User:Thomas Österheld/jukebox

Jukebox (or Wunschkonzert..., Hardcorekaraoke... etc. ) is the attempt to connect most up-to-date improvisation and composition (free, microtonal, etc. ...) with our culture heritage. It is dedicated to Paul Radunz, Thomas Oesterheld (clarinet player 1820-1890 Eichsfeld), Hannelore Österheld (Mandoline Player an my teacher on correct pitch on so many instruments...) and my wonderful father Willi Österheld who just started learning piano at the age of 84 and even though his parkinson may not allow him much time to live and too play concerts with me, its so nice to meet him daily and see his progress.

My first professional job as guitar player and singer was with Paul, who played in more combinations as a freelancer you can imagine. I loved to stay with my Paul and my Grandma Johanna. They both had such a sense of humor and love to sing pop songs. Paul was drummer, but at home he only practised fundamental stick technique or played on a very small guitar (like dave moss but accoustic). The funny thing was that he also was my private "jukebox". At the age of 68 he knew every song from the charts of the last 200 years, plus he even helped me to get the most up-to-date rock and pop songs "the way the audience accept it". He started learning music as regular "apprenticeship" from a musician in the 20ties and 30ties. Even after the war research says Germany had about 800.000 professional musicians that played for dance, funeral, weddings etc. So after the war (he survived due to his skills as musicians) he immediately played jazz in clubs of the US soldiers, he played in an orchestra etc. His philosophy was: I play what you pay. Or "if the boss says tomorrow its my job to play violin, dance naked on the table and sing like Marilyn Monroe - I try my best". I finally gave up counting the instruments he actually played on whatever job we did. Playing in the dance band was really terrible. Paul and the other guys hat stands for score. But no scores at all. Only in rare cases, when at a wedding someone came with a pretty exotic song they used the stands. They had no playlist but often just asked the audience "any wishes...". Or like a modern DJ they just estimated ... mmh no its time for something slow or a chacha. No -12, 1234: Because Standard dance has to be precisely on 126 or so they played it excactly like this. The first little job was a desaster, but they only made positive comments and helped me to "fake" playing. 99% percent was fake, but few songs I had to sing and play where fine.

So this is jukebox: Audience may vote for a song, we play it. A no brainer in a Jazz Club, on a festival or in cocert hall with thousands of listeners there are some solutions on this as well. Every jukebox concert is with unique team of players around a center of TonArt Musicians - so its really fun, its really unique and most likely only fairly advanced players will join the club. So maybe if Daria can not play a song by ear she can just select it from the scores on her tablet, but this is maybe not the easiest solution as well.

We talk about fun and entertainment: You may hear the ring (Wagner, or Harry Potter) on the nose flute, the most qualified instrument around if it comes to playing whatever comes around. Theremin-Bebop? Maybe.

Because the melody, the theme is just a starting point for a mindblowing improvisation that updates even the most trivial jazz standard or ruins all you romantic melodies. Wagner on Nose Flute