Time Rag Department

The Time Rag Department came together out of a love for old melodies, rhythms and sounds of the early jazz era, inviting the listener on a journey through time, inviting them to dance and conveying the joy inherent in the music. The musicians devote themselves to the tradition of old-time jazz in all its facets with fierce dedication: in love with detail and full of change, inspired by the sound of the Paul Whiteman and Duke Ellington orchestras or unrestrainedly emotional, inspired by the sound of Bunk Johnson's or Sidney Bechet's New Orleans jazz. Polyphonic chordal singing and euphoric brass sections are replaced by virtuoso solos and collective improvisations, always fueled by an incorruptible rhythm section. Sometimes the Time Rag Department swings and pounds like a steam engine, then the rhythm floats along lightly and elegantly. In addition to numerous national and international appearances, the Time Rag Department has been performing twice a week in Berlin for the past three years - for swing dancing in the large, atmospheric ballroom of Villa Neukölln, and in Prenzlauer Berg in the densely packed and smoky "Speiche's Rock und Blueskneipe". Over the years, an enormously extensive and multi-layered repertoire has developed, which is constantly growing and being refined. The ensemble has thus become an integral part of Berlin's live music culture.