With the AMERICAN SWING NIGHT in the world-famous Benny Goodman Sound, bandleader Peter Fleischhauer on drums, together with the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA, clarinetist Engelbert Wrobel, and singer Anna Larsen, ignites a thrilling concert program full of hot swing classics by Benny Goodman and his great contemporaries — vibrant, high-energy, and in full orchestral splendor.
THE SPIRIT OF SWING IS ALIVE!
When the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA steps onto the stage, the AMERICAN SWING NIGHT begins — full of energy, rhythm, and rousing big band power. At the heart of it all is the legendary sound of the “King of Swing,” Benny Goodman — a style that can only be experienced authentically with an outstanding solo clarinetist like Engelbert Wrobel, one of Europe’s leading stylists of classic swing.
30 Years "Burning For Swing" – For 30 years, the ensemble has stood for that unmistakable drive that made this music world-famous.
Very much in the spirit of Goodman’s legendary Carnegie Hall concert, in which Count Basie himself took part, the AMERICAN SWING NIGHT also pays tribute to Goodman’s great contemporaries with selected arrangements.
Legendary titles such as Don’t Be That Way · Sing, Sing,
Sing, · One O’Clock Jump, and In the Mood unleash their full brilliance — they go straight to your feet
and sweep the audience along from the very first bar.
With 15 musicians, solo clarinetist Engelbert Wrobel, Anna Larsen (vocals), and bandleader Peter Fleischhauer on drums, you will experience a concert evening that goes far beyond nostalgia. Here, swing is celebrated as vibrant, high-energy live concert music — a musical firework: Burning for Swing!
The KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA presents the rousing music of the AMERICAN SWING NIGHT in an almost
purely acoustic big band line-up.
With Engelbert Wrobel (“the burning clarinet”), one of Europe’s most distinguished clarinetists of traditional hot swing, the
ensemble unleashes a musical energy that is both historically authentic in style and electrifyingly contemporary.
The personal tribute from Rachel Goodman-Edelson, concert pianist and daughter of Benny Goodman, underscores the orchestra’s artistic
standing:
“I thank you for your wonderful recordings of my father’s music, and I am happy that you keep his music alive.”
For 30 years, ENGELBERT WROBEL has shaped the distinctive sound of the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA—stylistically precise, virtuosic, and infused with the unmistakable energy that Goodman himself unleashed in concert halls around the world.
His musical signature makes this tribute one of the most authentic and impressive Goodman programs in Europe..
17 musicians — an authentic big band ensemble from Cologne.
The ensemble brings together 17 selected big band musicians from Cologne, one of Europe’s most important jazz and big band strongholds. Many of them rank among the most sought-after soloists of their genre and have been appearing on international stages for years.
Together, they form an authentic sound body that brings the energy of classic hot swing vividly to life in full big band formation.
Peter Fleischhauer founded the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA three decades ago and has shaped its distinctive sound ever since as artistic director and drummer. His powerful,
stylistically precise, and highly musical playing forms the rhythmic backbone of the ensemble — especially in classics like Sing, Sing, Sing, where his high-energy drum
features regularly ignite enthusiasm and standing ovations.
As an experienced big band drummer and ensemble leader, he combines musical authenticity with a strong sense of dramaturgy. Under his direction, the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA has developed into one
of the few European formations that interpret Benny Goodman’s music in full big band format with both artistic depth and driving energy.
Beyond that, Peter Fleischhauer leads the audience through the concert evening with strong personal presence and a palpable passion for this music. His spoken introductions blend well-founded knowledge of jazz history with a fine, intelligent touch of humor — lively, entertaining, and always from the perspective of an active musician. The result is a concert experience that is not only musically thrilling, but also engaging in content, drawing the audience directly into the world of swing.
Theater Worms (Germany), Dec 30, 2025 · Press
The King of Swing Orchestra impressed with a highly focused concert evening — vibrant, knowledgeable, and musically at the highest level. Particular praise was given to the stylistic
authenticity, the quality of the arrangements, strong solo performances, and the program’s great narrative coherence. The audience was enthusiastic throughout and rewarded the evening with
standing ovations at the end!
The KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA also reaches a worldwide audience digitally:
Over 350,000 streams in the last quarter alone, more than 2 million plays of the evergreen “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” (Engelbert Wrobel, clarinet · Anna Larsen, voc.) — supported by 20,000 monthly Spotify listeners.