"Eternal youth" is lived reality in the Bundesjazzorchester (Federal Youth Jazz Orchestra), nicknamed BuJazzO. The members are between 17 and 24 years old, and every two years there is a change of generation - and this has been the case for more than 35 years. As a result, more and more biographies of ambitious, talented German jazz musicians with renowned abilities have become hallmarks of BuJazzO membership. You might ask whether the jazz events in Germany, rich in great jazz musicians, would be the same today had not the founder and long-term director Peter Herbolzheimer ensured at the time with emphatic commitment and with heart and soul that this project, which was supported by many, was made possible?
The BuJazzO premiere took place in January 1988. The first record release was in the same year. 35 years... "35 Years": this new album in an impressive series acts like a cornucopia of ideas and stylistic ingredients. But it can hardly be more than a kind of opulent teaser for all that BuJazzO currently is.
Among the various BuJazzO albums with a clear thematic focus, "35 Years - Bundesjazzorchester" is one of those that bundles various aspects of recent orchestral activities. Excerpts are included from a good five years (2018-2023), i.e., the work of three BuJazzO generations. In addition to the two artistic directors Niels Klein and Ansgar Striepens, who collaborate in proven and reliable dual leadership, the orchestra worked in this phase with guests such as Randy Brecker, Django Bates, Nikki Illes and Michael Gibbs. External conductors are a set aspect of the concept that is open to many ideas.
