Axel Zwingenberger, Boogie Woogie Pianist
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Axel Zwingenberger: A stage. A man at the piano. The music: boogie woogie
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     Home » Axel Zwingenberger » about Axel Zwingenberger » Archive » A stage.
A man at the piano.
The music: boogie woogie

A stage.
A man at the piano.
The music: boogie woogie


Rolling bass figures, the dynamics of a roaring steam train. Passionate blues sounds that seem to evoke memories of long ago. Just a man at a grand piano, just a seemingly simple music, but fascinating perhaps for just that reason.


Axel Zwingenberger has been playing this game for more than two decades. With his ardour for the boogie woogie, »the hottest music that was ever invented for the piano« (quote Axel Zwingenberger), his engaged cultivation of this almost forgotten African-American folk music art he has contributed decisively to the revival of a flourishing boogie piano scene in Central Europe.


Born in Hamburg, in 1955, he enjoyed eleven years of conventional piano training. In 1973 he listened to authentic boogie woogie piano for the first time, engraved on vintage shellacs by Albert Ammons, Meade »Lux« Lewis and Pete Johnson respectively. »I didn't kow you could play the piano like  t h i s «, Axel explains today, »and from that very hour I didn't want anything else but learning to do so«. Soon he met piano playing partners like Hans-Georg Moeller, Vince Weber and Martin Pyrker, and word about the abilities of the four friends began to spread. The 1974 »First International Blues- and Boogie Woogie Festival« of the West German Radio Station in Cologne turned out to be their first presentation to a greater audience, soon to be followed by more, such as Hans Maitner´s annual festival »Stars of Boogie Woogie« in Vienna.


In 1975, Axel got his recording contract with Frank Dostal and their co-operation continues successfully today. Solo albums like »Boogie Woogie Breakdown«, »Power House Boogie« or »Boogie Woogie live« (the latter also available as sheet music) had a considerable impact on the junior set of boogie pianists. Axel recorded with American music stars like Big Joe Turner, Lionel Hampton, Mama Yancey, Sippie Wallace, Champion Jack Dupree, Jay McShann and many others. These recordings were essential in shaping his personal style and helpful in building his international reputation. They also testified the encounter of black and white, young and old, experience and enthusiasm and are part of the history of boogie woogie.


When Axel Zwingenberger hits the stage today, he scoops from skills gained in thousands of performances all over the world, from Hamburg to New York, from Vienna to Ouagadougou. When his most recent compositions such as »Thundertrain«, »Steel Dragon« or »Snow Flake Dance« start to sound you can notice the same fire in his playing as twenty years ago when he first started out.


© Axel Zwingenberger, August 1999

»Boogie Woogie Session '76 - live in Vienna« The Complete Recordings

»Boogie Woogie Session '76 - live in Vienna« The Complete Recordings

New release of a legend: digi box with 2 CDs plus one DVD:
Axel Zwingenberger with Hans-Georg Moeller, Martin Pyrker, Torsten Zwingenberger and Vince Weber
only € 29,99 including VAT
plus shipping
buy now   details

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