Syncopation Society Orchestra

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eyond Dixieland revival and commercial 20s entertainment, the Syncopation Society as a music collective represents a vibrant Berlin subculture, closely connected to the city’s diverse swing dance scene. The Syncopation Society Orchestra is a reflection of this young and innovative scene that approaches early jazz authentically and with attitude.

The 10-piece ensemble is dedicated to reviving the repertoire of the first great jazz formations, playing dance music from the mid-20s to mid-30s, including original arrangements transcribed especially for the orchestra by the best composers of the time (Fletcher Henderson, Luis Russell, Duke Ellington and others). The SSO is thus one of the few large ensembles in Europe that is historically informed and intensively engaged with early forms of jazz.

Since its founding in 2020, the orchestra has not only played regularly at dance events and festivals, including the Berlin Balboa Weekend and Bohème Sauvage (Wintergarten Berlin), but has also been a guest at festivals such as Fest Jazz (FR) and the Festival Jazz à l’heure d’été in Angers (FR).

The in-house festival of the music collective AreYouSyncopated?! in 2022 also led to collaborations with international guest stars such as Jack Woodhead, Ewan Bleach and Meschiya Lake.

The Syncopation Society sees its mission not only in keeping early forms of jazz alive, but above all in being informed and educating about the context of their emergence in a musical as well as in a socio-cultural and political sense. In this sense, the Syncopation Society Orchestra also offers school concerts and workshops. The orchestra’s first album contains the music for a musical theatre production for children that tells the story of jazz in Europe.

MUSICIANS OF THE SYNCOPATION SOCIETY ORCHESTRA
The ensemble plays in an instrumentation of 10 or 11.

Johannes Böhmer  / Hippolyte Fèvre | trumpet
Laurent Humeau / Jürgen Hahn | trumpet
Anton Wunderlich / Johannes Lauer | trombone + vocals
Eldar Tsalikov / Bastian Duncker | alto saxophone + clarinet
Laurin Habert | alto saxophone + clarinet
Florent Mannant / Claus Jacobi | tenor saxophone + clarinet
Carlos Santana / Camille Phelep | piano + vocals
Katharina von Fintel / Quentin Bardi  | banjo
Nikolai Scharnofske / Malte Tönißen | sousaphone + double bass
François Perdriau | drums
Jack B. Latimer | vocals (optional)