Joe Wulf and the Gentlemen of Swing are an international jazz ensemble led by German trombonist, singer and bandleader Joe Wulf. The group specialises in traditional jazz, Dixieland and swing music, drawing on the styles of the 1930s and 1940s. It was formed in the early 1990s and performs as a seven-piece ensemble.
The band takes inspiration from jazz musicians and groups such as Louis Armstrong’s All Stars and Bob Crosby’s Bob Cats. Its music features lively ensemble playing, instrumental solos and arrangements of classic jazz standards. Joe Wulf leads the group and arranges much of its repertoire. The musicians play instruments including trombone, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, banjo or guitar, bass and drums.
Its repertoire includes well-known songs such as “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Mack the Knife” and “What a Wonderful World”. The band also performs blues numbers, traditional New Orleans jazz and seasonal music, including Christmas standards. Its recordings include Dixieland Jubilee 2005 and Silver Jubilee Stomp, released in 2016 to celebrate 25 years of the ensemble.
Overall, Joe Wulf and the Gentlemen of Swing focus on preserving and performing classic swing and traditional jazz while adding their own arrangements and interpretations. Their performances appeal to audiences who enjoy the sounds of early jazz, lively rhythms and the musical traditions associated with the golden age of swing.
The evening of our open air gig “Goin' To New Orleans” was conducted in the balmy gardens of Florinshof, Obermendig, a late Gothic building attached to the manor house and bedecked with blooms and scents which suited the exuberance of the evening. The chapel, belonging to St. Florin Monastery in Koblenz, was likely built before 1400, but is first mentioned in historic records of 1427. All of this recalled the ancient and still Spanish courtyards of New Orleans, as the sun set and the band sent impossible volleys of arpeggios into the warm night air. A special gig I will cherish for the rest of my life.
