Die Hochstapler live at Manufaktur Schorndorf 9/5/2025

Die Hochstapler

 By Martin Schray

There are still school holidays in the southern states of Germany, but the Manufaktur in Schorndorf has already begun the second half of its free jazz program. The audience turnout was therefore somewhat modest, but those who were there on September 5 witnessed a spectacular concert. Die Hochstapler (the German word for imposters), a French-Italian-German quartet featuring Pierre Borel (sax), Antonio Borghini (b), Louis Laurain (tp), and Hannes Lingens (dr), delivered two outstanding sets.

The band has been around for a long time, and this was evident in every phase of the concert. The musical idea behind the project is that the sets are entirely improvised on the one hand, on the other hand the musicians repeatedly draw on a foundation of themes, riffs, scale sequences, or preconceived ideas, which happens spontaneously. These parts are mostly almost classical avant-garde jazz or often reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's legendary piano-less quartet with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins. But what makes the band so special is its lightness, elegance, and joy of playing. Sounds are explored extensively and diligently to the full and then, almost imperceptibly, transformed into jazz blocks. This also works wonderfully the other way around: a bebop riff is exploited to the full and comes to an abrupt halt, so that the audience is not quite sure whether they are at the end of a track or whether it will continue (it actually always continues), because the band then uses notes very, very sparingly. These transitions are set by the musicians through individual notes or sequences of notes, which the others notice and then know with somnambulistic certainty what to do next. This creates heavy blues parts reminiscent of The Thing, but with finer horn lines and less angry and aggressive attacks (such as at the end of the first set). Another special feature of Die Hochstapler is the fact that they also play with the space and its sonic possibilities. The band members wandered around the Manufaktur several times; Louis Laurain, for example, once walked through the audience and used the listeners’ glasses as percussion instruments. This resulted in ever-changing arrangements and playing ideas, with Borel and Laurain repeatedly putting their wind instruments aside and using extended playing techniques and various small percussion instruments. Finally, there were several highlights in the concert: the aforementioned blues number at the end of the first set, an increase in intensity through a slow glide into high and highest registers after about 20 minutes, a unison section that was actually reminiscent of minimal music, a swing passage in the second part in which Borel and Laurain played a hook line and increased their speed, but Borghini and Lingens did not follow them, they even slowed down a little, creating an impression of incongruity. Musically, this was an absolutely crazy moment of insane density, followed by a spectacular solo by Borel, which actually received spontaneous applause.

Incidentally, the band’s motto for the evening was “playing with your eyes open”, as the musicians have realized that they often play with their eyes closed. But it was also worthwhile for the audience to not only listen, but also to watch. You could see from Antonio Borghini’s satisfied grin that the musicians were having a lot of fun. Werner Hassler, the booker at Manufaktur, called it “the concert of the year“. The bar has definitely been set high for the upcoming gigs in the fall.

Die Hochstapler are playing a few more gigs in Central Europe. If you have the opportunity to see them nearby, don’t miss it. Here are a few dates: 

Imperia / Italy, Teatro dell’ Attrito, 9/12/25

Halle / Germany, Büro für, 11/22/25

Berlin / Germany, Industriesalon Schöneweide, 11/23/2025

Graz / Austria, Tubes, 1/15/26

Nuremberg / Germany, Jazzstudio, 1/16/26

Leipzig / Germany, Villa Ida, 1/17/26