Jazzbühne & New York Stories feat. Jeanfrançois Prins, Bruno Castellucci & Ulli Jünemann

Jeanfrançois Prins guitar, vocals, Ulli Jünemann alto sax, Bruno Castellucci drums

with Martin Preiser piano, Stefan Engelmann bass and Michael Lakatos percussion, vibes

Joining the wonderful and always interactive musicians of Jazzbühne for this special project, Jeanfrançois Prins, Bruno Castellucci, and Ulli Jünemann will share with the Audience of the Fruchthalle an evening of their life in music impregnated by all the different adventures (both musical and human) they have lived in and through New York, the Mecca of jazz, with a repertoire rich with standards and original compositions, all infused with NY energy.
An evening of melodies and groove, about the joy of sharing their own “New York Stories”.

Belgian jazz guitar virtuoso Jeanfrançois Prins has lived part-time in New York City for 25 years. During that period, he worked, performed and recorded with countless top NY musicians in the Big Apple of course, but also internationally in Europe, South America, and Asia. Many of his compositions were inspired by his life in New York, and he dedicated two of his albums to the city (“N.Y. Stories”, and “All Around Town”).
Jeanfrançois Prins’s new up and coming album “Blue Note Mode”, his 8th album as a leader, was recorded there with an all-stars NYC band.

Who has worked with Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, Chaka Khan, Peter Herbolzheimer, Chet Baker, Sammy Davis, Jr., the Count Basie Big Band, Astor Piazzola, and many more? Italian/Belgian Master drummer Bruno Castellucci! Having refined his art over the years working with the cream of the crop, he has kept a close relationship with the NYC scene, where he also recorded some projects (including Judy Niemack’s “In the Sundance” album, produced by and featuring Jeanfrançois Prins).

German saxophone great Ulli Jünemann lived in the Netherlands for a few years, where he earned a prestigious Master’s Degree in jazz music at the The Hague Music Conservatory. Working with stars from the Dutch and US jazz scenes, tours and CD productions brought him to Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria.
Back in Germany, his music career is marked by collaborations with jazz legends such as Gene Jackson, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Ack van Rooyen, as well as the membership in bands such as Jasper van’t Hof’s “Pili-Pili” and the UCOB ensemble. He released a few albums as a leader, including “Boo Hoo” (in quartet with Master NYC musicians Jay Anderson, Adam Nussbaum, and Jeanfrançois Prins), and his LP “Reflections 2020”. In 2023, he is working on a trio production with Jasper van’t Hof and Jeanfrançois Prins.

Jazzbühne trifft auf New York Stories

Am Freitag, 26. Januar, um 19.30 Uhr wird die Fruchthalle zum Schauplatz eines einzigartigen musikalischen Ereignisses, wenn drei international renommierte Musiker die Bühne betreten. Das Trio, bestehend aus Jeanfrançois Prins an der Gitarre und Gesang, Bruno Castellucci am Schlagzeug sowie Ulli Jünemann am Saxophon, liest sich in seinen Biografien wie ein Who’s Who der Jazz- und Poplegenden. Gemeinsam versprechen sie dem Publikum einen unvergesslichen Abend voller Melodien und Grooves. Begleitet werden sie dabei von Martin Preiser am Klavier, Stefan Engelmann am Bass und Michael Lakatos am Schlagwerk.
Der Belgier Jeanfrançois Prins hat 25 Jahre in New York gelebt und in dieser Zeit mit unzähligen New Yorker Spitzenmusikern zusammengearbeitet und Aufnahmen gemacht – natürlich im Big Apple, aber auch international in Europa, Südamerika und Asien.
Der Italiener und Wahl-Belgier Bruno Castellucci spielte mit beinahe allen Berühmtheiten der NYC-Szene: unter anderem Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Chaka Khan, Sammy Davis, Jr. – da fallen Elton John, Peter Herbolzheimer, the Count Basie Big Band oder Astor Piazzola als langjähriger Wegbegleiter kaum auf.
Mit Meistern der NYC-Musikszene wie Jay Anderson oder Adam Nussbaum hat der deutsche Saxophonist Ulli Jünemann gearbeitet und kann auch so einiges erzählen. Davon abgesehen sind seine Mitmusiker Gene Jackson, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Ack van Rooyen und Jasper van’t Hof auch keine Unbekannten.
Musikliebhaber:innen dürfen sich also auf eine mitreißende Performance freuen, bei der die Künstler ihre eigenen “New York Stories” erzählen und einen Hauch vom Big Apple in die Fruchthalle bringen.