BMW Welt Jazz Award
Munich, Germany welcomed the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015, featuring the fifth of six Sunday Matinees of “Playing My Guitar” performances. Sunday, March 8th’s featured group was the Manu Codjia Trio, from Paris, France (Manu Codjia, guitar, Jèrôme Regard, Bass and Philippe Garcia, drums). The trio performed in the first of two sessions “Lubyes” (Manu Codjia), “Beat It” (Michael Jackson),”Martha” (Tom Waits), “Walking on the Moon” (Police), “She’s Out Of My Life” (Michael Jackson), “The Wind Cries Mary” (Jimi Hendrix ). The second session included “Redemption Song”, (Bob Marley), “Requiem Pour Un Con”/ Me T’aime Moi Non Plus” (Gainsbourg), “Halleluyah” (Leonard Cohen), “N’Yack “Stuff” (Manu Codjia), “Children Play Song” (Bill Evans), “Al Blade” (Manu Codjia), “Hunting High And Low” (A-ha). The trio skillfully blended Blues, Pop, Reggae, and Rock genres producing a wonderful feast for jazz enthusiasts and novices alike. The audience’s age composition included an ample amount of under 30 year olds to senior citizens. What did this disparate audience have in common? They sat or stood attentively experiencing the passionately talented musicians crafting a Jazz musical journey. Standing along-side a staircase, overlooking the audience, I observed many unrestrained syncopated feet interacting with the harmonious rhythms emanating from the stage. Ecstatic clapping peppered renditions of several tunes. The focus of this BMW series has been the guitarist—Manu more than earned his starring role. But—the trio’s interaction was so well balanced that the audience knew there were three well honed musicians present center stage.
You can see a video of the Trio: <iframe width=”300″ height=”150″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3SRjwZ7TwA” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>.
ppp
The Expert Jury
The winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 will be chosen through a Jury of Jazz Experts: Oliver Hochkeppel (Music and Culture Journalist for the Süddeutsche Zeitung), Andreas Kolb (Editor-in-Chief of the JazzZeitung and the neuen muzikzeitung), Roland Spiegel (Music Journalist for Jazz at the Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR KLASSIK). Heike Lies (Music Scientist, M.A., Musik and Musiktheater in the Cultural Department, Munich). Christian Böhnke-Geisse (Jazz and Music Consulting and Promotion). Beate Sampson, Moderator and Jazz Journalist with the Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR KLASSIK).
The last invited Jazz group will perform March 15th. The top two favorite trios will be invited back to compete in final on April 18, 2015. The winner will receive €10,000 and a unique trophy. Later that evening, the winner will perform at the BMV Auditorium at 7 P.M.