A concert hall with paddle steamers and saloon ships instead of rows of seats: the Riverboat-Shuffle spreads the jazz across an entire flotilla parade. Dressed in festive flags, the ships of Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt set off together from the Terrassenufer. In front of Dresden’s Old Town, a journey begins in which music, historic ships and the landscape of the Elbe Valley belong together. 19 bands from Germany, Czech Republic, France and the Netherlands are on board, spread across the ships. Traditional jazz is presented here in a wide range of line-ups and styles, from brass band to classic Dixieland formation. So the music is not just along for the ride. It is the reason for this parade on the water.

The fleet brings its own history. Since 1836, Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt has been operating on the Elbe. Its nine paddle steamers date from 1879 to 1929 and are protected as historic monuments. Upstream, the journey heads towards Pillnitz, past the Elbschlösser and the Blaues Wunder. So the moving concert backdrop is not just the ship itself, but also the riverbank drifting past.

Jazz on a river steamer has musical predecessors of its own. Around 1920, Fate Marable’s band played on the excursion steamers of the Mississippi, with a young Louis Armstrong among its members. And the name of this evening is no coincidence either: "Riverboat Shuffle" is a tune by Hoagy Carmichael, which Bix Beiderbecke recorded with the Wolverines in 1924. The Dresden voyage takes up this connection between river, ship and music in its own way.

The Riverboat-Shuffle has been part of the festival since 1995, the year of its 25th anniversary. After the return to the Terrassenufer, the large fireworks display by main sponsor Feldschlößchen brings the event to a close. Warm, windproof clothing is recommended for the open decks: the jazz may be lively, but that does not make the Elbe air warm.