[Dixielandjazz] Innsbruck, Austria 6/30/09

[Katie Cavera]

June 30, 2009
Innsbruck, Austria

Grüss Gott!

At the Schwedenplatz metro stop in Vienna, if you walk west with the storefronts on your left and the canal on your right, pretty soon you’ll see a break in the buildings.  And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a small archway with a little sign that simply says “Jazzland” You have to walk through the archway and back around the building before you come to the the actual entrance which is just an unassuming wooden door.  When you enter the door, you have to turn another corner and go down the stairs.  Just follow the sound of jazz band.  Or if they haven’t started playing yet you can follow the smell of good food and the sound clinking glasses as people toast. Then at that point you’ll be in one of my favorite jazz clubs.  

Jazzland is open six nights a week - Monday through Saturday, and the music starts around 9 pm but get there early if you want to get a good seat and have dinner.  According to their flyer they feature bands that play blues, folk, traditional, swing, and modern jazz.  While we were in Vienna we spent a lot of time there and heard two different traditional bands, a big band that payed tribute to the Dorsey Brothers, an excellent gypsy jazz trio, a small group lead by a clarinet player doing Benny Goodman numbers, and a blues trio with a great singer that sang Bessie Smith and Julia Lee songs. 

The club is run by Axel Melhardt and his wife Tilly.  Axel is a big teddy bear of a guy with  grey hair and a full neatly trimmed beard.  He loves to talk about jazz music and jazz musicians and is happy to tell stories about people that have played his club.  The walls of Jazzland are filled with black and white photos of the musicians that have played there in the over 30 years that the club has been going (including Banu Gibson, David Boeddinghaus and Chris Tyle!)  As Axel talks he has a big laugh that fills the room.  

Tilly is just as good natured and laughs just as easily - but it’s more of a musical giggle.  She’s smaller then Axel and wears wire glasses that make her look like your favorite aunt.  One night we went to the club with a big group from the show, and Tilly (knowing that we were all coming) had spent the day baking two large apple strudels which she shared with everyone.  They are two of the most hospitable people I’ve ever known and they really made us feel like family while we were there.

Every night we were there, the club was doing brisk business. But Axel always managed to find us a place to sit - usually with him and Tilly in the adjacent room where we could still hear the music but also hear some great stories from Axel.  The night the Big Band played, Axel explained that they all came from a small village that was known for it’s cheese.  And the running joke is, when the band plays his club there’s no one left in the village!  I got the feeling that Axel really cares about the music and the musicians he brings to his club.  Several of the nights we visited, Axel had us sit in with the bands.  Twice I sat in playing banjo and twice I sat in playing guitar! Not only was he a great host but he seemed to enjoy having ‘special guests’ drop by from the “Josephine” show.  A few of the evenings the tap dancers brought their shoes and danced with the band.  And Nicolle even did some swing dancing in the club even though there’s
 no dance floor and barely enough room to walk - much less dance - when it’s full!  Still she and her dance partner managed to pull it off to the delight of the people in the club.  I can’t recommend Jazzland enough if you ever find yourself in Vienna. And if you do go, please say ‘hi’ to Axel and Tilly from me.

Auf Wiedersehen!
Katie

http://www.katiecavera.com
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