The best New Orleans jazz group in Europe, if not the world

They may not sound as if they are from Germany, but one of Europe's foremost New Orleans-style jazz outfits are indeed German.

They were founded in Essen in 1993 by a group of German teenagers, as they were then.

There are seven stompers - Gunnar Sachs (trumpet and cornet); Helge Sachs (clarinet, sax and vocals); Olaf Kalytta (trombone); Axel Stephan (drums); Daniel Wehsarg (double bass); Carsten Bernoth (piano); René Richter (banjo and guitar). Their rise to prominence started early.

It was 1995 when they were named best up-and-coming band by WDR, Germany's biggest radio broadcaster. Their first album, 'A Tribute to Dixie', followed shortly afterwards.

They haven't looked back since then, their blend of the likes of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington having remained faithful to the traditional roots of New Orleans and led to them being described as "the best classic New Orleans jazz group in Europe, if not the world".