Blue Art Orchestra

Under the direction of the Cologne-based pianist Georg Ruby, the Blue Art Orchestra explores the interpretation of contemporary material for jazz orchestras in an intensive and distinctive manner. As well as compositions by Georg Ruby, the band performs arrangements by musicians such as Gil Evans, Gian-Luigi Trovesi, Christina Fuchs, Kenny Wheeler, Django Bates, Pierre Bertrand and Nicolas Folmer (Paris Jazz Big Band).
At the Jazz-Schmiede in Düsseldorf, the band will present music by the legendary Paris Jazz Big Band led by Nicolas Folmer and Pierre Bertrand, alongside compositions by bandleader Georg Ruby and Fuchsthone Orchestra co-director Christina Fuchs. It is highly likely that the set list will also include material from the ‘Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band’s’ repertoire, which is otherwise rarely heard.
The BAO features the Cologne-based vocalist Barbara Barth as a guest soloist and as a ‘colourful’ element integrated into the band’s sound, performing without lyrics.
Georg Ruby is a founding member of the legendary Cologne ‘Stadtgarten Project’ and can be seen, amongst other things, as a solo pianist, with his trio ‘VILLAGE ZONE’ and as the musical partner of the Luxembourgish vocalist and performer Sascha Ley. His album ‘Deuxième Bureau’ was voted ‘Album of the Year’ by NewYorkCityJazz Record.
Until 2019, Georg Ruby headed the jazz programme at the Saar College of Music (HFM) in Saarbrücken and the youth jazz orchestras of Rhineland-Palatinate, Berlin and Saarland; he has also run the Cologne-based label JazzHausMusik since 1986.