Boogie Woogie with Torsten Zwingenberger and Jo Schumacher
Swing that Boogie
When Jo Schumacher and Torsten Zwingenberger get going, it doesn't take minutes and the whole room is on the move. Even if you are sitting on chairs, you simply have to move to the jazzy boogie-woogie melodies of the two musicians.
Jo Schumacher hits the keys of his piano at breakneck speed, while Torsten Zwingenberger sets the feverish rhythm on the drums.
Jo Schumacher
After seven years of classical piano lessons at the Bremen Conservatory, Jo Schumacher was introduced to blues and boogie-woogie at a concert by Axel Zwingenberger in the early 1980s. As a solo pianist and accompanist, he has since given numerous concerts, recorded CDs and played on cruises and at international festivals. For the German Protestant Church Congress in 2009, he and other enthusiasts invented the concept of a boogie-woogie service. Jo loves the beauty of sophisticated harmonies. But he is just as fond of grooving boogies that invite the audience to swing along and join in. Jo's repertoire includes original compositions typical of the genre as well as traditional classics, in which the variety of forms and expressions of the boogie-woogie always shine through.
He has a long-standing musical and personal friendship with Torsten Zwingenberger. In 2017, the two went into the studio and recorded their CD "Fresh!".
Torsten Zwingenberger
Berlin-based drummer Torsten Zwingenberger is one of the busiest personalities on the German jazz scene. Over a hundred concerts a year, international tours and numerous projects as a bandleader and sideman are on his agenda. In addition, with "Drumming 5.1" he has developed a sensational drumming technique, for which he expands the classical drum set with a variety of percussion instruments and innovative drumming techniques. Torsten Zwingenberger prefers to demonstrate how variably the percussion instruments can be used to create different musical atmospheres live and in direct contact with the audience.
The two complement each other so well that they have now released an album of their own compositions. Sometimes Jo Schumacher's piano dominates, sometimes Torsten Zwingenberger gives a solo on the drums, but their individual parts always form a complete piece.
The fact that Torsten Zwingenberger's drums have such an engaging sound may also be due to the technique he uses to play them - Drumming 5.1, where he uses three drumsticks instead of the usual two and at least five foot machines. Jo Schumacher's piano playing, on the other hand, clearly shows that he is inspired by classic swing boogie and is fascinated by the great names of this genre such as Albert Ammons.
