From the Alps to Algoa Bay, the Swiss nine-piece jazz ensemble Fischermanns Orchestra will be in the Bay this week to introduce audiences to their unique Space Revolution Tour at Centrestage at Baywest.
The group, which has played in 300 concerts on four continents over the span of 15 years, will enthral audiences with a masterful mix of jazz improvisation, ambient textures, and international influence.
Arte Viva Management who are bringing the first SA tour of the Swiss jazz mavericks, started off with two performances at the world-renowned Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg on September 26 and 28.
The tour then made its way down to the coast for concerts in Durban, East London and Gqeberha on Friday.
Thomas Reist (bass drum, drums and band leader) said they were excited to come to the metro for the first time as part of their tour .
“You know, when Fischermanns Orchestra organised a tour here in SA, we started with an invitation from the Joy of Jazz in Johannesburg, we then decided to choose some special places here in SA to visit and play concerts.
“That is how we decided we had to come to Gqeberha. When we arrive in Gqeberha we will be coming directly from East London.
“If the weather is good we are going to play in the auditorium outside and if it is too cold we will sit inside.”
He said the tour had seen them interacting with a host of welcoming South Africans.
“On this tour we are also on the road with our filmmaker.
“We will have a film table where we want to get in touch with all the audiences. We are shooting a couple of silent movies that will be five or seven minutes long.
“We will make music for those videos for our upcoming tours in Europe. We will project them during our concerts, showing the people of SA,” Reist said.
The ensemble has released eight albums to date, and been recognised with multiple awards including the prestigious Jazzpreis Luzern in Switzerland.
With a widespread and avid international following, the musically free and footloose orchestra has performed everywhere from street parties and clubs through to the stages of major festivals such as the Jazz Festival Willisau, Cairo Jazz Festival and Festi Jazz Internacional in Bolivia.
“We founded the orchestra in 2007, we had a project together with an orchestra, after the experience we just decided to form a group with the guys that were there and from there on we just worked on the group.
“After two and a half years of forming the group we decided to go on an international tour.
“We just jumped into the bus and we were on the road for three weeks performing every day.
“It was totally unexpected, when we compare it with this tour — we had to organise so much,” Reist said.
The Fischermanns Orchestra line up includes Reist, Samuel Hopfengärtner (trumpet), Lino Blöchlinger (alto sax), Sebastian Strinning (tenor sax), Simon Petermann (trombone, co-band leader).
Josephine Nagorsnik (trombone, vocals, electronics), Elia Aregger (guitar), Linus Meier (electric Bass) and Reto Eisenring (snare drum, drums) complete the line-up.
When asked what else the orchestra hoped to achieve in the future, Reist said they were not looking too far ahead.
“I think that it is the love of the music, the future is now, we are here for our audience, we invited everyone to join us.
“We will play a lot of pieces from our last album, Space Friction, as well as a bunch of new tunes on this tour. We are excited to play some of them for the first time on stage.
“After the tour in SA, we are going to go straight to the studio to record our new album. You will feel the SA vibes in that album, I am sure,” Reist said.
Tickets are available online on Quicket.
For block bookings people can contact Wendy on 083-225-5401.
The tour will then head to Cape Town on October 4 at The Wave Theatre Café, 44 Long Street.
The Herald
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