Which jazzer can claim that he risked his life for music? Emil Mangelsdorff can. The saxophonist, born 1925 and older brother of trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, was a member of the Frankfurt Swing Youth opposition during the Nazi regime. On one photo, the young people derided Nazi symbols – Mangelsdorff was imprisoned and tortured, and later sent to the Eastern Front. This did not stop him from pursuing his passion for so-called “degenerate music”. After the war, he became a vibrant member of the Frankfurt jazz scene. He played with his brother, with Jutta Hipp, Klaus Doldinger, Volker Kriegel and many others. The 50ies must have been intoxicating: they played in front of American GIs in the midst of debris. Music had triumphed over Nazis. Soon things continued in proper clubs, jazz was no longer a niche phenomenon. He was part of different jazz movements: from swing to bebop and cool jazz through to fusion experiments. He has remained curious and open until today. And he still comes on stage at the age of 91. In an interview he once said that working with art probably generates life sustaining processes. “I would never have thought that I would get this old. I believe my love of music has something to do with it.”
