As of: March 18, 2024, 8:32 a.m
By: Dieter Roettig
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The “Big Band Munich Lounge Lizards” under the direction of Michael Lutzeier performed enthusiastically at the benefit concert for the Wasserwacht.
© Roettig
Dießen – In England they say “lounge lizards” when they mean lounge lions.
We say “Lions Club” when it comes to charity.
It was fitting that the Lions Club Dießen was able to win over the big band Munich Lounge Lizards for a benefit concert for the Wasserwacht.
Helmut Fietzek, board member of the Lions Club and himself a founding member of Wasserwacht Dießen in 1969, succeeded in attracting the sought-after big band made up of professionals, students from the Munich University of Music and high-class amateurs to the Ammersee.
Especially since bandleader Michael Lutzeier lives in Dießen, always presents world stars of jazz in his music salon in the “Unterbräu” and is also involved in local politics as a cultural advisor in the market town council.
He is also a big band lecturer at the University of Ulm.
Water rescue director Andrea Wessely and many of her fellow volunteers were beaming in the almost sold-out hall and were looking forward to the donation, which will only be handed over in a few days.
Experience has shown that many patrons and the Lions Club itself top up the ticket revenue, so that a generous amount will be collected.
Benefit concert in Dießen: Big band from Munich plays world hits
With the powerful sound of the twenty-member big band formation, the beams in the Traidtcasten, the monastery's former granary near Marienmünster, seemed to shake.
The enthusiastic audience followed Michael Lutzeier's recommendation to dance while sitting with rhythmic foot tapping and finger snapping.
In quick succession, the musicians played world hits and big band jazz hits such as “Foo Birds” by Count Basie, “Basically Blues” by Buddy Rich, “Work Song” by Nat Adderley and “Quiet Sunrise” by Sammy Nestico.
Michael Lutzeier particularly highlighted his soloists such as Barbara Ehlich with her alto saxophone and Sebastian “Schoko” Kölbl with the lead trumpet.
But he didn't spare his praise for the rest of the first-class cast: “It's like a club.
Two people talk at the front, but the others do the work.”
Studied singer
Highlights of the concert were also the performances by two singers who were part of the cast.
Miriam Arens impressed with her full and warm jazz interpretation of world hits such as “Blue Skies” and “How High The Moon”.
No wonder, because the winner of the 2009 Jazz Vocal Competition studied jazz singing at the Munich University of Music and has years of stage experience in the areas of jazz, rock, swing and musicals.
Olya Lukachova from Ukraine, who has lived in Munich since the war, also surprised with an impressive presence.
She once earned her master's degree in jazz singing in Kiev.
She performed with well-known jazz big bands and was a welcome guest on Ukrainian television.
With her extraordinary voice, her very own style and strong feeling for jazz, she enchanted the audience in Traidtcasten with “That Old Black Magic” by Ella Fitzgerald, “My Heart Belongs To Daddy” by Marilyn Monroe and “Over The Rainbow” by Harold Arlen.
The cock in the basket was big band leader Michael Lutzeier with his vocal soloists Olya Lukachova (left) and Miriam Arens (right).
© Roettig
With much applause, the visitors thanked the actors who had served authentic delicacies from the heyday of the big bands at a high musical level.
A sequel will soon follow, as Michael Lutzeier revealed: an open-air concert at the St. Alban lido and an appearance at the Dießener Hotel Süd-See.