Dixie- & Swingfestival Weiz 2026 - The great Eddie Luis Show & Big Band Weiz

What's it about?

The great Eddie Luis Swing Show & Big Band Weiz When wishing still helped, a certain Eduard Eibl saw the light of the music world on a guitar. Meanwhile, the long-time freelancer and converted jazz musician has conquered a full 22 instruments and even completed classical vocal training. This makes him a king even among so-called multi-instrumentalists and thus entitled to bear the name Eddie Luis. The charismatic presenter and witty compère, this jack-of-all-trades in all keys, appointed all-rounder, musical generalist and incorrigible charmer plays, among other instruments, cello, violin, ukulele, mandolin, guitar, piano, drums, trumpet and trombone. And the tuba, the deepest of all brass instruments, which is probably the second most common instrument to hear Eddie Luis play. But the "heart" (Eddie Luis' diagnosis) of his universal musical work is, of course, his five-string double bass, a precious instrument that he once had made by master Jean Auray in Lyon from ancient Macedonian wood. As a jazz musician, you have to save for quite a long time for that. Well, experiencing him, Eddie, live is not granted to everyone. These must be special concerts, so: Bring on a travel bass! As house bassist in "Joe Zawinul's Birdland", our Eddie Luis jumped straight from the five-meter board into the jazz scene. In the now long-gone Viennese establishment, the idea of his Graz music workshop, a mixture of agency, music school and networking, whose hub is Eddie Luis & The Jazz Passengers, once matured. Eddie Luis & Die Gnadenlosen, founded around 2014 in Graz, have also become a complete success story. The Eddie Luis Swing Show is a unique production, created and tailor-made together with the widely known Big Band leader Christoph Pfeiffer for the 10th Dixie- & Swingfestival Weiz. Your eyes will make legs. Bigband Weiz There are many big bands. But hardly any in this country that has been active for more than 40 years. It was in 1979 when Werner Gissing had a sensational first appearance in Weiz with the newly founded Bigband. Numerous guest stars such as Billy Cobham, Vienna Clarinet Connection, Raphael Wressnig and many more have been presented since then. A milestone in the history of the Bigband Weiz was its participation in the "Billa-Jazz Big Band-Contest" in 1993. In Vienna, the band was chosen by an international jury as one of the ten best big bands in Austria. Since 2008, the long-time lead trumpeter of the Bigband Weiz, Christoph Pfeiffer, has taken over the leadership. He brings exciting ideas and enthusiasm, and the audience gets carried away. A highlight in 2023 was the collaboration with Bill Laurance - a member of the 5-time Grammy Award-winning band Snarky Puppy. A new highlight is the concert in August 2024 as part of the Dixie- & Swingfestival Weiz with James Morrison. Morrison has been on Christoph Pfeiffer's and the Big Band Weiz's guest wish list for many years.