Swiss bastion of traditional jazz turns 40

A new, tradition-bound jazz festival was launched in the Swiss capital, Bern, 40 years ago, adding to the popular jazz and avant-garde festivals on offer at the Montreux and Willisau.  The International Jazz Festival Bern’s motto of “40 years hard swinging” harks to founder Hans Zurbrügg’s commitment to a purist form of jazz, shared by icons such as famous jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis, a superstar who can easily fill large venues, still calls Zurbrügg now and then to ask if he can play for a few days at his small jazz club in Bern. Kindred spirits, they believe in a jazz rooted in tradition, eschewing electronic, rock, free jazz and crossover experiments.  swissinfo.ch met up with the Swiss hotel entrepreneur and festival founder to talk jazz.  swissinfo.ch: This year the festival is being held for the 40th time. What was your motivation for founding the festival? Hans Zurbrügg: A few years earlier all the jazz aces were living in Nice and I got to …
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– SWI swissinfo.ch