Wawau Adler

anniversary tour 2027 presenting a new album

This quartet reimagines Gypsy jazz – inspired by the legacy of Django Reinhardt and a central question in jazz history:
"What would have happened if Django Reinhardt had met the giants of bebop on stage?
That encounter never took place – and that is precisely where we come in."
Together with Jan Prax (saxophone), they blend jazz manouche and bebop into a unique musical language: Gypsy Bop.
As part of his 2027 anniversary tour, Wawau Adler will present this programme and his new album live for the first time.

Wawau Adler was born on January 25, 1967, into a traditional family of musicians. Music was never merely a passion for him — it was a natural part of life from the very beginning. At the age of three, he held a guitar in his hands for the first time, and by the age of seven he was already experimenting on his grandfather’s harp, developing an exceptional sensitivity for melody, rhythm, and tone.
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At nine years old, he discovered the music of Django Reinhardt — a life-changing moment that would profoundly shape his musical path. Entirely self-taught, Adler learned guitar by ear and quickly developed a remarkable musical instinct. By the age of thirteen, he was already performing on public stages.
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While other children spent their afternoons playing football, Adler devoted his time to listening to records and studying swing and jazz in his own unique way. As a teenager, he immersed himself not only in bebop, but also in jazz rock, blues, and the great vocal traditions of the American songbook, deeply inspired by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams.
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From an early age, one question became central to his artistic vision:
How can a musician create a truly personal voice in Jazz Manouche and jazz guitar?
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In search of his own musical identity, Wawau Adler made an unusual and courageous decision: he gave away his entire collection of LPs and CDs. His philosophy was simple yet profound — constantly listening to great masters inevitably leads to imitation. Without recorded music surrounding him, Adler was forced to trust his own imagination, phrasing, tone, and musical ideas.
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This radical step became a defining turning point in his artistic evolution.
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“This step helped me tremendously to expand my musical horizon and to create a sense of elegance within my own style.”
— Wawau Adler
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Today, Wawau Adler is regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Jazz Manouche. His playing combines virtuosity, elegance, depth, and emotional expression with a unique tone that has earned him international recognition as a highly respected artist.

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