All that electric jazz

When [re:jazz] first went into the studio early in the new century, the band used the motto "Jazz not jazz" to describe their sound. But, over time and numerous recordings, the core of the group has evolved into an extraordinarily soulful and inventive jazz ensemble - from Germany, of all places.

[re:jazz] started off in 2002 with a CD of electronic dance tracks (techno and house) celebrating the 10th anniversary of the INFRAcom label. The idea was to re-create the songs as standard jazz interpretations, led by Matthias Vogt, a house DJ who also had jazz training in his youth.  

"I studied jazz piano in Frankfurt for four years," Vogt tells The Prague Post. "The whole band studied jazz, by the way - everybody is a trained musician. I met the guys from INFRAcom when I was doing house releases with the Force Inc label. Their office was next door, and they were thrilled and curious every time Force Inc played my demos in their office. So we met, and that was the beginning of the combination of my electronic and jazz skills."

Then came another twist. The next year, [re:jazz] released a remix of their debut with some of the best nu jazz DJ/producers, including Nicola Conte, Yukihiro Fukutomi and Jazztronik. With this effort, the group's name and "Jazz not jazz" motto became clearer.

On their next album, 2004's Point of View, [re:jazz] featured smoother jazz versions of '90s London club anthems like "Inner City Life" by Goldie. They managed to record some of these with the original vocalists, such as Ultra Nate on their version of "Twisted."

In 2006, [re:jazz] released Expansion, with some of their own compositions complementing another round of reinterpretations with guest vocalists, including Inga Luhning, the lead singer with the Tobias Kremer Big Band. With her version of rave diva Lisa Stanfield's "People Hold On," [re:jazz] hit full stride.  

The band's current lineup came together in 2007, featuring Vogt on acoustic piano and a group of music schoolmates: Volker Schmidt on drums, Jan Stuermer on guitar, Oliver Leicht on sax and Andreas Manns on bass. Heiko Himmighoffen plays percussion, and Inga Luhning handles the vocals.

"We had so many guest vocalists on the first album, we were looking for somebody who could perform this wide range of vocal styles live onstage," Vogt explains. "This is Inga's strength - she feels at home in so many styles and has so many facets to her voice."

This ensemble embarked on a tour of Japan, which resulted in the double CD/DVD release Live at Motion Blue Yokohama (2007). That was followed by a fourth studio album, Nipponized (2008), which is a tribute to some of the best Japanese electronic music artists, featuring reinterpretations by Ryuichi Sakamoto, DJ Krush, Pizzicato Five, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Towa Tei, Mondo Grosso and Jazztronik.

[re:jazz] comes to town with a brand-new release, Electrified, which offers another round of originals and remixes with a group of collaborators that includes Kiko Navarro, DJ Dusty (from London), Atjazz, the Metropolitan Jazz Affair and guest vocalist Alice Russell. "The remixers on Electrified are mainly from Germany, England, France, Spain - even from Hungary!" Vogt says.

Churning out remixes may seem derivative, but Vogt is enamored with the possibilities they offer. "I love the remix format," he says. "Producers can combine the spirit of the original track with their vision of making music. It's about freedom - you give music to a producer, and he comes up with something new. But still the roots are there."

The standout on the latest disc is the French reggae remix of "Twiggy Twiggy," recorded with the original Japanese singer, Akiko of the Pizzicato Five. Asked to choose his favorite remix on this release, Vogt admits, "I guess it would be 'Twiggy Twiggy.' The Dynamics kick it to a whole new level - very funny and very well-produced. But, of course, I love the whole album."  

This will be the band's Prague debut, and fans should be prepared (once again) for another twist. "As Electrified is more club-oriented, we decided to do it live," says Vogt. "So no strict acoustic jazz this time; [re:jazz] is going to 're:plug.' This will be a new live experience for us, and we are looking forward to it very much."

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com