So German!

Boogie Woogie with Frank Muschalle

The German Embassy in Ottawa invited well-known German boogie woogie pianist Frank Muschalle to Ottawa to perform as well as offer a master class to highly talented music students taking part in the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival JazzEd programme. Frank Muschalle was first trained in classical piano but soon discovered boogie woogie and he has been loyal to the genre ever since. Frank Muschalle belongs to the upper echelons of the European boogie woogie and blues scene. With solo and trio concerts throughout Europe, North and South America, he and his trio have earned high praise from critics as well as international recognition. He often cites Christian Rannenberg, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis and Axel Zwingenberger as his influences. In this blog post, we share how Frank Muschalle created an instructional jam session for some very lucky music students and wowed a crowd of boogie woogie lovers and dance enthusiasts.

Master Class with Frank Muschalle

To understand what was on the Master Class curriculum that day, one must first understand boogie woogie. Boogie woogie is known for its sometimes crisp and sometimes soft rolling basses, trickling treble and pulsating rhythms. This style of piano playing has influenced jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and even country. The style got its start in the 1920s and boogie woogie spread like wildfire, in particular after two concerts entitled “From Spirituals to Swing” were organized by John Hammond at Carnegie Hall. At the time, these piano players were something like the DJs of today. They really got people moving. The infectiously upbeat style also lends itself to both improvisation and collaboration. People loved the key-thumping energy and rhythmic drive of boogie woogie and yet, eventually, the genre declined – until its revival in Europe and the U.S. in the 1970s that is. In 1974, Cologne hosted the First International Blues and Boogie Woogie Festival. Germany and Europe still figure prominently as important centres for boogie woogie with many festivals, competitions and concerts still happening today.

How does one teach boogie woogie and improvisation? You learn about the history of the music and, most importantly, you learn by doing – and that is just what the students from three local high schools did. Have a listen to what Chris and Sabrina from St. Pius High School in Ottawa had to say about their experiences:

Ottawa Boogie Woogie Night

The German Embassy in Ottawa, together with event partner The School of Dance and sponsors Steinway Piano Gallery Ottawa and Pelee Island Winery welcomed boogie woogie pianist Frank Muschalle for a solo performance at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. The Ottawa Boogie Woogie Night was a two-part event that saw a varied set featuring Frank Muschalle’s own work interspersed with the classics of the genre. So catchy was the sound that after the first song several couples were up jumping and jiving around the room. The audience was also treated to dance performances by swing dancers from The School of Dance, who in the second half of the evening, taught the crowd some boogie woogie dance steps.

Have a look at how the evening came together in this video here: