Christmas is coming, you just need to follow your nose… The smell of mulled wine, bratwurst and home-baked biscuits is in the air! Once again this year, the Kleines Theater stage in Bad Godesberg’s Kurpark has been transformed into a festive oasis for coming Advent Saturdays. And once again it’s the ever-popular Christian Meringolo who has donned a Santa hat and started the Carol singing.

I was saddened to hear today of the death of Moritz Fuhrhop, best known in the Bonn area for his appearances at the Harmonie on Hammond organ as part of the Henrik Freischlader Band. I thought that whilst honouring a great musician I would also take the opportunity to remember a great photographer, so hopefully the much missed Tony Joe Gardner will forgive me from the great photo-pit in the sky for reproducing his marvelous shot of ‘Mr Mo’ from Spirit of 66 in 2013.

Below is my own shot of Moritz at the Harmonie with Henrik’s Band in 2022

’30 Years Live On Tour’. That’s the slogan that Julian Sas has taken to the many stages of his concerts in 2024. It’s on the tickets too, with an additional ‘Bernie proudly presents’. This will be the 21st time that Bernie Gelhausen has brought Julian to the Harmonie – for much of that time as proprietor of the much loved and missed shop ‘Mr Music’. The Band has changed in that time, but nothing else it seems. A set full of Bluesrock anthems sweated out with love and power to a packed house of faithful fans. If I were to go back to those early concerts even the audience would be the same. It’s as if he has an extra (large) tour bus and packs his audience up each night with his gear for the next venue. So what’s the secret of Julian’s timeless success?

You might have noticed already 😉 but it’s here again. That’s right, Glühwein Season (I can’t bring myself to say ‘Christmas Time’ in November!). That also means a time of live outside music where clapping is encouraged, especially to keep hands warm until the Glühwein arrives. Pictured above are local favourites Meoneo who played at Ralf’s Glühweinstube in Bad Godesberg’s Moltkeplatz. As the picture below shows, Ralf himself is happy to lend a voice to the proceedings.

The Christmas Market at Moltkeplatz in Bad Godesberg is open from 10 am to 10 pm with music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 pm to 9 pm (except 24 Nov).

“The Soul of Donny Hathaway the charm of Audrey Hepburn, the fathomless depth of Amy Winehouse and the power of Adele”. Quite a testimony over Miu as presented by a Hamburg newspaper. Somehow, the Dottendorfer Jazznacht seems like an odd venue choice. Cologne’s Lanxess Arena anyone? Or is it all hype? If it is, it seems to have worked to some extent anyway. Shortly before the concerts begin, the little hall in Dottendorf is so busy that a couple of extra rows of seating are being added. Oddly enough the audience looks largely like the regular one for established Jazz acts and not what you would expect for a young singer of ‘Modern Retro-Soul’ and her band. There is no trumpet, saxophone, or Jazzy-looking guitar. Even the grand piano seems tucked away in a corner to make way for electric piano and synths. Would a large chunk of this evening’s audience head for the exit as soon as the show started I wondered?

Old, new, borrowed, and a distinctly blues sound. Aynsley Lister’s concert at Bonn Harmonie had it all. Now into November, this could be the best show thats passed my ears in 2024. I’ve seen Aynsley a good few times now, but none better than on this mid-November evening.

The recent Autumn Rockpalast/Crossroads Festival is now available to watch online on the Rockpalast Website.
For some reason, the shows were not sent out simultaneously as was the case with previous Festivals.

All the more reason to check out Mike Zito (above), Mojo Thunder, Scorpion Child etc now!

Two musicians who write songs from and for the heart. Daniel Bongart is a local folk music treasure and Roxanne De Bastion is rapidly developing a name internationally as both a singer songwriter and author. The cosy Rheinbuhne on Oxfordstrasse in Bonn was a perfect location for this talented duo.