Jazzkantine is a popular German jazz-rap collective founded in 1993 by Christian Eitner, Matthias Lanzer, and Ole Sander in the northern city of Braunschweig. Loosely knit and including a long list of talent that often varies from album to album à la Gang Starr rapper Guru's Jazzmatazz series, the collective debuted with Jazzkantine (1994), followed by Heiß & Fettig (1995), Frisch Gepresst & Live (1996), Geheimrezept (1998), In Formation (2000), Futter für die Seele (2002), Unbegrenzt Haltbar! (2003), Hell's Kitchen (2008), and Jazzkantine Spielt Volkslieder (2012). The group has also released a steady stream of maxi-singles and proved to be a popular concert draw, notably performing 116 shows throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 1996 alone and at the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival in 1998. ~ Jason Birchmeier