Homegrown - 20 Jahre Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra

On this evening, the CCJO does what it would never have dared to dream of itself at the beginning: it celebrates its 20th anniversary! With a program of new compositions and arrangements mainly by the band members who have not been highlighted as composers in the 20 years so far. So you can hear current music from the pens of Christian Winninghoff, Ben Degen, Matthew Halpin, Francois de Ribaupierre, Marcus Bartelt, Wolf Schenk and Andreas Schickentanz, among others, in the very place where it all began. With friends and companions from 20 years and a great desire for many more.
In the beginning there was the idea to create a stylistically open possibility for composers and arrangers of the local scene to test and play their music with enthusiastic colleagues. This was in the spirit of the "rehearsal bands" that had always existed in the jazz metropolises.
Even today, a good half of the protagonists of that time play in this ensemble in addition to their own diverse projects, and there has always been continuity and great attachment of the musicians to their band in the other positions as well. Thus the orchestra soon grew into an institution in the Cologne jazz scene and far beyond, with many international guests and numerous festival appearances in Germany and various European countries.
The influence on the independent scene is still enormous today; in the jazz metropolis of Cologne there is hardly a musician who has not come into contact with the CCJO during the last 20 years.

This concert is part of the series Komponistenlandschaft NRW and is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Science NRW.

The concert will be recorded by WDR Rundfunk.