The concert honors two big band legends whose different artistic paths have left a lasting mark on the genre. Jim McNeely and Gordon Goodwin passed away at the end of last year after a brief serious illness.

Jim McNeely was a longtime member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band and played piano regularly in the successor ensemble Vanguard Jazz Orchestra until his death, for which he also contributed numerous compositions. In Europe, he served as artistic director of the DR Big Band and most recently as chief conductor of the HR Big Band. At the Manhattan School of Music, he passed on his knowledge to the next generation.

Gordon Goodwin shaped the West Coast with his Big Phat Band and was among Los Angeles' most sought-after arrangers—working across film, big band, pop, and jazz. Through his compositional style and popularity, he became an ambassador for orchestral jazz far beyond fan communities and genre boundaries.

The program mixes works by both legends with new pieces from the Tobias Becker Big Band's repertoire.

Lineup: (subject to change)

Markus Harm, Dan Roncari, Alexander Bühl, Toni Bechtold, Christoph Beck (saxophone)

Christian Mück, Christian Mehler, Marvin Frey, Benjamin Lindner (trumpet)

Marc Roos, Marco Leibach, Florian Seeger, Patrick Flassig (trombone)

Christoph Neuhaus (guitar)

Jens Loh (bass)

Martin Grünenwald (drums)

Tobias Becker (piano, conductor)

Discounts available for students, pupils, people with disabilities, BIX members, and Sparda Bank EC card holders upon presentation of a valid ID at the box office. Purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.