USTER. The musicians at the second International Boogie Night in the Stadthofsaal in Uster mainly caused two reactions: enjoyment of the high-quality boogie music and amazement at the dexterity of the pianists.
Five pianists on two pianos showed what they were capable of on Friday evening. They all wore black suits, had fast fingers and an insatiable joy for boogie-woogie. Differences were found in the interpretation of the music and the stage performance. On one hand, there were the cool Stefan Ulbricht from Germany and the confident Chris Conz from Uster, on the other hand, the party makers Ricky Nye from America, the Ticino-born Silvan Zingg, and the Austrian Christoph Steinbach.
In particular, Steinbach, who played in Uster a year ago, knew how to captivate the audience with his witty comments. When he plays, the tempo of the music reaches new dimensions. Conz also repeatedly pointed out this ability. His fingers move too fast for the human eye to follow. A camera recording on a large screen confirmed this skill flawlessly. It's not just his fingers; Steinbach's whole body is in motion. The mood-maker also did not hesitate to do a somersault on the hard stage floor while wearing his suit.
Local hero Conz elegantly led the evening. In just one year, the Uster native doubled the number of spectators to 600 and moved from the Wagerenhofsaal to the Stadthofsaal for the second edition of his Boogie Night. In front of a sold-out crowd, he presented top-class artists from the boogie scene. Ricky Nye showed that he deserves to have won numerous awards and prizes. The versatile artist not only masters boogie-woogie but also blues, jazz, funk, and country. He showcased these skills in the first part of the evening, in which all the pianists enjoyed a 20-minute solo performance. In the second part, there was a real jam session. They challenged each other in pairs, and in the end, they played with five people at the two pianos, creating an incredible richness of sound. The pianists were accompanied by Nuno Alexandre on bass and Mario Von Holten on drums. Both proved that absolute boogie professionals were on stage in Uster. They also had the opportunity to shine with a solo performance.
In addition, guitarist and singer Gary Scott joined the boogie-woogie pianists. The experienced musician, who has already performed with top stars at the Hallenstadion as the musical director of "Art on Ice," brought a bit of blues to Uster. The alternation between the two music styles made the evening a truly eventful experience. Furthermore, two dance couples showed how to move correctly to boogie-woogie, providing a visual feast for the audience. The teenagers Jan and Yannyna, known from the first season of "Switzerland's Got Talent," as well as Susi and Andy from the Uster dance club Swing4Joy, added to the atmosphere.
The third part of the evening took place in the foyer, where the musicians celebrated boogie-woogie until after midnight. "That's where we really step on the gas," Conz announced at the beginning of the show. The friendly musicians underlined that they are not only professionals but also artists who like to interact with their audience.