Bergedorf Castle (Bergedorf Jazz Club)

A true institution: For over 30 years, the Cotton Club Big Band from Hamburg has been dedicated to classic big band jazz, looking back musically to a time when jazz was the definitive popular music, pop music par excellence. The original arrangements from the Swing Era, from Benny Goodman to Count Basie, from Glenn Miller to Duke Ellington.

Date: September 2, 2026, 9 AM - 1 PMLocation: Bergedorf-Bille-Stiftung, Bergedorfer Straße 100, 21029 HamburgLead: Jannik Veenhuis, Islamic studies scholarIslam belongs to Germany. Anyone interested in good social coexistence can use this as an opportunity to engage with various Islam-related phenomena, thereby gaining orientation and linguistic confidence in their (professional) everyday life. The workshop will discuss contexts and provide space for self-reflection, questions, and case studies.Jannik Veenhuis is an Islamic studies scholar and works nationwide in education, consulting, and organizational development, focusing on critiques of racism and antisemitism.The workshop is aimed at anyone interested – no prior knowledge is necessary.Participation is free, registration is required.

Fresh Breath: While the "Traditional Old Merry Tale Jazzband" is one of the oldest (and most successful) German jazz formations, hardly any other group has managed to breathe new youthful and rousing life into traditional jazz. The program includes classics like "Bourbon Street Parade," "Blueberry Hill," and "Down By The Riverside," but also "Am Sonntag will mein Süßer mit mir segeln gehn," the summer hit of 1961 and also a trademark of the "Traditionell Old Merry Tale Jazzband."

Big Band Hot Jazz: Stomps, Blues, melodious ballads, hot jazz from the dark Chicago speakeasies, swing tunes, foxtrots from the ballrooms, glamour songs from Broadway shows, as well as the jungle fever of the Cotton Club in Harlem and red-lit homeland songs from Hamburg's Reeperbahn: a repertoire of the Hot Jazz Age, to which the prominent 10-man(!) orchestra has dedicated itself with body and soul.