Jazz & Swing: The Funny Valentines

In the organizer's words:

The Funny Valentines is a female vocal quartet that has dedicated itself to good mood swing and arranges classics and rarities from the swing era for the four singers. They even perform some of the swing standards in their native language, Bavarian.

The vocal quartet The Funny Valentines is very much in the spirit of the legendary Andrews Sisters. Their range extends from the doo-wop era back to the jazz of the 1920s. In their "Best of" program, they present their personal favourites. Swing rarities are mixed with the great hits of this era, lively arranged by Hermine Gascho.

With a soft and full sound, this formation captivates with a special harmony of voices. When the four of them groove and let their big band-inspired vocals sound like wind instruments, jazz becomes entertainment. The audience experiences and enjoys a varied mixture of soulful jazz tunes, groovy boogie and rousing swing.

The four singers Hermine Gascho, Uta Ofner, Barbara Roberts and Gina Lindner form the vocal quartet. The Valentines Jazz Trio consists of three fantastic musicians who are at home on stages in Munich as well as all over the world:

Dittmar Hess, drums, works with various big bands as well as jazz and soul formations, mainly in southern Germany. He also tours abroad throughout Europe. He also teaches, leads workshops and is involved in many CD and radio productions.

Gary Todd, bass, is a US-American veteran of the German jazz scene. He toured with the Stan Kenton Big Band back in the 1960s and eventually came to Munich from California, where he has been one of the most sought-after bassists in Europe ever since. His collaborations read like a 'Who's Who' of world jazz stars.

Peter Wegele, piano, is described by the SZ as "one of the most creative pianists in the Munich area" (Jörg Konrad). He works, plays, teaches, composes and arranges with and for countless artists, not only from the jazz world. In addition to concerts and recordings, he also composes film music, gives lectures and conducts workshops, not only in Germany but also in Italy and beyond.