The "Jazz City Bilk" beckons at Whitsun
When it was announced last October that there would be no Jazz Rally this year, there was great horror: no invigorating music at Whitsun, no cheerful shuttling from pub to pub, no lively jazz in the city. That sounded like a difficult idea to bear. All those who feared that the once renowned title of "Jazz City Düsseldorf" could be forgotten were not prepared to accept this. Resistance to the development promptly arose, and the horror of the moment developed into a small jazz quake, the seething epicentre of which was clearly located in Bilk. There, a few stalwarts stamped their feet and said "now more than ever", which is why there will now be three days of invigorating music again at Whitsun. You can now move from location to location from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon after all - in the "Jazz City Bilk".
There are already three places in Bilk (where the initiative for the new project originated) where jazz regularly sets the tone: on Thursdays and Fridays at the Pure Note bistro on Brunnenstraße, on Saturdays at Aachener Platz and throughout the week at the Jazz Schmiede, where there is also an information board commemorating the "Jazz City Düsseldorf" exhibition. Peter Weiss once helped design this exhibition. As a nationally renowned drummer, he is a permanent fixture in Germany's jazz scene and, on the board of the "Jazz in Düsseldorf" association, is responsible for top-class culture in Bilk and for the city.
So it was only natural to entrust Peter Weiss with the artistic direction of "Jazz City Bilk" and thus ensure that the musical programme can be heard beyond the borders of Düsseldorf. "We want......", says Weiss.
As soon as word of the plans for the new project got around the district, the list of venues grew longer and longer. The list now includes not only the Jazz-Schmiede, Aachener Platz and Pure Note, but also the Metropol cinema, the Bürgersaal Bilk, the Bilker Bunker and the Bürgersaal Salzmannbau.
A lot of phone calls, emails and letters are now being sent in order to be able to present a complete programme as soon as possible. "We are working flat out to ensure that the programme not only satisfies jazz fans in the city, but perhaps also attracts one or two visitors from the surrounding area," says Pure Note Managing Director Marcel Clemens. The complete "Jazz City Bilk" programme should be ready by ??? at the latest.
The energy of the initiators and the sense of community created in the neighbourhood and beyond have also convinced District Council 3, which was asked for help quickly and has now promised start-up funding for this year at lightning speed. "We were convinced that....", says district mayor Dietmar Wolf.
The fact that so many people want to be part of the jazz party not only surprised the initiators, but also inspired them. The idea is already doing the rounds to present the small festival again next year and then perhaps make it a little bigger and possibly also include public spaces as venues. Further supporters and sponsors are sought and most welcome in the "Jazz City Bilk".
