A Night Out

Last night we saw two groups play traditional swiss music. The first group of three musicians played a soprano saxophone, an accordion (which looked more like a bandonion), a contra base and an alphorn. They played fun, circus-y music and did a little good ol’ yodeling as well. You can get a taste of their quirky music by visiting their web-site SULP. The second set of three played the contra base, the xylophone and a flat triangular instrument that the musician stood in front of using small metal mallets and a foot petal. They also used instruments that looked like a tin can with a stiff rubber band coming out of the end. This group was decidedly different from the first, and the man playing the xylophone was terrifically inventive with his use of mallets, cymbals, shakers, bells and bows. The last set was both groups on stage at the same time doing a bit of jazzy swiss improve (complete with animal sounds – dogs, sheep and cows). All of this to a back drop of an interesting mix of day-in-the –life photography slides of (mostly) Basel. We had a great time!