Sound of blues by the sea

The Waiheke Island of Jazz festival is unique, German pianist Christian Willisohn tells GRAHAM REID.

Jazz speaks with such diverse tongues and crosses so many national boundaries these days it's no surprise a young musician growing up in Munich and who was into rock would fall in love with the blues, and end up playing boogie-woogie piano and his own styles in clubs in Chicago. And recording with Fats Domino's rhythm section in New Orleans' famous r'n'b Sea Saint Studios, owned by legendary musician Allen Toussaint.

At 40, pianist Christian Willisohn can reflect on all that, and much more. He has had a book of boogie woogie sheet music published, and with seven albums to his credit - some solo, some with a band and two with New Orleans singer Lillian Boutte with whom he frequently performs - has made a considerable mark in the jazz world since he emerged from Germany in 1991 with his acclaimed debut album Boogie Woogie and Some Blues.

Willisohn's career began in local clubs a decade before that, and even earlier still he was smitten by Ray Charles and the blues.

"The blues touched me. It's hard to explain but from the first moment I heard it, like Ray Charles, it just moved me. First I learned guitar by myself but I wasn't good at it, terrible actually, and so I switched to piano. I had no lessons but just started copying what I had heard.

"I mostly played solo in the first 10 years and the club scene in Munich in those days was very good. There were great jazz and blues clubs, one specific club the Grunecke [Green Corner] was legendary and I played there, but it closed down two years ago. In fact there aren't many clubs now - we have so many concert halls that the little clubs can't stay alive. It's like that all over Germany."

During his first decade playing, Willisohn says, he mostly played blues, worked his way into boogie-woogie but then finally found his own style and also started to sing.

He toured Europe with numerous American blues artists including Louisiana Red and by the time of that debut album he had a distinctive style.

"I think what I'm doing is honest and I like to open up on the stage and feel free and give something to the people. I see it as entertainment but I personally am not a big entertainer as such - the entertainment is my music. There are elements of everything - of boogie-woogie and blues, even classical, just everything - in my style."

His first trip to New Orleans in 1990 and the subsequent recording sessions there were also an important step in his development: "I had a mixed experience because the old traditional jazz and blues in New Orleans are almost dead and so many new things have come along.

"The marching bands are still alive, but the regular Bourbon St jazz is now played by German and Danish bands. I guess I wasn't surprised by that in a way because I'd been to Chicago before and it was basically the same. They have the places for the tourists - and all the famous clubs are just for them - but the good clubs are still there. You just have to go to the outskirts.

"On the other hand you go to the festivals and you see the stars, and that's fantastic."

Willisohn has played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival accompanying Lillian Boutte with whom he has also performed at two Waiheke Island of Jazz Festivals.

He returns to Waiheke again this year, but this time will appear under his own name with American guitarist John Fohl, and at the Pianorama concert alongside old friend and festival organiser/pianist David Paquette.

And for a man who has played throughout Europe and the States, Willisohn says the Waiheke weekend is one with a character of its own.

"It's great, especially when you come from Germany, because the people are so extremely friendly. The people have more space and there's not so many elbows, if you know what I mean.

"The whole island is a festival. And because people have to come over in boats they really make an effort to come for the music, and you can feel that when you play. That makes it very special."