A World-Class Jazz Summit: Where Sonic Artistry, Starpower, and Groove Collide
There are evenings that require no lengthy explanation. One look at the line-up is enough to set the pulse racing. Chris Minh Doky, Till Brönner, Manu Katché, and Morten Schantz: This is not just a well-cast band. This is an assembly where international excellence, decades of experience, and sheer charisma collide with full force.
At the center stands Chris Minh Doky. An internationally acclaimed bassist, composer, and bandleader, he is a true phenomenon—Grammy-nominated, awarded gold and platinum records, and knighted in his native Denmark. Doky is among the few European musicians to have permanently established themselves within the New York jazz elite. His musical journey reads like a "Who’s Who" of jazz history: he has been the bassist of choice for legends such as Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, David Sanborn, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, forming iconic rhythm sections alongside drumming giants like Dave Weckl or Dennis Chambers. In his hands, the bass is never a mere accompanying instrument but the engine of the band. Doky’s playing possesses pressure, elegance, and a distinct signature: Nordic clarity paired with an American pulse.
By his side is Till Brönner. In the world of jazz, he needs no introduction. He is one of the very few jazz musicians to have developed a radiating appeal far beyond the genre—on major international stages as well as in the media. His trumpet tone is instantly recognizable: sophisticated, supple, and imbued with a blend of coolness and melancholy that makes his finest moments unmistakable. When Brönner plays, it is never a mere display of virtuosity, but the creation of an atmosphere with true character.
Driving the band rhythmically is a magician on the drums: Manu Katché. A musician of almost mythical standing. Anyone familiar with the global hits of Peter Gabriel ("Sledgehammer") or Sting ("Englishman in New York") knows his inimitable style. Katché is not just a drummer; he is an architect of the groove. His playing is fluid, highly emotional, and possessed of a coolness that has made him the first choice for the planet's biggest pop stars.
With Morten Schantz, the quartet gains an additional sonic palette that opens up the entire landscape. His keyboard work brings a sense of vastness to the image—something cinematic and modern that doesn't preserve jazz as a museum piece but keeps it in constant motion. Between harmonic sophistication and electronic texture, he creates the spaces where this band can truly take flight.
What emerges is not a reverent ticking-off of famous names. This music has "pull." It can shimmer, surge, and soar, only to return close to the ground in the next moment. At times it sounds like a grand cinematic sweep, at others like an urban groove, always carried by that open, elegant power that only arises when musicians of this caliber challenge one another.
These are not soloists standing side-by-side. Here, a collective sound is born: sovereign, international, deeply musical, and possessed of exactly the class that turns a concert at the Konzerthaus into a true event. A genuine highlight and a jazz supergroup in the truest sense of the word.
Line-up:
Chris Minh Doky – Bass
Till Brönner – Trompete
Manu Katché – Schlagzeug
Morten Schantz – Keys
Konzerthaus Ravensburg
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