UK Jazz News

Programme for Jazzfest Berlin 2021 Announced

Visuals for JFB 2021 courtesy of Berliner Festspiele

*The programme for the 58th Jazzfest Berlin is announced today.

*This year’s festival from 4 to 7 November is the fourth under the artistic direction of Nadin Deventer and has the strapline “Scenes of Now” .

*There are tie-ups with Johannesburg, São Paulo and Cairo, two “Live in Berlin” strands: “Berlin-New York” and “Europa”, and a Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition involving German artists. As the press release states: “The result is a hybrid programme of live concerts, live streams, multi-channel video contributions and discourse formats.

*UK pianist Pat Thomas is a featured artist

­ ­ ­Here is the full text of today’s Press Release
­ ­ ­ ­ 4 to 7 November 2021 ­ Jazzfest Berlin 2021:

Scenes of Now ­ Cairo, São Paulo and Johannesburg: After a digital New York-Berlin edition in the first year of the pandemic, Jazzfest Berlin 2021, in its fourth year under the artistic direction of Nadin Deventer, traces the paths of improvised music to three more cultural hubs – with live concerts in Johannesburg and Berlin, newly created video contributions and an additional programme to each focus, available online from mid-October as a digital guide. 
As part of the live programme in Berlin, further 22 acts by musicians from Europe and of the New York and Berlin avant-garde can be experienced at silent green, the Pierre Boulez Saal and the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church. In the continuation of the Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition, four concert videos will be produced at ARD public broadcasting studios and one live event in Berlin. Almost all 40 festival productions of the 58th edition of Jazzfest Berlin will be recorded by ARD and Deutschlandradio and partly broadcast live. On ARTE Concert and Berliner Festspiele on Demand the festival will again be available free of charge in a live stream and then later in full on demand.



Together with with the co-curators – Maurice Louca for Cairo, Juliano Gentile and Manoela Wright for São Paulo, and Jess White for Johannesburg – the Jazzfest Berlin team has developed a diverse programme of pre-produced and live concert formats that showcase the musicality, innovative power and affinity with interdisciplinary experimentation of the respective creative music scenes as well as the specific places they occupy in between a global jazz canon and their own region’s rich musical heritage. In addition to live concerts by Maurice Louca, Mariá Portugal and Nduduzo Makhathini, who are in Berlin for the festival period as formative figures of these scenes, most of the musical programme for these city partnerships can be experienced in the form of video works and live streams due to the state of the pandemic varying from country to country.

For the fulcrum of a hybrid, decentralised festival concept a multiscreen environment was created in the Betonhalle at silent green, four screens that can be used independently, surrounding the auditorium. That will function as a creative playing field for audio-visual commissions from São Paulo – including contributions by Negro Leo and Quartabê – and as digital windows onto the live events at Sognage in Johannesburg, where South African musicians, such as Sibusile Xaba and Siya Makuzeni will play in front of a live audience on Friday and Saturday night. Alternating with the performances of Koma Saxo, Japanic or Ahmed, among others, on the stage of the silent green Betonhalle. The concerts will each be broadcast live and via multi-channel to the other venue. Contributions from Cairo include the premiere of a film project by multi-instrumentalist Nancy Mounir and a video work by Philip Rizk in co-operation with musicians from the Cairo experimental scene, including Nadah El Shazly.
 
The imposing interior of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church will be brought to life with music with Nate Wooley’s “Seven Storey Mountain VI”, Maria Faust & Sacrum Facere’s “Organ” and an organ solo from Ståle Storløkken. In a first ever co-operation with the Pierre Boulez Saal, the focus on the opening night will be on the piano: American pianist Vijay Iyer will perform in a triple bill that also features Kaja Draksler from Slovenia and the Swedish Bobo Stenson. Other pianists will perform in the following days of the festival: Pat Thomas from London, the South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, the New York-based Swiss Sylvie Courvoisier, the winner of the Jazzpreis Berlin 2021 Hannes Zerbe and the pianist Aki Takase, who is highly esteemed not only in Berlin and who will be awarded this year’s Albert-Mangelsdorff Prize for her life’s work during the festival.
 
The Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition continues a pattern of co-operation established last year dedicated to the impressive variety of jazz in Germany. In collaboration with ARD public radio and its radio concert halls, this year the festival presents five exciting projects from Berlin, Bremen, Freiburg, Cologne and Munich. 

All information about the program and the artists of the festival is now available on the website of Jazzfest Berlin

­ ­ ­ ­  Jazzfest Berlin – Johannesburg ­ South African contributions are an integral part of the global jazz canon. Recently, a young generation of musicians has again been causing an international stir. Johannesburg is the creative centre. There at Sognage and in Berlin at the Betonhalle of silent green, six acts will perform on Friday and Saturday, alternately on site for the respective live audience and streamed live for the other venue.  ­ Information ­ ­ ­ Focus ­ Jazzfest Berlin – Cairo ­ In numerous conversations about and with representatives of the local experimental scene, it has been confirmed time and again: self-determined musical practice always harbours a subversive moment. In addition to a live concert by Maurice Louca with his project “Elephantine” two artistic video works and the additional programme (Digital Guide) deal with the postcolonial (music) history of Egypt.  ­ Information ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Focus ­ Jazzfest Berlin –  São Paulo ­ Disdaining neither pop and folkloristic traditions nor free improvisation and the avant-garde, the barely categorizable sound of São Paulo’s contemporary creative scene often ventures into experimental, virtuoso and intractable areas,  sometimes political, sometimes humorous. Four representatives of the local scene will create ten-minute audio-visual pieces for a special video presentation in the Betonhalle at silent green.  ­ Information ­ ­ ­ Focus ­ Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition ­ With the Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition, the festival is deepening its decades-long partnership with the public broadcasting stations and highlighting its importance for the dissemination and promotion of German jazz. In addition to a live concert at the rbb Sendesaal, four pre-produced video concerts from Bremen, Cologne, Freiburg and Munich will be available live in the festival stream and after on Be rliner Festspiele On Demand.  ­ Information ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 06.10. Tickets

­ Festival LINE UP sorted by cities

Johannesburg


Madosini / Cara Stacey / Lungiswa Plaatjies 
Livestream from Johannesburg / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Jess White 
Madosini, Cara Stacey, Lungiswa Plaatjies

Herbie Tsoaeli, „Afrikan Time – Our Sound / Hours Sound“
Live stream from Johannesburg
Herbie Tsoaeli, Ayanda Sikade, Yonela Mnana, Sakhile Simane, Sisonke Xhonti, Busi Sibeko, Bongani Nikelo, Sakhile Moleshe

Side Bar
Live stream from Johannesburg
Tumi Mogorosi, Ariel Zamonsky, Gontse Makhene, Mthunzi Mvubu, Siyabonga Mthembu 

Shane Cooper and the Dinaledi Chamber Ensemble 
Live stream from Johannesburg / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Jess White 
Bokani Dyer, Cara Stacey, Linda Sikhakhane, Reza Khota, Lulu Mlangeni

Sibusile Xaba introduces IzangoMa
Live stream from Johannesburg
Premiere
Sibusile Xaba, Khanyisile Mtshobile, Neo Leoka, Fakazile Nkosi, Sakhile Twala,Thabelo Khamisi, Ashley Kgabo, Malusi Masia, Jack Mcwabe, Mthokozisi Mazibuko, Yao Gatorwobuna Agbodohu, Soares Bruno, Marino Saide, Virgilio Abdala

Siya Makuzeni / IppYFuzE 
Live stream from Johannesburg 
Sphelelo Mazibuko, Dalisu Ndlazi, Sanele Phakhathi, Sisonke Xonti, Thabo Sikhakhane, Al Dirt Du Toit 

Nduduzo Makhathini (Johannesburg / Capetown)
Live in Berlin
Nduduzo Makhathini

Cairo

Maurice Louca’s Elephantine (Cairo)
Live in Berlin
Maurice Louca, Tommaso Cappellato, Özün Usta, Pasquale Mirra, Piero Bittolo Bon, Daniel Gahrton, Rasmus Kjærgård Lund, Isak Hedtjärn, Rosa Brunello

Nancy Mounir
Nozhet El Nofous (Those who were not invited)
Video contribution from Cairo / Berlin
Nancy Mounir, Ahmed El Saaty, Laila Soliman, Youssra El Hawary, Hakim Abdel Naïm, Yasser Abdullah

Terrible Sounds – A Triptych 
Video contribution from Cairo / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin 
Philip Rizk, Nadah El Shazly, Hartmut Geerken, Maurice Louca, Ayman Asfour, Sharif Sehnaoui


São Paulo

Negro Leo: “Schwarzfahren“
Video contribution from São Paulo / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Manoela Wright & Juliano Gentile
Negro Leo, Ava Rocha, Sergio Machado, Pedro Dantas, Lucas Pires, Renato Godoy, Angela Novaes, Mariana Mansur, QTV

São Paulo Underground: “Ping Pong”
Video contribution from São Paulo / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Manoela Wright & Juliano Gentile
Rob Mazurek, Guilherme Granado, Mauricio Takara

Quartabê: “XXXX”
Video contribution from São Paulo / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Manoela Wright & Juliano Gentile
Mariá Portugal, Joana Queiroz, Maria Beraldo, Chicão, Ricardo Mosca, Carlos Freitas, Thais Triveni, Sóstenes Matusalém, Amabile Barel, Ellen Trenn, Bernhard Rupprecht, Manoela Wright

Mariá Portugal: “Erosão Viva”
Premiere / Live in Berlin
Mariá Portugal, Angelika Niescier, Heidi Bayer, Moritz Wesp, Carl Ludwig Hübsch, Filipe Nader, Reza Askari, Korhan Erel

Metá Metá: „Ogbe Oyeku Iwori Odi“
Video contribution from São Paulo / Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin in cooperation with Manoela Wright & Juliano Gentile
Juçara Marçal, Thiago França, Kiko Dinucci, Luan Cardoso, Beatriz Dantas, Luan Cardoso, Caê Rolfsen




Berlin – New York
Live in Berlin

The Killing Popes: “Ego Kills” (Berlin) 
Jelena Kuljić, Natalie Sandtorv, Oliver Steidle, Dan Nicholls, Frank Möbus, Philipp Gropper, Phil Donkin

Aki Takase’s Japanic (Berlin)
Aki Takase, Daniel Erdmann, DJ Illvibe (Vincent von Schlippenbach), Johannes Fink, Dag Magnus Narvesen

Trickster Orchestra: “MIMESIS – Nothing is alien between us…” (Berlin) 
Premiere
Cymin Samawatie, Mona Matbou Riahi, Naoko Kikuchi, Taiko Saito, Anil Eraslan, Milian Vogel, Ralf Schwarz, Ketan Bhatti, Roman Hagenbrock

Koma Saxo (Berlin)
Petter Eldh, Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen, Christian Lillinger

Cansu Tanrıkulu feat. Greg Cohen & Tobias Delius: “Kantoj de Fermiteco” (Berlin) Special guest: Marc Ribot (New York)
Premiere
Ayşe Cansu Tanrıkulu, Greg Cohen, Tobias Delius, Marc Ribot

Susan Alcorn Quintet: “Pedernal” (New York)
Susan Alcorn, Eddy Kwon, Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Ryan Sawyer

Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl: “Artlessly Falling” (New York)
Mary Halvorson, Amirtha Kidambi, Adam O’Farrill, Brian Settles, Michael Formanek,
Tomas Fujiwara

The Vijay Iyer Trio feat. Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey (New York)
In cooperation with Pierre Boulez Saal
Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey

Nate Wooley: “Seven Storey Mountai n VI” (New York)
Nate Wooley, Samara Lubelski, C. Spencer Yeh, Ryan Sawyer, Teun Verbruggen, Steve Heather, Susan Alcorn, Julien Desprez, Ava Mendoza, Bram de Looze, Håvard Wiik, Megan Schubert, Ayşe Cansu Tanrıkulu, Laura Winkler, Dora Osterloh, Friederike Merz, Christie Finn

Nate Wooley: “Columbia Icefield” (New York)
Nate Woole, Ava Mendoza, Susan Alcorn, Ryan Sawyer

Sylvie Courvoisier Trio (New York)
Sylvie Courvoisier, Drew Gress, Kenny Wollesen

Dave Douglas: “Secular Psalms” (New York / Ghent/ Amsterdam)
Commissioned by Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin, November Music, Kaap and Concertgebouw Brugge, und Handelsbeurs 
Dave Douglas, Tomeka Reid, Marta Warelis, Berlinde Deman, Frederik Leroux, Antoine Pierre

Europa
Live in Berlin

أحمد [Ahmed]: “Nights on Saturn” (London / Berlin)
Pat Thomas, Antonin Gerbal, Joel Grip, Seymour Wright

Pat Thomas & Han Bennink (London / Amsterdam)
Im Auftrag von Berliner Festspiele / Jazzfest Berlin
Pat Thomas, Han Bennink

ICP Orchestra: “Komen & Gaan” (Amsterdam)
Mary Oliver, Michael Moore, Tobias Delius, Joris Roelofs, Thomas Heberer, Wolter Wierbos, Terrie Ex, Guus Janssen, Ernst Glerum, Han Bennink

Maria Faust’s Sacrum Facere: “Organ” (Copenhagen)
Maria Faust, Emanuele Maniscalco, Ned Ferm, Francesco Bigoni, Tobias Wiklund, Mads Hyhne, Jonatan Ahlborn

Kaja Draksler & Susana Santos Silva (Copenhagen / Stockholm)
In cooperation with Pierre Boulez Saal
Kaja Draksler, Susana Santos Silva

Bobo Stenson Trio (Stockholm)
In cooperation with Pierre Boulez Saal
Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin, Jon Fält

Ståle Storløkken: “Ghost Caravan” (Oslo)
Ståle Storløkken

Melting Pot
In cooperation with Jazztopad (Breslau) / Handelbeurs (Gent) / Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria (Oslo) / International Jazzfestival Saalfelden 
Barbara Maria Neu,  Paulina Owczarek, Liv Andrea Hauge, Elias Devoldere, Nick Dunston

Jazzfest Berlin Radio Edition 

TMT xplosif (München)
Bayerischen Rundfunk (BR)
Monika Roscher, Tom Jahn, Tilman Herpichböhm

Rainer Böhm Sextett (Freiburg)
Südwestrundfunk (SWR)
Rainer Böhm, Percy Pursglove, Wanja Slavin, Domenic Landolf,  Arne Huber, Jonas Burgwinkel

DanCity (Bremen)
Radio Bremen
Julian Fischer, Tal Arditi, Nathan Ott

Hannes Zerbe Jazz Orchestra (Berlin)
Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg (rbb)
Jürgen Kupke, Silke Eberhard, Nico Lohmann, Dirk Engelhardt, Gebhard Ullmann, Alexander Beierbach, Damir Bacikin, Nikolaus Neuser, Christian Magnusson, Jörg Huke, Florian Juncker, Morris Kliphuis, Matthew Bookert, Jörg Schippa, Horst Nonnenmacher, Christian Marien, Taiko Saito, Heide Bartolomäus, Hannes Zerbe
 
Luise Volkmann & Elisabeth Coudoux (Köln)
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Luise Volkmann, Elisabeth Coudoux

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