DECEMBER 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 ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the trio of German pianist and composer Alexandra Ivanova. She brings a unique multicultural perspective to her music, influenced by her diverse linguistic abilities and the variety of places she has lived. Born in Austria to Bulgarian parents, Ivanova skillfully melds jazz with Maqam traditions and Afro-Cuban rhythms in her compositions, challenging the Eurocentric focus of traditional music. She believes that her varied cultural identities converge in her music, creating a transient yet profound experience. Her debut album, ‘Beauty in Chaos’ (Double Moon), which was recognized among 2023’s Top 10 albums by German magazine Jazz thing, is noted for its “enigmatic aura”, says AllAboutJazz. At jazzahead! 2024, pianist Alexandra Ivanova appears with Niklas Lukassen (double bass) and Nathan Ott (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 artists presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is Berlin-based vocalist Ganna Gryniva. She has explored Ukrainian folk traditions, particularly from the Carpathian mountains, integrating these elements into her jazz compositions. The arrangements on her 2022 album ‘HOME’ blend traditional Ukrainian melodies with jazz. Austrian Radio praises Gryniva as “one of the most impressive singers and musicians on the European jazz and world music scene.” At jazzahead! 2024, Ganna Gryniva (vocals) appears with Uli Kempendorff (tenor saxophone), Povel Widestrand (piano), Tom Berkmann (double bass), and Matthias Ruppnig (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 bands presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the German foursome ‘Masaa’, which translates to “evening” in Arabic. Masaa comprises four musicians who share a deep connection with this time of day: for them, evenings are for reflection and exchange. This concept permeates their music, embodying their belief in music’s transformative power. At the emotional core of Masaa is Lebanese poet and composer Rabih Lahoud (vocals), with Demian Kappenstein (drums), Marcus Rust (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Reentko Dirks (guitar, doubleneck guitar).

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 bands presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the German sextet Meteors. Prominent Cologne-based bassist and composer Sebastian Gramss established the large ensemble States of Play in 2017, which earned a German Jazz Award. The ensemble’s inventive offshoot, the sextet Meteors, has been performing internationally since 2022. Gramss describes their acclaimed 2023 album ‘Message to Outer Space’ as “a playfully balanced sonic report from Earth – diverse in sound, music and with a whimsically disturbing poetic message…” Meteors includes Shannon Barnett (trombone), Jonas Engel (saxophone), Philip Zoubek (piano, synthesizers), Christian Lorenzen (electric piano, synthesizers), Sebastian Gramss (double bass, composer), Dominik Mahnig (drums), and Stephan Vester (sound, effects).

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 saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Phillip Dornbusch’s quintet Projektor. Berlin-based Dornbusch, who hails from Lower Saxony, is celebrated as “one of the brightest minds of the young German jazz generation” by BR Kultur. Dornbusch fosters a musical environment filled with interaction, surprise, and trust. The project Projektor not only explores musical boundaries but also addresses socio-political themes, drawing inspiration from Tupoka Ogette's book ‘exit RACISM’ for their album ‘Re|construct.’ Projektor’s lineup includes Phillip Dornbusch (saxophone, clarinet), Kirke Karja (piano), Johannes Mann (guitar), Roger Kintopf (bass), and Philip Adrian Dornbusch (drums).