MARCH PREMIERES – JAZZAHEAD! 2024

Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the acts presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the duo of alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder and guitarist Reinier Baas. These two prominent figures in the Dutch jazz scene have a long-standing musical partnership, having performed together hundreds of times. Ben van Gelder and Reinier Baas are celebrated for their dynamic yet refined stage synergy and innovative performances. Their concerts seamlessly combine complex compositions with spontaneous improvisation, offering a compelling display of contemporary jazz, highlighting the innovative spirit of the Dutch jazz community.

Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the Julia Kadel Trio. German pianist and composer Julia Kadel introduces her new trio, featuring Greek-German bassist Athina Kontou and American drummer Devin Gray. Following the release of their album ‘Powerful Vulnerability’, Kadel describes her music’s central theme as the transformative power of vulnerability, suggesting that it is a source of strength, stability, and deeper connections with oneself and others. With over a decade of leading various projects in European jazz, Kadel is also committed to social advocacy through Future Bloom, a festival network that opposes discrimination. Additionally, Kadel co-founded the Queer Cheer Community, a collective that was honored with the “Sonderpreis der Jury” at the 2023 German Jazz Prize. Queer Cheer, established by Julia Kadel, Erik Leuthäuser, Laura Winkler, and Friede Merz, is one of the first queer communities in the German jazz scene, addressing issues such as diversity, intersectionality, multi-perspectivity, and interdisciplinarity.

Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is Dutch saxophonist-composer Tineke Postma’s Aria Group. Postma stands out as a key figure in the dynamic Dutch jazz scene, renowned for her extensive collaborations with American jazz legends such as pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and bassist esperanza spalding. Wayne Shorter, the late saxophonist, endorsed Postma as his successor for his later symphonic and operatic works, including ‘Opera Iphigenia’, ‘Gaia’, and ‘Orbits’, which she debuted in June 2023. Postma’s album 'ARIA' introduces bold, original compositions with guitarist Ben Monder. Howard Mandel of Downbeat Magazine praised the album for its originality and depth, noting its appeal for repeated listens. The lineup includes Tineke Postma (alto and soprano saxophone), David Doružka (guitar), Robert Landfermann (double bass), and Tristan Renfrow (drums).

Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is trumpeter Christine Kamau’s quartet. Kamau, hailing from Nakuru, Kenya, skillfully blends African rhythms with jazz fusion. She cites Hugh Masekela as her favorite trumpeter, with Roy Hargrove and Miles Davis also serving as significant influences. Using music as a means to promote unity, Kamau has appeared at jazz festivals across Africa, and has been involved in projects with organizations like Pro Helvetia, the British Council, and UNESCO. At jazzahead!, Christine Kamau (trumpet, vocals, synthesizer, keys) appears with Victor Kimetto (keys), Isaac Kimetto (bass), and Richard Wandati (drums).

Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is clarinetist Oran Etkin’s Open Arms Project. Described by jazz legend Yusef Lateef as a “composer of eminent individuality”, Oran Etkin aims to counter global divisiveness with musical projects championing themes of connectivity and collaborative creation, of which ‘Open Arms’ is an example. At jazzahead!, Oran Etkin (clarinet, bass clarinet) appears with Vanessa Ferreira (bass), Vinicius Gomes (guitar), and Sergio Machado (drums).