City Views Bonn – Thomas Champagne Trio and Boi Akih in Concert at Rheinisches Landesmuseum

The jazz concerts  at Rheinisches Landesmuseum organized by Hans-Jürgen von Osterhausen, director of Jazz am Rhein e.V./EURO Jazz  21′, will certainly not help to make the promoter a rich man. On Thursday, November 5, only a handful of people came to the concert-hall at Colmantstrasse to attend the double concerto by Thomas Champagne Trio (B) and Boi Akih (NL), an evening of jazz under the concert series program “EURO Jazz 21′ and the Neighbours”. Despite the poor attendance, both bands played well and received long applause at the end of their sessions.

The event began at 8 pm with a concert by Thomas Champagne Trio.  The group, founded in November 2001 by frontman Thomas Champagne, has a full agenda, especially in Belgium, where they visit jazz clubs and cultural centres all over the country (e.g. Buster/Antwerp, Jazz Station/Brussels, l’An Vert/Liège), as well as renowned jazz  festivals, such as Jazz à Liège and Gaume Jazz Festival. In 2008 – on occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Belgian jazz label Igloo –  the band released its first album, called Charons Boat.

The three Belgian musicians: Thomas Champagne (alto sax), Nicolas Yates (b) and Didier Van Uytvanck (dr) entertained their listeners with a colourful spectrum of hard bop and modal jazz varieties with influences from Dexter Gordon to John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Joe Hendersen and Lee Konitz.

After the intermission the event continued with Boi Akih, a duo composed of Monica Akihary and Niels Brouwers. Monica Akihary, a charming Dutch singer of Moluccan origin, mostly sung in her father’s mother tongue, the language of  the small Island of Haruku. With her expressive voice, accompanied by the excellent Dutch guitar player Niels Brouwers, she enchanted the listeners with beautiful mysterious Indian lyrics, influenced by blues, European classical music and music of Arabian Africa.

Next week’s  jazz appearances at Rheinisches Landesmuseum:

- Saturday, November 14 at 9 pm: Kattorna (PL/DK)  – Interlude: at 7 pm: Time of Komeda, a 1994 documentary film about the polish jazz musician Komeda,  followed (8 pm) by a discussion forum regarding German – Polish jazz projects of the last decade.  

- Sunday, November 15 at 8 pm: Trio Braam – De Joode – Vatcher (NL)

City Views Bonn – Railway Buildings between Bonn-Beuel and Neuwied

There are 14 stops along the railway route Mönchengladbach/Koblenz between Bonn-Beuel and Neuwied (distance approx. 40 km) at the right side of the Rhine. Six of them are located in North Rhine-Westphalia namely Beuel, Oberkassel, Niederdollendorf, Königswinter, Rhöndorf and Bad Honnef. The others - Unkel, Erpel, Linz, Leubsdorf, Bad Hönningen, Rheinbrohl, Leutesdorf and Neuwied Hbf - belong to Rhineland-Palatinate. All stops alongs this double-tracked route which is mainly used for the transport of goods and the conveyance of commuters by Rhein-Erft-Express/Bahn have still a station building, except the small wine village Leubsdorf. All but two (1) were built in the second half of the 19th century (2) and designed in typical neo- or late-classical style. The railway buildings are, however, no longer used for operational tasks by the railway company; ticket offices, travel desks, bagage counters, lounges, public conveniences, etc. have been closed and only the platforms are still in use. Tickets must be bought at automatic vending machines. Only in Beuel, Rhöndorf and Neuwied travellers can – at daytime - still buy tickets at a ticket office. After many years neglect most buildings are in desolate state and are crying for restoration. Meanwhile, some have been sold to private individuals or companies and are slowly refurbished and converted  for example to flats, offices and restaurants, others are still for sale and hoping for better times…

(1)  The old Rhöndorf railway building which dated from the 19th century was pulled down for the expansion of Federal Highway 42 between Königswinter and Bad Honnef (1906-62) and replaced by a  small, flat-roofed building in new plain-style. In Bad Honnef a new unattractive building has also replaced the original station building.

(2) Beuel (1874), Oberkassel (1869), Niederdollendorf (1885, annex 1905), Königswinter (1870), Rhöndorf (18??), Unkel (1870), Erpel (1873), Linz (1870), Bad Hönningen (18??), Rheinbrohl (18??), Leutesdorf (1870) and Neuwied Hbf (18??).

City Views Bonn – Jewish Cemeteries in Bonn (V) – The Endenich Cemetery

The Jewish Cemetery in Endenich, since 1904 a district in the western part of the town with a population of approximately 12000 people,  is located on a hill at Hainstrasse. The site was used as a cemetery by the small Endenich Jewish Community from 1861-2000. At the end of the 19th century, in 1898, the cemetery was completely destroyed; all tombstones were demolished and not replaced. As no cemetery layout map existed and because the law forbids people to open graves, since that time the front section of the cemetery might not longer be used for burials and was reshaped into a park. The newer back section of the cemetery counts 100 gravestones. Some names are: Arnold Friedmann, Rosa Rosenbaum, born Friedmann, Alfred Lehmann (1882-1903), Jacob Scheuer (+ 1904), Rosalie Scheuer (+ 1906), Heinrich Glaser (+ 1901), Regina Geissler, born Hirsch (1843-1911), Rosa Heumann, born Herzfeld, Julius Seligmann (+1918), Max Seligmann (+1911), David Salomon (1834-1911), David Israel (1862-1916), Mrs. Isaac Voos Therese, born Hirsch (+1917), Josef Appel (1861-1918), Appel Moses (1826-1921), Sibilla Leven, born Herz (1924). Hermann Sommer (+1930), Simon Mathes (+1905), Louis Michael (+1892), Leopold Coppel (1861-1910) and Martin Cohen (1832-1892). The last funeral at this location took place in April 2000 for Barbara Wagner, born Ubig (07.03 1913 – 25.04.2000).

Some other Jewish citizens that lived in Endenich were Karl (1896-1942?), Walter (1902-1942) and Sybilla Sommer (born Appel/1882-1943),  as well as Isaak (1871-?), Karl (1868-1942) and Sara (1876-1943) Arensberg. They all were killed or died in Auschwitz, Sobibor, Treblinka or Theresienstadt during the Holocaust.

The Endenich Jewish Cemetery is always closed and can only be visited on special occasions.

City Views Bonn – Sculpture at Bonn City Administration

City Views Bonn – Academic Museum of Art/Akademisches Kunstmuseum

Academic Museum of Art side view.

City Views Bonn – Museum of Art/Kunstmuseum

City Views Bonn – Les Copains in Concert

On Sunday afternoon, October 4,  Les Copains entertained the numerous visitors of this year’s Bonn City Festival  (Bonn Fest) with a colourful mix of evergreens, jazz standards from the 1940s and 1950s and French chansons (e.g. Brell and Piaf) on the stage at Münsterplatz.

Les Copains was founded in 2002 by Heinz Lepping and Henning Spohr, two experienced amateur musicians who have their musical roots in Jazzclub Bumerang at Austrasse in Bad Honnef, a club featuring live shows for local bands from 1958-1983.  

The band performs as a trio or a quartet or even quintet and is composed of: Christian Bortz (tenor & soprano saxophone), Karl-Heinz (Charly) Sölter (guitar/vocals), Henning Spohr (bass) and Janos Szudy (drums).

world (Armstrong).

City Views Bonn – Stacked Chairs

City Views Bonn – Basilica Bonner Münster

City Views Bonn – World Congress Center – Freude/Joy/Joie

City Views Bonn – Cassiusbastion at Sunset

City Views Bonn – EURO Jazz 21 – Jazz from Copenhagen at the Rhine

The club Jazz am Rhein e.V., directed by Hans Jürgen von Osterhausen started its 2nd edition “EURO Jazz 21″  this last Saturday with two concerts. The concert evening was also the opening event of  the festival “Jazz from Copenhagen on the Rhine”  that presents a series of concerts at various locations in Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf. First Hasse Poulsen (guitar, electronics) alongside with Frederik Lund  (sax, flute, electronics) fascinated the numerous listeners at Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn with stuning experimental and improvisational jazz with guitar, flutes, saxophone and electronics.

The second concert of the evening was played by Lars Moller Quartet. The Danish/German band with Lars Moller (sax), Thor Madsen (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass) and Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) presented impressive contemporary melodic world jazz including nice solos and frequent tempo changes. Jazz at its best on the stage of Rheinisches Landesmuseum.

Hasse Poulsen & Frederik Lundin

Drummer Jonas Burgwinkel, winner of the 2009 “Best Soloist Award” on the “European Jazz Competition” at the “North Sea Jazzfestival” in Rotterdam and the “WDR Jazzpreis”.

City Views Bonn/Bonner Sommer – Ensemble van Beethoven

Musicians of Ensemble van Beethoven in concert at Bonn Theatre’s season opening party on August 30.

City Views Bonn/Bonner Sommer – Schääl Sick Big Band’s first Concert

 Schääl Sick Big Band gave its first successful concert with mix of pop and swing music at the 2009 Beuel district party, on Sunday, September 6. The big band was founded in 2008 by musical instrument builder Achim Büchel and is directed by Hans Thomas. Schääl Sick Big Band comprises 25 musicians and is supported by lady singer Claudia Thiessen.

City Views Bonn/Bonner Sommer – Sir Williams, tribute to Robbie Williams

Sir Williams “the one and only Robbie Williams tribute show” from Siegburg, at the annual Beuel district party (Bürgerfest) on Sunday, September 6.

Michael Niess

Rolf Montenbrück

Markus Müller

City Views Bonn – Beethovenfest 2009 – Festival Opening Day

On Saturday, September 5, symphony orchestras,  bassoon, flute, piano and violin players, children’s and youth choirs as well as  brass bands took the stages for “Bühne frei für Beethoven”, the opening festival of  the 2009 Bonn Beethovenfest. From 12 – 19 p.m. more than 1000 young musicians performed highly enjoyable live music on nearly every corner of the city.

City Views Bonn – World Conference Center under Construction

City Views Bonn/Bonner Sommer – Competition for High School Big Bands

On Sunday, August 30, a competition for high school big bands took place in the Chestnuts Garden of Rheinhotel Dreesen in Bad Godesberg. The theme was “Ode to Joy”  from Beethoven’s famous 9th symphony. Four big bands participated in the competiton, namely: CoJoBo Big Band (Collegium Josephinum), HBG Jazz Band (Hardtberg Gymnasium), Wooden Helmets-Big Band (Helmholtz-Gymnasium) and Rhine Island Big Band (Gymnasium Nonnenwerth). Finally, after a thrilling musical competition, the ensembles of Helmholtz-Gymnasium and Gymnasium Nonnenwerth were selected as the winners by the jury, chaired by the popular German trombonist and bandleader Peter Herbolzheimer.

City Views Bonn/Bonner Sommer – Demon’s Eye

On Saturday, August 29. Demon’s Eye one of the leading Deep Purple Tribute Bands in Germany played a furious concert at Bonn Marktplatz. The picture shows Andree Schneider, drummer of the quintet.

City Views Bonn – An Evening of Jazz at Bad Godesberg City Park Summer Party

For the first time the annual Bad Godesberg City Park Summer Party on Saturday August, 29, closed with a very well-attended evening of swinging traditional and dixieland jazz on the main stage near the tennis courts. The meeting was opened at 7 p.m. by Papa Joe’s Jazzmen, a group of 6 musicians from Cologne, namely: Wiel Derix (sousaphone), Reiner Polz (drums), Ronald Schliewa (bass), Prof. Dr. Heinz Thissen (banjo/guitar), Klaus Wegener (saxphone/clarinet/vocals) and Didi Zander (trumpet/vocals). The second concert was presented by Allotria Jazzband from Munich, directed by Rainer Sander (clarinet/altosaxophone), supported by Gregor Beck (drums), Peter Cischeck (bass), Colin T. Dawson (trumpet/vocals) Juergen Hinz (guitar), Andrey Lobanov (trumpet), Fritz Stewens (trombone) and Thilo Wagner (piano).