Swing ’n‘ groove und colors of the blues – these are the ingredients of the Viennese Jazzband around jazz singer Billie Dee and her remarkable Jazzcats. Living music and rhythm at it’s best it’s hard to stay seated while listening to the performance. Better to jump up and give it a try with some Lindy Hop or whatever comes to your mind. In any case you can have a laugh listening to the hilarious lyrics of the songs.
Find out more about the JazzCats
Billie Dee – vocals
Billie Dee is a Vienna based jazz singer and musician. Having started as a blues singer she co-built the band „Suburbcrew“, moved on to a funk band (Venus Asleep) that only had an atomic existence. She did a lot of songwriting in both projects until she fell in love with jazz – a love that already goes beyond the average love affair.
She took lessons with Anna Lauvergnac, Heidi Krenn (both students of Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy) and Bettina Krenosz (student of Ines Reiger and Estille voice trainer) to develop her skills as a vocalist. Her love for good rhythms led her to take bass and drum lessons.
She hosts her own session at Vienna’s Drakon Bar and is regularly booked for events.
Hannes Laszakovits – bass
Hannes Laszakovits plays Jazz, Classical Music, World Music and many more; Double Bass and Electric (and Acoustic) Bass Guitar, in many ensembles and bands, such as Square Waltz, Pristup, Billie Dee, Leiser Jazz.
Beside this he is a requested sideman in many groups and ensembles.
He also works as a composer and arranger for both classical music and jazz as well as folk & world music.
Concerts in: Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosna & Hercegowina, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Poland, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Israel, Palestine, Venezuela, Iran, USA and Australia.
Ryan Langer – piano
Vienna based pianist and composer Ryan Langer was born in the Austrian town of Klagenfurt in 1977. He has studied music at universities in Klagenfurt and Vienna beginning at the age of 15 and took classes at Harald Ossberger, Marina Horak, Larry Porter, Barry Harris, Fritz Pauer, Danny Grissett, Anthony Wonsey, Harold Mabern and others.
Since 2004 he has been participating in theatrical and literary projects (Schiller, Heine, Brecht) with Matthias Lühn and Fritz von Friedl. He was musical director in the musical „Daysies König“, written by Thalhammer/Rüdenauer as well as the step dance project „Short Stories“ with Sabine Hasicka and US tap-dancer Heather Cornell. He contributed as cembalist at the opera „Lo Speziale“ by J. Haydn at the opera festival Ruhpolding (Germany).
In 2007 he founded the „ryan langer trio“ performing in Austria and around Southern Europe.
He’s been teaching jazz piano at the Freie Musikschule Wien since 2007.
In the course of his musical carrier he has been working with Austrian musicians like Walther Großrubatscher, Sascha Lackner, Hans Salomon, Herwig Gradischnig, Mario Gonzi, Franz Oberthaler, Bernhard Wiesinger, Thiemo Kirberg, Joschi Schneeberger and others.
CDs
2013 „Double Rainbow“ (alessa records) mit dem Bettina Krenosz Quartet
2016 „Any Questions“ (kamino records) mit dem Joe Abentung Trio
Max Schauenstein – drums
Erik Schuster – sax
Foto: Ludwig Schedl
Billie Dee 