Jive Park is German swing, jive and rockabilly and fulfills 3 wishes at the same time: a good time, excellent dancing and the perfect sound of the 30’s and 40’s.
Jive Park combines swing-classics like “Sing, sing, sing” or “In the mood” with rockabilly songs like “Rock this town” (Brian Setzer) or Rhythm and Blues songs like “Minnie the Moocher” by Cab Calloway as well as new songs from Christina Aquilera and Brian Setzer.
Initiator and organiser is Thomas Germer. He is moderator, bandleader and clarinettist.
At the microphone they have (solo or together) Constanze Priester, Julia Seifert and Thorsten Loeb. The other band members are Thomas Zwerger, André Oelschlägel, Werner Schmidt, Henry Schulze, Alexander Hylla, Anatal Schirmer, Thomas Finke, Yoann Beaucé-Thiemann, Olaf Linde and Yatziv Caspi.
The band was founded in the summer of 2008 by Thomas Germer. Purpose of the band is to play where a real Big Band is to big but when the Ballroom sound of the 30’s and 40’s is asked. Since the beginning of 2009 the band is playing in small clubs or at bigger festivals.
I asked Thomas Germer a few questions to get to know this swing band better.
The band was founded in 2008; did you already knew each other?
Some of us knew each other, but I found most of the musicians via advertisements. When you are a group of 14 people, you always have changes. Right now I´m looking for a new upright-bass player.
Are you professional musicians?
We try to play our music as professional as possible, but you cannot make a living with this music and this size of a band. Some of our musicians are professionals and play in other groups, too. However if there is a Jive Park gig, they all come running, because they know they can´t have more fun in any other group.
You are not playing everyday music, did you grew up with this kind of music?
No, I didn´t. And most of the others didn´t either. I come from a small town where you grew up with shmalzy music or German brass bands. That´s why I chose the clarinet. It was a deliberate decission for swing when I saw the “Benny Goodman Story” on TV. I started to buy records and after a while I discovered Brian Setzer and the whole neo-swing thing.
Jive Park
Does one of you write some songs?
Both of our girl-singers write swinging songs with German lyrics. At the moment it´s a handful of songs.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
On Youtube it´s the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In “everyday life” it´s my musicians. Many arrangements are written especially for my musicians.
Do you like other kinds of music besides swing and jive?
I like many kinds of music! Rock`n´Roll and classical music, brass-band music and pop-tunes. I don´t care too much for styles, it´s either good music or bad music. In any case, I prefer life-music to recorded music and playing to listening.
Who are you’re favourite artists?
Brian Setzer, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and outside my own stuff I like Bruce Springsteen, Gorillaz and some music of the 70s.
Where would you really like to play?
The Netherlands? It is really not important where we play. It´s more important to have a crowd that wants to party, people who dance and go along with our singers´ show. And then play at places where this is possible. In as many different towns as possible.
What do you want to achieve?
Play as much as possible, have as much fun as possible and maybe get a fair fee for it. Maybe make a record and maybe play on TV.
Can we expect a CD in the future?
Yes, but not within the next few months.
What’s your greatest wish for the future?
For Jive Park it is the same as above: play, play, play.
Is there anything you would like to tell?
Come to our gigs as often as possible and have a ball with us! Thank you. Alternatively, you may book us. More info on www.jive-park.de
