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“The King of Swing” is the flagship program of the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA – a tribute to legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman, whose music brought jazz into the world’s great concert halls for the first time in the 1930s.

With Engelbert Wrobel, one of Europe’s most distinguished representatives of traditional hot swing, the orchestra brings this music back to the stage with energy, precision, and a level of authenticity that has become rare today.

In a large, nearly all-acoustic lineup, the ensemble—under the direction of Peter Fleischhauer—unfolds a highly energetic sound that is both stylistically informed by history and electrifyingly present.

•  Authentic classics from the repertoire of the Goodman era

• Solistische Features with Engelbert Wrobel (the burning clarinet)

• Selections from the years 1935–1948

• Musical selections from Benny Goodman’s trio and quartet repertoire.

• Original Bigband-Arrangements in the hot swing style

Dramaturgically, the program is hosted and guided by bandleader Peter Fleischhauer, who charmingly conveys the historical context, musical background, and stylistic characteristics of the Goodman sound.

With her warm, silky voice, ANNA LARSEN (vocal soloist of the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA) continues the tradition that already defined the era of the original Goodman Orchestra. Whether “Bei mir bist du schön,” “And the Angels Sing,” or “Goody Goody” — Anna Larsen combines stylistic clarity with elegance and expression. Her recordings with the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA have already reached over 2 million streams worldwide.

PETER FELISCHHAUER founded the KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA three decades ago and has since shaped its distinctive sound as artistic director and drummer. His stylistically precise and unmistakable playing forms the rhythmic backbone of the ensemble — especially in pieces like “Sing, Sing, Sing,” where his high-energy drum features repeatedly spark enthusiastic applause and standing ovations.

Acoustic big band sound: Almost completely unamplified — lively, direct, and dynamic.

The KING OF SWING ORCHESTRA brings together 17 big band musicians from Cologne — one of Europe’s most important cities for jazz and big band music. Together, they create an authentic, high-energy ensemble sound shaped by experienced and in-demand soloists who have influenced both the regional and international scene for many years. Their powerful, precise, and stylistically well-defined big band sound makes the ensemble one of the few truly authentic hot swing orchestras in Europe.

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