Uschi Brüning

Since the 1970s, Uschi Brüning, born in Leipzig on March 4, 1947, has been considered the leading jazz singer in eastern Germany. With the song “Dein Name,” she successfully gained a foothold in the pop song business in 1972. To this day, her sphere of activity ranges from literary chansons to blues, gospel, swing standards and improvisation in modern jazz.

Uschi Brüning’s way of singing and her voice turn simple compositions into great songs. Songs with durability and the claim to be heard again and again.

Now Uschi Brüning has written her autobiography.  At the urgent suggestion of Manfred Krug and with the support of Krista Maria Schädlich, she has put her life story between two book covers, facing the past and the stories of her life.

Ulrich Plenzdorf created a literary monument to the young Uschi Brüning as early as 1973. In “Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.” (The New Sorrows of Young W.), a cult book not only for GDR youth, Plenzdorf has the novel’s hero Edgar Wibeau rave: “When the woman started, I always broke. I don’t think she’s any worse than Ella Fitzgerald or one. She could have had anything from me, standing there in front with her big glasses and slowly singing her way into the troupe …”

Uschi Brüning sang soul with Klaus Lenz, chansons with Günther Fischer, she met Manfred Krug, whom she now calls her “idol” and with whom she had a long artistic friendship. In 2014, Manfred Krug and Uschi Brüning recorded the album “Auserwählt”. In addition to the immense chart success that the album had, it was also awarded the “Jazz Award”. A joint tour followed, until a last joint concert in Storkow in 2016.

Uschi Brüning’s artistic career was influenced not least by her husband, the saxophonist Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky. Uschi and Luten met back in 1971 when she was singing with Klaus Lenz. For more than four decades, the two have been a couple both privately and artistically and, until recently, were often on stage together. With Luten, she devoted herself intensively to improvised music, free jazz.

Many new projects have currently been added. The jazz icon sings with changing partners and increasingly inspires a younger audience.

With pianist and arranger Stephan König, she performs “Herzenslieder,” songs that have stayed with them for years. With Susanne Betancor, she brings jazz standards by Monk, Miles Davis, Annie Ross and others to the stage in a new way. And of course she is also part of the tribute tour “Manfred Krug – his songs” together with Krug’s daughter Fanny, his old band and other artists and companions. Currently, readings are taking place with Uschi Brüning, in which she reads from her book “So wie ich” – and also sings. She is accompanied musically by the young musician and composer Lukas Natschinski.