Mhdb have never
had the ambition to be famous, but simply to develop their own
music, embedded in the context of global (see:
Metropolises, jazz & percussion), regional and local trends. Mhdb estimates show that the number of bands
and musicians in and around Kassel has remained roughly the same since
2010 and despite Covid-19, namely approximately 500 'acts'. The Mhdb
estimates also show that in/around Kassel there are mainly rock bands of
various kinds (about two thirds of all 'acts') and then by far hip hop/rap
'acts' (less than 10% of all 'acts'), but more jazz, especially modern
jazz and experimental styles. 'Mhdb' are mentioned relatively frequently
on the internet
Since March 2020:
The corona crisis
led to the interruption of the Mhdb sessions and
recordings as well as to the
quarantine solo project (Bambulete live). Online band sessions did
not work or were too complicated (test).
Because life is somewhat back to normal after COVID 19 and the entire
Mhdb repertoire was recorded with Hammond organ in 2022-23 (post-covid
sessions), Mhdb
usually play two of the five
Mhdb sets per year again. Mhdb present themselves mainly on the Mhdb sessions and videos
Latest sessions (usually now from the Mhdb
studio and with Hammond XK-1c):
new YouTube
videos
First compression
of the Mhdb website, then expanded again, especially due
to
intensification of the
project 'Metropolises,
jazz & percussion' (urban
music, culture & development)
Blackberry Smoke (outstanding
live sound & style) *, Thelonious
Monk (p, 1917-82, modern jazz co-founder, important
to Mhdb chords & changes, rhythmic trickiness) *,
and Chris Dave (d,
'contemporary' jazz, fancy drumming) *:
They have influenced Mhdb greatly in recent years. These
influences are not copied or 'covered' by Mhdb, but processed
or tested out and integrated into one of the existing 43
Mhdb songs or the
Mhdb concept
Over some 20 years (approx. 1990-2010) Mhdb created a repertoire of 43 own songs, which have been interpreted by The Mhdb Session Trio as 'Mhdb standards'
on the Mhdb sessions and which were
fully documented on live videoin 2016.
From October
2017 to April 2018, the
Mhdb
MP3s were updated
Song examples (see
below): "KarlMarxShuffle", "BumerangTrophue"
The Mhdb
Session Trio, image, 2014 (from right
to left):
" ...
Wed, Sept 12, 2012. Mhdb 2012. - Barbara
Nespethal (voc, recorders, key), Anton Cik (key, arr) and
Wolfgang Billmann (voc, steeldr, dr). Maybe you remember the
following performances at the Mampf: 2000('Mozart
has the blues' = Mhdb, trio: voc-v-g, voc-b, voc-steeld-d), 1997
('Mozart has the blues', duo: voc-b, voc-steeld-d), 1996
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, duo: sous, steeld-d), 1994
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, duo: sous, steeld-d), 1993
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, quartet: tbn, key, perc, steeld-d).
Based on these performances the repertoire of self-created
experimental pieces with absurd German lyrics and a few
instrumentals has been developed. ... "
(www.mampf-jazz.de/programm.html,
September 2012, approximate English translation)
Bambulete- a
virtual percussion project,established
in 2010 -also
performs the 43 Mhdb
songs or standards with German spoken lyrics, butin a largely atonal
& percussive style and, except for
the voices, entirely computer-generated,
however live (since 2020: Quarantine
solo project, Bambulete live, videos) also with live drums. Drumming tips
From October
2017 to April 2018, the Bambulete MP3s were
updated and completed, especially the Bambulete sets 4
& 5
Song
examples (see above): "KarlMarxShuffle",
"BumerangTrophue", ...
The Open
Mhdb Band: On the Mhdb sessions, starting in 2005,
the missing musicians were replaced by self- and
computer-generated playback (vice versa: The Virtual Mhdb
Band)
The Virtual
Mhdb Band (at the same time) :
The live songs by Mhdb, which have evolved
since around 1990, were systematically digitally
reworked in the Mhdb style between
2005-10, and have since been available as a computer-generated
Mhdb real book containing standards, which are used for the Mhdb sessions
With these digital song versions, Mhdb have also been establishing themselves since 2008 as a
virtual band in the internet
charts, for instance at SoundClick.com
'Metropolises,
jazz & percussion': from 2007 on a new chapter
in 'Mozart had the Blues'. Permanent
project
Song
examples (see above): "KarlMarxShuffle",
"BumerangTrophue"
The Mhdb
Trio: From 1999 to 2005, Mhdb performed as an avant-garde
jazz & absurd rock trio (g,
voc-b, voc-steeld-d). This trio refined the Mhdb duo
repertory of 1994-98
The Mhdb Duo:
In 1994 Mhdb became an experimental duo (voc-b,
voc-steeld-d). This duo completed the prototype songs with
absurd texts, that have since been influenced by:
Stan & Ollie,
Mrs.
Miller /
Tante Emma
*, Mozart,
Joachim Ringelnatz, Karl Marx*,
The Simpsons, Ulrich Roski
(voc, p), et al., and the music & culture of the
global megacities and historical metropolises (permanent project)
'Mozart had
the Blues': 1st ed. 1997, German, manuscript
The Scheik
Duo: From 1993 to 1996, TheScheik Duo (sous, steeld-d) developed
Mhdb prototype songs from the former Scheik trio
adaptations of 1992-93, but still only in 5/4, and added
the first self-composed song prototypes, for instance:
Song example:
the prototype of the "KarlMarxShuffle"(mp3, 30 sec), 1996,
without text
The Scheik
Trio: From 1992 to 1993, the Mhdb-related 'Scheik'
trio (tbn, b, steeld-d) processed the percussion &
session stuff of 1989-91 into various 5/4 adaptations
without texts
Song example:
"Trophie"
(mp3, 30 sec), a 5/4 adaptation of a jazz standard byMonk/Clarke,
"Epistrophy", and the prototype of the later Mhdb
"BumerangTrophue" (see above: The Mhdb Session Trio, 2014;
The Mhdb Trio, 2003; The Mhdb Duo, 1997)
'Mozart':
From 1989 to 1991, a proto Mhdb band called 'Mozart' (g,
b, d) existed
The Mhdb
Percussion Group & Session Band: In 1991, Mhdb
were founded as an open percussion group and also session
band. This group or band tested out rock & jazz
standards, German folksongs, and arias and is considered
the 1st Mhdb band
The
Esquires
**
were the 2nd of 20 pre-Mhdb & Mhdb bands, a
Berlin-based beat band from 1964-67, and were the first
semi-professional band of the Mhdb founder & drummer
(Wolfgang Billmann)
The
Esquires (Berlin-West, 1964-67)
The whole Mhdb story (approx.
1960-), theoretical background
(texts, arrangements, melodies, chords, measures), and the 20 pre-Mhdb &
Mhdb bands: "Mozart
had the Blues, The theory, history & prehistory of 'Mozart
has the blues' (Mhdb) - or: an amateur drummer's autobiography". By Wolfgang
Billmann, Kassel, Germany, permanent project
(1st ed. 1997), password via mozarthatdenblues@gmail.com
Mampf, September 2012, Frankfurt/Main, Germany :
