Switzerland is Partner Country at jazzahead! Festival, Bremen – 21 – 24 April 2016
Now in its tenth year, jazzahead!, the yearly showcase festival, exhibition and trade fair, has swiftly become the most important date in the calendar of the European jazz world. And this year, Switzerland is the festival’s partner country.
Pro Helvetia, Fondation Suisa and Schweizer Musik Syndikat have seized this fantastic opportunity to compile an exciting programme of music and other events. Under the banner of “schweizsuissessvizzerasvizra”, it is designed to highlight the diversity of Swiss culture in general and the Swiss jazz scene in particular.
jazzahead! Official Opening Ceremony
Thursday 21 April 2016; Halle 7.1, 17:00 – 18:15
Switzerland plays an important role at the official opening of jazzahead! The musical part will be performed by Erika Stucky Bubbles & Bangs. This will be followed by an official reception in the lounge to which admittance is by invitation only.
Swiss Night
Thursday 21 April 2016, Halle 7.1, Halle 7.2 and Kulturzentrum Schlachthof, 20:00
The acts scheduled to appear are Colin Vallon Trio, Christoph Irniger Pilgrim, Elina Duni Quartet, Julian Sartorius, pommelHORSE, Plaistow, Weird Beard, and Luca Sisera Roofer.
Swiss Night Afterparty
Thursday/Friday 21/22 April 2016; Magazinkeller Kulturzentrum Schlachthof, 00:45
Following the concerts, there will be a Swiss Night aftershow party with music from Kalabrese and Rumpelsoundsystem.
Jazzahead! Gala Concert
Friday 22 April 2016; Die Glocke, 20:00
With Hildegard lernt fliegen and Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, the Jazzahead! Gala Concert serves up two truly unmissable bands who are at the peak of their innovative powers. With their refusal to abide by the rules of any easily identifiable style category, both bands are typical for Switzerland’s vibrant music scene. In a country with four languages it is only natural to pick and mix artistic ingredients.
Six-piece Hildegard lernt fliegen was founded in 2005 by Andreas Schärer, a vocalist with a unique style that ranges from childlike burbling noises and vaudevillian music hall bawdiness to ultra-complex falsetto riffs, free improvisation and operatic gravitas. Around him he has assembled a first-class set of musicians who are all willing and quite able to follow the quirks of his muse with ease: Andreas Tschopp (trombone, tuba), Benedikt Reising (saxophones, bass clarinet), Christoph Steiner (drums, percussion, marimba), Marco Müller (upright bass), and Matthias Wenger (saxophones). Hildegard lernt fliegen have released four albums so far and toured virtually everywhere in Europe.
Over the fifteen years of their existence, honed in nearly 600 public Monday sessions at their own Exil club in Zurich, pianist Nik Bärtsch’s band Ronin have developed a staggering degree of telepathic understanding. Calling their music “Zen-funk”, Bärtsch, Kaspar Rast (drums), Thomy Jordi (bass) and Sha (bass/contrabass clarinet) combine tightly constructed rhythmic and melodic modules to produce a breathtakingly tight sound that combines a minimalist focus on detail with powerful rhythmic drive and an explosive release of emotion. Ronin have released nine albums, the last four of which appeared on ECM Records. In March 2016, Bärtsch released a new album, also on ECM Records, with his second outfit, Mobile.
Switzerland jazzahead! – schweizsuissessvizzerasvizra Website
jazzahead! Website
jazzahead! featured guest country Website
jazzahead! Programme Overview
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin
Hildegard lernt fliegen
Erika Stucky
Colin Vallon Trio
Christoph Irniger Pilgrim
Elina Duni Quartet
Julian Sartorius
pommelHORSE
Plaistow
Weird Beard
Luca Sisera Roofer
Kalabrese and Rumpelsoundsystem
