Stomping Improvisation and the Crazy Conductor

Rosi Spezial

Strenge Kammer, Progy & Bess Wien, Austria 20171114

When you basically are looking for concerts with loud guitars, you don’t necessarily find yourself in the first district in Vienna, rather at the eighth at the Escape or the eleventh at Szene or the sixteenth at DasBACH. But for this Free Jazz Pop Music combo, the way leads to the center, to the Porgy & Bess.

Last visit was Robb several months ago. Asking for the ticket, the reply is the question for which concert. Rosi Spezial it is, and so you get sent to the room on the right hand, the so-called “Strenge Kammer” (“Strict Chamber”). The concept is, that you can pay as you wish. The room itself gives an intimate atmosphere, and the last guests don’t get any seat anymore and have to stand.

The introduction, written by Johannes Lampert (Darby and Joan, Hangover Productions) is read by Siri. As opener the group plays “Traktor”, the first track from their Debut-EP. The dissolute jamming part combined with the chorus with its stomping beat shows the direction of the following hour. The band plays their already well-known songs and revalue them with amazing improvised parts, where every single one of them can show, what he is up to.

Beneath the drums, bass, guitar, synthie and saxophone the upper part of a trombone combined with some mouthpiece is the second voice of Michael Naphegyi (Killah Tofu, Raze). With fervour he gets sounds like an elephant out of the half instrument. When at one point he steps in front of his drums, where now Michael Blassnig takes a seat, he becomes a crazy conductor. With his finger raised and pushing the trombone towards the drums. Another special is, that they brought their own barkeeper, sitting next to them during the show. Personal highlight probably is “Beim Thomas”. Even though the surprising encore “Strenge / Gummimuschi-Blues” is fun too.