Yassmo and The Soulfisticated People: A Night to Remember

A live band performance with four musicians on stage: a bassist, a saxophonist, a drummer, and a percussionist, playing energetically under bright stage lights.

What can you expect? To quote Yassmo’s website on Yassmo and the Soulfisticated People: “An evening full of energy and passion! From emotional soulful ballads to exhilarating pumping Motown beats – it’s all included, everything that touches the skin and gets into the legs. The band brings the music of the soul ancestors into a fresh, modern context – and Yassmo’s own compositions create a unique sound that honours tradition while simultaneously forging new paths”.

That does actually pretty well cover what we experienced Unter der Zeder. But, as the saying famously notes – “the devil is in the detail!”

The bad news is that this was the final concert this year Unter der Zeder (under the cedar tree). I think the tree will have been pretty happy with what went on under its mighty branches in 2025 though. The KuKuG Verein will also be very happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the concert season so well visited as it was this year with extra seating being conjured out of nowhere to accommodate the flow of attendees.

A musician wearing a yellow beanie sings into a microphone while performing on stage, pointing upward. A keyboard is visible in front of him. — Yassmo – ‘Your turn Richard!”

But whilst all things must come to an end, UDZ went out with a bang (in the best musical sense I hasten to add). Yassmo himself has been a talented and welcome face on the Bonn Jazz scene for a few years now having first played live as a bar pianist to finance his studies. The time since has seen him develop a style all his own though. It melds Soul with funk and Jazz accents, Add in judicious use of a ‘Talk-box’ on his keyboard (remember Peter Frampton’s guitar version on ‘Baby I Love Your Way’?). The result is a pretty punchy syncopated sound in itself. Then take some of the best local Jazz musicians aka The Soulfisticated People and you have a guaranteed musical backbeat to get the feet tapping.

That was certainly the case on Monday in Bonn. Stageside opposite Yassmo sat Richard Münchhoff on drums. Despite his young age Richard has worked for some years alongside legendary Jazz drummer Billy Cobham as well as his involvement with top musicians who have backed legends like Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Britney Spears. In between the two men are the excellent Emanuel Stanley on bass, Igor Lazarev on guitar and Danh Thai on saxophone and EWI. Ewhat? An EWI looks rather like a flute except that it is more of a wind-powered synthesizer.

All compositions this evening are from Yassmo and his style fits the talented musicians perfectly. He sets the mood of each piece, and calls on each of the players to run with it, usually by holding his arm up towards the rest of the band as if to say “Your turn!”. The resultiss a spellbinding musical evening, that reached it’s peak during a ten minute or more tune that leaned heavily on Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ but had everyone soloing in top form. All for a mere 20 Euros admittance! And smiling musicians who looked like they would have played with just as much enthusiasm if no-one had been there to hear them. The magic of bouncing ideas back and forth to see where it takes them. They even managed to find a totally off-the-wall way to present the standard UDZ finisher Reinhard Mey’s ‘Gute Nacht Freunde’ complete with keyboard voice synthesizer

A guitarist performing passionately on stage, eyes closed, highlighting intense musical expression. — Igor Lazarev – celebrating his Birthday onstage this evening

Musical magic then to end the 2025 Unter Der Zeder Season. There were a record-breaking 3000 people in all attending the various KuKuG events including open-air Kino and (for the first time) Open Dance nights.

I’m looking forward to the 2026 season already, but these being local musicians there is plenty more to enjoy from the band’s various solo projects. Yassmo has recently released an album with Johannes Kuchta cryptically titled ‘Hear the Colours’ as well as working on the project ‘Night of a thousand keys’ which will see him sharing the Pantheon stage with, amongst others, Marcus Schinkel on 21 September. Richard Münchhoff was wearing a t shirt with ‘Munchy Bunch’ logo which refers to his upcoming band project (this time as guitarist/vocalist!) so keep an eye out for more on that. In addition, Igor, Emanuel and Danh can be found wherever there is great live Jazz going down in Bonn. UDZ may be over – but may the Phonk be with you!