Rocking performance by German Jazz Band

Islamabad: The embassy of Germany in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, organised an enjoyable Jazz concert which was held at the PNCA and attended by a full house of music lovers. The show began promptly. Welcoming the audience both in English and Urdu, the people friendly ambassador of Germany, Martin Kobler, said he was pleased to present Wolfgang Haffner and his band; gave a brief introduction of the musician and hoped everyone would enjoy the show – which they did!

The concert began with two lively numbers that were composed by Wolfgang Haffner and set the mood for what was to follow, then went on to showcase three Spanish compositions. He explained that he lived in Spain part time and had some Spanish music in his repertoire, which included the numbers that were played. These were followed by a mix of lively as well as slow and soft numbers, giving the audience a taste of modern jazz in all its nuances, with each number getting a heartfelt round of applause.

Wolfgang Haffner deserves an ‘A’ for showmanship, as besides being a great percussionist, he entertained the audience with anecdotes, while his happy go lucky presentation - and red joggers - made us smile. He ended the show with thought provoking words, saying that we are all humans and we all like music, adding that in life, all questions have one answer – love!

Born in 1965, Wolfgang Haffner’s career started early: he was just 18 when Albert Mangelsdorff, selected him as a member of his band. Today, Haffner is without a doubt the most renowned German drummer in the world. Not only has he played with the cream of the jazz musicians in his homeland he also is one of the very few German players who has had widespread international success - American icons put their trust in his unmistakable pace and his inspiring creativity. He was never satisfied with just playing the drums and he soon began to compose and produce music.

Ferdinand Kirner has for years been one of the most sought-after guitarists in the state capital and German-speaking area. In his projects, among others, he is also in the band of the casting show, ‘The Voice of Germany.’ His guitar riffs make you feel like you're back in time with James Brown but he is also known for his flaming solos in rock and pop.

Simon Oslender plays the Hammond B3 organ, the piano and keyboards, uniting the tradition and heritage of his heroes with his own distinctive approach. Besides his own projects he is also a sought-after sideman and session musician in several acclaimed projects from jazz to blues, funk, soul, gospel, rock and pop music.

Christian Diener began studying classical double bass and after completing his undergraduate studies, moved to the Berkley College of Music in Boston, from where he graduated Magna cum Laude. In 1991 he returned to Germany and since then works as a freelance musician. Equally well versed on acoustic double bass and electric bass he quickly found a connection to the German music scene, playing regularly with Wolfgang Haffner since 1983.