Dixie & Swing Festival Weiz 2026 - The Great Eddie Luis Show & Big Band Weiz

The Great Eddie Luis Swing Show & Big Band Weiz
When wishes still came true, a certain Eduard Eibl saw the light of the music world on a guitar. By now, the long-time freelancer and converted jazz musician has conquered a total of 22 instruments and even completed classical vocal training. This makes him a king among so-called multi-instrumentalists, thus entitled to bear the name Eddie Luis.
The charismatic host and witty master of ceremonies, this jack-of-all-trades, born all-rounder, musical generalist, and incorrigible charmer plays, among other instruments, cello, violin, ukulele, mandolin, guitar, piano, drums, trumpet, and trombone. And the tuba, the deepest of all brass instruments, is what you will most often hear Eddie Luis play. However, the "heartpiece" (Eddie Luis's term) of his universal musical work is undoubtedly his five-string double bass, a precious instrument he had crafted from ancient Macedonian wood by master Jean Auray in Lyon. A jazz musician has to save quite a long time for that. Well, experiencing Eddie live with it is not something everyone gets to do. These must be special concerts, so: Bring on a travel bass!
As the house bassist at "Joe Zawinul's Birdland," our Eddie Luis jumped straight from the five-meter diving board into the jazz scene. It was in this now long-gone Viennese establishment that the idea for his Graz music workshop was born, a mix of agency, music school, and networking, with Eddie Luis & The Jazz Passengers as its hub. Eddie Luis & Die Gnadenlosen, founded in Graz around 2014, have also become a complete success story.
The Eddie Luis Swing Show is a unique production, crafted and tailored in collaboration with the widely known big band leader Christoph Pfeiffer for the 10th Dixie & Swing Festival Weiz. Your eyes will be dancing.

Big Band Weiz
There are many big bands. However, there are hardly any in this country that have been active for more than 40 years. It was in 1979 when Werner Gissing had a sensational first performance with the newly founded big band in Weiz. Since then, numerous guest stars such as Billy Cobham, Vienna Clarinet Connection, Raphael Wressnig, and many more have been presented. A milestone in the history of Big Band Weiz was their participation in the "Billa-Jazz Big Band Contest" in 1993. In Vienna, the band was selected by an international jury as one of the ten best big bands in Austria. Since 2008, Christoph Pfeiffer, the long-time lead trumpeter of Big Band Weiz, has taken over the leadership. He brings exciting ideas and energy, captivating the audience. A highlight in 2023 was the collaboration with Bill Laurance - a member of the five-time Grammy Award-winning band Snarky Puppy. A new highlight is the concert in August 2024 as part of the Dixie & Swing Festival Weiz with James Morrison. For many years, Morrison has been on the guest wish list of Christoph Pfeiffer and Big Band Weiz.