Bremen’s annual trade fair + conference + showcase festival (all rolled into one) has the vibe of a vast and friendly family gathering. A lot of effort goes in to making that vibe, that buzz, that energy – both from the central team who have run the event ever since 2006, and from those who run the individual stands. I noted that whereas the constant reflecting back of the event through people posting on social media had seemed a bit tentative and tangential in 2024, this year it has really come into its own. It may seem perverse, but the effort expended on that activity, people spending their time feeding the beasts of Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin has an effect: younger people are included, it makes them feel welcome and involved.
In short, jazzahead! has rejuvenated itself.
And there is also music… a lot of it…There was a Grand Opening concert on the Wednesday – photo above- the Friday night CLUBNIGHT.. three days of showcases and other events, and together they add up to no fewer to 130 concerts, which means – inevitably – that any audience member is going to miss more than they hear.
The Bremen event is a showcase for the German scene. It is logical to do that because such a high number of those involved in the scene are there. One positive is that whereas some countries have their showcasing as part of career development – which runs the risk that they shine a light on artists before they are truly ready, my feeling is that the Germans get that right. The “German Jazz Expo” had some great bands.
The trio of French trumpeter Airelle Besson, with Sebastian Sternal on piano and Jonas Burgwinkel might be too ‘jazz’, too ‘musical’ for some people, but I loved it. It will be ten years this July since the sudden, shocking death of English pianist John Taylor, and the fact that the trio opened their set with Sternal’s composition “JT” was a reminder of the depth of his influence. Sternal plays in Taylor’s spirit of always having a new trick up his sleeve. Besson plays as she talks, with complete authenticity and clarity, and Burgwinkel has a propulsive energy and brightness of spirit second to none.
Other German showcases that left a mark were Nils Kugelmann’s trio – he really is a star on the rise, and Eva Klesse’s group with vocalists (that proved so popular I couldn’t actually get in but did catch most of it on a screen!).
The jazzahead! organisers have wanted there to be a British night in the Shakespeare Theatre on the Leibnizplatz, and this year Peter Conway made that happen – see separate review, link below. That night was part of a major presence from the British Isles.
In short, for anyone wants to experience a positive spirit, an antidote to negate the “cruel” and “shallow” (*) aspects of the music industry – yes, they undoubtedly do exist – it is to be found in April in Bremen.
2025 felt like a particularly successful jazzahead!
(*) The full, colourful quote from Matty Healy of The 1975 is HERE
For UK participants ECN Music is running a de-brief zoom session on Thursday 8 May (5pm) to compare notes, answer question, go through what was achieved and exchange ideas for next year. Register HERE
