OREANDA-NEWS. The prestigious jury of the BMW Welt Jazz Award has chosen the contestants for the finale 2017: Renaud Garcia-Fons from France and Eva Kruse from Germany will compete against each other on May 6 at BMW Welt’s auditorium. The winning ensemble will be awarded with a prize money of 10,000 Euro as well as a trophy designed by BMW Design specifically for this purpose. The runner-up will receive a prize money of 5,000 Euro.

The ninth season’s theme of the BMW Welt Jazz Award was “Amazing bass”, putting this exceptional instrument in the spotlight of the international jazz competition at BMW Welt’s double-coned structure. Six cost-free matinees took place between January and March, with the audience voting for their own favorite, who will be awarded during the finale as well. The winning ensemble will receive the audience award donated by Schloss Elmau and an exclusive invitation to appear at this year’s edition of the Jazz Classica Festival at resort Schloss Elmau in July.

The Ibero-Frenchman Renaud Garcia-Fons might just be the greatest virtuoso among jazz bassists. Aged 53, he turns what is often reduced to a rhythmic humdrum of a bell metronome into a lyrical, singing and polyphonic cornucopia of bouncy staccato and legato strokes in the highest ranges otherwise known only from violin or guitar performances. For many years Garcia-Fons has been using this unique tone for his programme featuring Mediterranean jazz influenced by Italian, southern French, Spanish and even Arabic and Southeastern European folk music. In this trio, together with accordionist David Ventucci and vibraphonist and percussionist Stephen Caracci, he now turns back to the urbanity of his native Paris. This reunion, named “Revoir Paris”, covers a broad range indeed – from musette to hot jazz, from chansons in the tradition of Charles Trenet to folklore imaginaire, from “Montmartre en courant” to “Rue du Dragon”.

Bassists and drummers typically act as the supporting acts of jazz. Which is why it is all the more remarkable when the career of a female bassist is linked to a single ensemble, as is the case for Eva Kruse and Trio [em]. Ever since the early stages of the new millennium, she has symbolised the new beginnings of young German jazz together with Michael Wollny and Eric Schaefer (also as the winners of the very first BMW Welt Jazz Award 2009). After her parental leave, Kruse changed directions, moved to Sweden, played with star trombonist Nils Landgren and finally brought her very own projects to fruition. Following “In Water”, which won the Echo Jazz, she will present “On the Mo”, her next fascinating programme, at BMW Welt. Arranged for a quintet, its outstanding qualities are the result of a somewhat unusual orchestration: Eric Schaefer on the drums, Christian Jormin on the piano, Uwe Steinmetz on the saxophone and Tjadina Wake-Walker on the oboe.

The distinguished panel of jurors includes renowned jazz experts and specialists of the jazz scene, who will choose the winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2017. Led by Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and cultural affairs at the German daily S?ddeutsche Zeitung), the jury includes the following members: Andreas Kolb (editor-in-chief of the magazines JazzZeitung and neue musikzeitung), Roland Spiegel (editor at the music desk and jazz expert at the German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk BR?KLASSIK), Heike Lies (musicologist, Music and Music Theatre Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the state capital Munich) and Christiane B?hnke-Geisse (Artistic Director of the international jazz festival “Bingen swingt”).

As seen during the Sunday matinees, the final concert will be hosted by Beate Sampson (editor at German broadcasting station BR-KLASSIK). Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance, will present the winners with the custom-made trophy designed by BMW, alongside Dr Hans-Georg K?ppers, head of the Department of Arts and Culture of the state capital Munich.

The final concert followed by an award ceremony will take place on May 6 at 7 PM at the sold-out auditorium of BMW Welt.