This Don wants to mix up the north

He wants to be a team player. The drummer John Wolter reveals his soloist resume and yes, as « Don Piano » he also focuses on artistically. But in the interview, he always moves into the light as part of a team: as a musical partner of the Luxembourg bass player Mateus Wojda, with whom he founded music and several acts since youth. Or he is active as a session musician in Ensembles, as part of the teaching staff at the music school in Wiltz and in the team around Dan Tanson’s « Captain Mullebutz »-and also as a beat producer or also as a cocurator of the still young festival « Jazzorwhafever!? »

It is only the second edition of this event. Marc Scheer, the « Responsable Programming / Attaché de Direction Dans Le Secteur Culturel » from Cooperations, is once again responsible. It was he who brought Wolter on board together with Mateus Wojda to tighten this year’s concerts in fire construction. From April 4, the festival should start and deliver innovative delights for the ears for three days. A violent creative pulse in the north is « unfortunately not really, but we are working hard on it, » says Wolter full of vigor about his role in the festival.

With cultural managers and friends like Marc Scheer, a fresh wind was generally emerged. « There are noticeably a lot of good people who want to change something. We are a very colorful community with many nationalities and interests – and bring them together is not easy. But there are now really great offers, but it may not be so aware of that, » he emphasizes.

Among other things, the festival concept should cause a stir far beyond the north. The name has this « or whatever » (« whatever ») in the title. And that doesn’t just mean breaking with the common clichés about jazz: « Many combine a very outdated picture with jazz. Even for interested parties, this is often Bebop, Charlie Parker or John Coltrane. But that jazz is now, for example, with hip -hop or electronic music is new for many. »

And that can be very exciting on the stage. Because how do bands sound like quasi hybrid acts to mix handmade music with new, computer-aided techniques or live sound changes? Guests such as the àbáse team around the Hungarian Szabolcs Bognár stand for this. The listeners should be able to explore all of this themselves – made live and noticeably with soul. Apart from the fact that local jazz innovators can be seen. The trio rice Demuth Wiltgen, for example, or the combo « Beluga », in which Jérôme Klein and Daniel Migliosi meet Belgian talents.

Wolter is like his musical « Brotherfromanothermother », Mateus Wojda, a Luxembourg northern Lights. Both found the place where their creativity was encouraged at the Wiltzer Musikschule as a student – today they teach. Between the lines, gratitude sounds through in conversation. The study at the Maastricht Conservatory and the move from the community have not changed much to the general connection. « And I discovered jazz comparatively late. I started how many started in the classic way, » he says to his own vita. Later it was punk and rock – and then the jazz came with its many exciting paths. “This has opened so many doors for my own composition work. Jazz is such a very deep and far -reaching world, where you can learn so much about sounds, further developments of instruments and sounds.

However, despite all the passion, it does not send itself to programming yourself on the stage. Of course he could play. But he was already there in the festival as part of the jazzcombo « Linq » last year. « Redd » is the name of the current single after the first album of his solo project Don Piano – a cat video provided the name for the project. « Dadaist », as he says, and self -ironic, this works with all musical seriousness. And he proves it by doing everything in the project himself; as a multi -instrumentalist, composer and producer. But isn’t « Redd » misspelled? « That’s right, but that may increase the recognition value, » he jokes and moves on, the next lesson is waiting and it will be scarce.