Häns’che Weiss (1951-2016)
http://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/musik/haensche-weiss-gestorben-botschafter-des-zigeuner-jazz-ld.86687
Ich habe ihn einmal (im April 2013) im Konzert gehört und das war ziemlich sicher die beste Jazzgitarre, die ich je live erleben konnte. Auf Organissimo postete ich danach folgende Zeilen:
Häns’che Weiss was amazing! Best guitar jazz I ever heard live … wonderful sweet sound, it was heaven! His solo on „Time After Time“ (the original) was drop-dead gorgeous, his lines, his attack, his rhythm … wow! He had a fine rhythm guitar player with him by name of Holzmanno Winterstein who played a few wonderful solos in the second set (on both Django titles they played, a wonderfully lyrical „Nuages“ and an engaging and pretty wild „Minor Swing“). The rhythm guitar and the bass of Weiss‘ longtime partner Vali Mayer on bass (a local guy) were the engine of the group, propelling the music with an infectious swing. The programme was a mix of standards and originals, there was a waltz, there was some gypsy stuff (I couldn’t tell what it really was, balcans for sure, but …) and there was some singing and some showmanship too (mostly from Mayer who did a short segment on banjo opening the second set). Pianist Mickey Bamberger played an entertaining mix of Garner and Jamal, if that makes sense, sometimes a bit too flashy I thought, but still good. And he engaged in some wonderful exchanges with Weiss, too.
When Weiss was soloing, I was really in jazz guitar heaven – it was probably the closest I’ll ever get to the greats of what’s a long bygone era. It felt like I was listening to Tal Farlow/Johnny Smith/Jimmy Raney there, live and in person. Truly magic!
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"Don't play what the public want. You play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doin' -- even if it take them fifteen, twenty years." (Thelonious Monk) | Meine Sendungen auf Radio StoneFM: gypsy goes jazz, #159: Martial Solal (1927–2024) – 21.1., 22:00; #160: 11.2., 22:00 | Slow Drive to South Africa, #8: tba | No Problem Saloon, #30: tba