ESSENER JAZZ TAGE ’59.

Description

Grugahalle, Essen April 1959 concert poster (Gutschow)

Original first printing concert poster advertising the 1959 Essener Jazz Tage which took place at the Grugahalle in Essen [Germany] on 18th & 19th April, 1959, presented by Ralf Schulte-Bahrenberg and Karl H. Lyrmann in cooperation with the German Jazz Federation. This first year of the festival featured an exceptionel roster of artists, including Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, Lou Levy, Herb Ellis, Alfred Middlebrooks, Gus Johnson, Stan Getz, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Lucky Thompson, and Buck Clayton. The festival ran for three consecutive years. It was the brainchild of German impresario and art dealer Ralf Schulte-Bahrenberg (1934—2010) and jazz critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt (1922—2000). Centered at the newly opened Grugahalle in Essen, the Jazz Tage was one of the first major German jazz festivals of the post-war period. The festival ended in 1961 due to conflicts with Norman Granz. Instead Schulte-Bahrenberg and Berendt went on to found the Berliner Jazz Tage with George Wein in 1964. The poster features striking artwork by German graphic artist Harald Gutschow, with his imprint to the lower right side border.

The poster measures 59.0 x 83.7 cm (approx. 23.2″ by 33″ inches) and is beautifully printed on thin smooth-finish uncoated paper stock. There is a small closed rip to the bottom right corner, else in excellent unfolded condition. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have concerning this item. Additional images of the poster available on request.