Manne Chicago
Manne Chicago was one of the founding fathers of Berlin’s Blues and Boogie Woogie scene. He played in public in the 1950s already. In 1958, he had the chance to see Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson perform together in concert in Berlin at the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" series. This tour was the only opportunity, that a member of the legendary Boogie Woogie Trio Ammons-Lewis-Johnson could be heard in Europe. Spurred by that inspiration, Manne continued to play and teach this music. His speciality was Blues piano, combined with his vocals and mouth harp playing, holding the harp between his fingers, simultaneously to his piano accompaniment. Quite astonishing! Manne Chicago passed away in February, 2018, at the age of 79.
Featured @ The Hamburg Boogie Woogie Connection: 1996, 2006 and as a surprise guest in 2013 and 2017