Jazzprojekt Hundehagen (DE)

Jazzprojekt Hundehangen came into being in 1999 and emerged from the then legendary band Erdbärblau. Basically, the three musicians Thomas 'Bruno' Brünnich, Thomas Käckenmeister and Michael Käckenmeister were already making music together when they had just left school. Initially as a blues and rock band, the three musicians trundled through the area around Kuehlungsborn and Bad Doberan. Although the three musicians tried hard to catch up with the audience with the music mentioned above, the listening habits of the three diverged more and more with what they played. Jazz in all its facets increasingly dominated the turntable. So it was not surprising that the three musicians accepted an order that included the performance of a free jazz concert, simply in a touch of hubris in their still young musical work and immature musical skills.

Nevertheless, at that time it could not be overlooked what creative potential the three musicians were able to develop together. The almost tireless joy of playing and the ability to play the instruments matured steadily and the compositions reached an increasing depth. The thirst for knowledge of the three was then also decisive in the eighties that they all continued to study their instruments at the Rostock Conservatory. At that time, Michael Käckenmeister was to emerge as the musical head. To a large extent, his inspirations were rooted in the interaction with his brother Thomas Käckenmeister and fellow musician Thomas Brünnich. During that time, the lasting foundation was laid for music shaped by improvisation, which is still the main character of Jazzprojekt Hundehagen today.

In the mid to late eighties - the band Erdbärblau had already been formed - a musical silence followed. One musician after the other did his military service. Only in autumn 1990 did the band around the three musicians Thomas Brünnich, Thomas Käckenmeister and Michael Käckenmeister become active again. The band was successful, although by around '96 there were first signs that the days were numbered. Jazzprojekt Hundehagen emerged from this ongoing musical crisis. The drummer Thomas Käckenmeister brought along the experienced guitarist Harald Werner for Jazzprojekt Hundehagen.

The name of the band was never intended. Somehow the band name was a provisional for several performances. The band has its rehearsal room in the village of Hundehagen. So one and one came together: firstly, the musicians wanted to turn to jazz and secondly, they rehearsed in Hundehagen. At some point the name was so common that it would just be nonsense to think about a band name.

Since then, the musicians of the Jazzprojekt Hundehagen have been quite successful in northern Germany. The repertoire of the amateur musicians ranges from standards and original compositions to the processing of themes by the grandiose Frank Zappa.