Founder and bandleader of the Jazzrauch Big Band Roman Sladek comes up with the ambitious idea of “jazzing up” Mahler’s 5th Symphony. In fact, I wouldn’t call it as much jazzing it, as making it more funky, as the team is actually in a R&B mode. There is a synth groove provided by Sam Hylton under Moritz Stahl’s tenor on the upbeat “Trauermarsch”, with a catchy disco beat for “Sturmisch bewegt.”. The 6 member brass team, including tuba-ist Jutta Keeb, jabs on the poppish “ Scherzo” , featuring Frederick Mademann on tenor sax. Julan Hesse’s flugelhorn is elegiac on “Adagiatto” with Moriz Renner’s brass shining brightly on the danceable “Rondo-Finale”. What would these cats do with Mahler’s Lieders?!?