Wolfgang Haffner is one of the most sought-after musicians in European jazz and certainly its most successful drummer-bandleader. He has a busy schedule, where a series of concerts in Japan can lead directly into an extensive European tour... followed by a short stopover for a meeting in Ingolstadt - where he is now responsible for the program of the Ingolstadt Jazz Days for the second year - and then it's on to the next stop. Wolfgang Haffner has undergone a remarkable transformation in his career. He has developed from a figure in the background in the bands of artists such as Al Jarreau, Jan Garbarek and Nils Landgren to a band leader who sets the tone - a role for which he is particularly well suited. And while his studio albums like the last, "Life Rhythm," emphasized high production values and the careful creation of a deeply relaxed flow, the new album, "Life Rhythm - Live," not only captures all that finesse and deep craft, but also conveys the kicking energy and dynamic momentum of Haffner's live concerts. The album also shows why - uniquely - Wolfgang Haffner's concerts, consisting exclusively of his own music, are always sold out in advance in the biggest concert halls. Wolfgang Haffner has put together a dream team for the album recording and the tour of "Life Rhythm". Both keyboardist Simon Oslender and bassist Thomas Stieger have been part of almost all my musical endeavors in recent years," he says. trumpeter Sebastian Studnitzky was already part of some of my earlier bands. And when I met guitarist Arto Mäkelä about two years ago, his sensitive playing immediately made a very strong impression on me. With him, the band was a complete unit, I had put together my dream team". With the personalities of these musicians, Haffner wrote the songs for the album "Life Rhythm", which was released in the summer of 2024. In the fall of the same year, the band went on tour and played in many of Germany's most beautiful concert halls. And here, too, Haffner fulfilled a dream: "It was a pretty elaborate production, with a five-person crew, sophisticated lighting and sound technology, a real dramatization from start to finish, with no effort or expense spared. Planning was immediately in full swing. Haffner recalls: "The band was a perfect fit from the very first second and grew from day to day. What we put together night after night was really a great achievement. And it was clear to me from the start that we should record the show on a live album. Wolfgang Haffner loves the live situation, this whole alchemy of what can happen between the notes. He manages the balancing act between pre-planning and freedom. Gentle acoustic passages are contrasted with emphatic moments that are precisely planned and in which sound and light are in harmony. His fellow musicians, who are all experienced in both jazz and pop, follow their leader with instinctive ease and precision into an intermediate world where fusion, electro-jazz and rock meet and merge. And the audience accompanies them every step of the way. Standing ovations follow. Everywhere. Naturally. In addition to some tracks from the last studio album, "Life Rhythm Live" also draws on Haffner's back catalog. The bandleader has rearranged some earlier songs: "Leo", "Nacho", "Simple Life", "Homerun" and the often requested "Keep Going" for the current line-up. They fit seamlessly into the newer, obviously more dramatic repertoire. On the one hand, the album is an assessment of the current situation, but also a résumé that already opens up new pages and hints at what could happen next. Wolfgang Haffner, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary on stage this year, still has many plans for the future: "I am very grateful that I can make a living from music. I enjoy playing drums more than ever, writing new music and playing new musical ideas with wonderful people on stages all over the world for an audience that I love. This simple and honest expression of joy happens to sum up the recipe for Wolfgang Haffner's remarkable success, why it has endured so well and why it will continue.