Steffi Werthmüller is one of the three founding fathers of the Baloise Session. In the beginning, it was jazz, blues and gospel greats that Steffi and his colleagues Matthias Müller († 2016) and Rico Bonometti brought to Basel. They then managed to attract legends such as Miles Davis and Oscar Peterson to their concert series, breathing new musical life into the city. In the Backline Blog, Steffi Werthmüller looks back on the wild pioneering years and talks about a time full of visions and doubts, but also unique friendships and teamwork that have always characterised the festival. «We had no idea that it would still be around 40 years later – impossible!» says Steffi. «And the club table atmosphere was Matthias' vision – I was rather sceptical. He was right.»
What drove the pioneers to create a world-renowned festival out of pure passion for music? How does this pioneering spirit live on today? How do CEO Beatrice Stirnimann and the current team manage to preserve the magic that made the origins of the Baloise Session so special? These questions are answered in this issue about the beginnings of the Baloise Session by Steffi Werthmüller. An inspiring and moving retrospective that captures the pulse of Basel's live concert history and explains why the Baloise Session continues to fascinate musicians and fans worldwide to this day.