One of the consequences of the decline in wages in the last decade has been the loss of a substantial culture; large jazz ensembles have become a rarity.
With the 18-piece Orjazztra Vienna, Christian Muthspiel is now – in defiance of the current trend – fulfilling the dream of leading his own jazz orchestra. Austria and Vienna currently have great young musicians who play in their numerous own bands, are keen to experiment and play at the highest technical level. For the most part, the Orjazztra consists of young people from this local scene.
With its unusual line-up it is better described as a contemporary jazz orchestra than a big band, giving each soloist due improvisational freedom, marked by a band sound that takes its cue from the virtues of classical orchestral playing and, in this case, deliberately free of electronics.