Programme 31.10.
Jazzfest Berlin launches into its seventh decade with a dynamic opening day programme, taking stock in its rich history while looking unequivocally toward the future, the aesthetic direction that’s guided jazz from its very genesis.
Swedish bassist Vilhelm Bromander kicks off the festivities with his remarkable Unfolding Orchestra, an all-star combo representing Stockholm’s vibrant scene. The music takes inspiration from spiritual jazz tradition, blending the essence of Indian classical music, through the singing of dhrupad master Marianne Svašek, with the paradigmshifting big band innovations of Carla Bley and Charlie Haden. Following their performance, we turn the stage over to the one-and-only George Lewis, the erudite trombonist, composer, educator and historian who penned “A Power Stronger Than Itself”, the authoritative history of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Lewis, a previous performer of Jazzfest Berlin, will provide an invaluable perspective of the festival’s place in the music’s history, and as anyone who’s heard him speak already knows, his analysis is always lively and trenchant, outlining connections and relationships that have been often overlooked. His talk is followed by a rare solo performance by New York pianist Marilyn Crispell, a musician of unparalleled depth who can channel the lyric beauty of Bill Evans, the spirituality of John Coltrane and the fiery intensity of Cecil Taylor. The closing set on the main stage features the legendary saxophonist-trumpeter Joe McPhee – who turns 85 a few days after Jazzfest Berlin concludes – reuniting with the British trio Decoy, a malleable post-bop combo distinguished by the gritty Hammond B3 playing of Alexander Hawkins and the rhythmic propulsion of bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble.
Amsterdam-based drummer Sun-Mi Hong introduces Berliners to her new BIDA Orchestra with a late night set at the Seitenbühne, while the Belgian piano trio De Beren Gieren meld electronic forms, classical minimalism and pop concision within the cozy confines of A-Trane. Finally, New York alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin and her quartet keep the party going deep into the night with a rare club performance at Quasimodo, playing material from her recent album “Phoenix”, where she deftly balances her twinned adoration for vintage post-bop and contemporary R&B.
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