guitar) is the second from the right here. He was not only an ensemble member but also took care of PR and road management. Steffen (saxophone) is unfortunately not in the picture. The clarinettist Peter Pataki is, though.
. Clarinet solo: Peter Pataki.
MATTHIAS TISCHER, FRANK MEIER & OTHERS
Unfortunately not a good photo, but Matthias (clarinet) is on the far right. He proved an outstanding section leader. The opening of the event series "Jewish Café" in Erfurt. Also in the picture: Frank Meier, Katleen Degenhardt and others...
If you click on the photo, you can get a rough idea of how this line-up sounded. The recording was in fact made with different musicians and is perhaps not among the perfect ones, but it serves well all the same - above all because it is an arrangement of "Dark Eyes" as a homage to, and memory of, Eddie Rosner's version from 1945.
STEVEN TAILOR
At the intercultural day in Jena, the «Ost-Thüringer Zeitung» called us "musically dominant" with "swing at its finest".
Left: Steven Tailor. If you click on the photo, you can listen to the song "Und es schneit" ("And It Snows"). The saxophone solo, however, is played by Frank Meier.
EBERHARD «AMSEL» MEYERDIRKS
Toured the USSR as the drummer of the big band "Schwarz-Weiss" back in the 1960s. Here and here you can learn more about him.
UWE RAPP AND EUGEN BOTSCHKOW
Here the Latvian jazz diva Olga Pirags is accompanied by the band. On the right is Uwe Rapp. Left: Eugen Botschkow.
). Saxophone solo: Eugen Botschkow.