It was a very special experience. Pianist Igor Levit went on to describe it as one of the “most artistically fulfilling moments of recent years”. To be wandering through Robert Schumann’s familiar “Waldszenen” (forest scenes)... and then suddenly to veer off onto new and unexpected paths: that was what the audience at the 2023 Lucerne Piano Festival witnessed during the first onstage encounter of pianists Johanna Summer and Igor Levit. ...
Genre: Instrumental
Subgenre: Piano
Trombonist/composer Robinson Khoury is one of the most prominent and visible rising stars on the French jazz and cross-genre scene. A charismatic live performer, his breakthrough came in 2024 with the album MŸA, featuring his trio with percussionist Anissa Nehari and keyboardist Léo Yassef. This group, in which Khoury plays not just trombone but also modular synths – he sings as well – became a tightly-knit and vibrant musical unit; the title of ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Modern Jazz
On their new duo album, Michael Wollny and Emile Parisien invite listeners into a conversation shaped by trust, intuition and complete artistic freedom. Recorded in concert as part of the Bodenseefestival 2025, the album captures two singular musical voices meeting in a space where nothing is controlled, nothing is predetermined, and every gesture becomes a response to the moment. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Unspoken, the ACT debut album from Mahan Mirarab, opens up a whole world of personal, deeply felt stories. The Iranian-born, Vienna-based guitarist draws on his experience of East and West, darkness and beauty, sorrow and joy. His music reveals perspectives which are profoundly human, intimate and sensitive, in album which is emerging at a time full of tensions and contradictions. He performs solo on the double-neck guitar and on some tracks is also joined ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Crossover Jazz
For Swedish pianist Joel Lyssarides, substance and depth always take precedence over flashy concepts, emotion and expression over mere virtuosity. Making music, he says, is like searching for grains of sand in the desert — a continuous journey of many small steps. His music thrives on detail: the finest nuances, subtle shifts in harmony, groove and dynamics. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Modern Jazz
When Joachim Kühn was asked back in 2024 for his feelings about turning 80, his response couldn’t have been clearer: getting older annoys him. Rather than being sentimental about it or celebrating it, it’s something he’d rather resist, preferring to put his efforts into working against the threat of getting bored or distracted, and particularly against any hint that he might be stagnating. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Echomyr, the title of the fifth ‘Liberetto’ album from Swedish bass and cello master and composer Lars Danielsson, signifies music that has come from a particularly deep place in the soul. “The album title is a newly invented word,” he says. “The ‘echo’ part describes an expansive field where sound resonates; and ‘myr’ is an old Norse word for ‘moor’”. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
“From the very start of SHALOSH, we have always said that we would never commit to any one genre but keep our music as open as possible,” drummer Matan Assayag says. “It’s the best way to bring ourselves fully to each song and the only way to stay truly authentic.” In more than a decade since its founding, the trio has made its signature this freewheeling, ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Since the release of his ACT debut Letter to the Universe (2023) and its follow-up Highlife (2024), Ghanaian-born trumpeter Peter Somuah, now based in Rotterdam, has established himself as a bridge-builder between cultures and continents. “An excellent musician and jazz at its most international,” notes the BBC. For the globetrotting Peter Somuah, musical influences ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
With their ACT debut Circadia, Mammal Hands are opening a new chapter: they are deepening their rhythms, expanding their sound spectrum, and confirming their position as one of the most innovative British instrumental bands. New drummer Rob Turner brings new energy, electronic textures, and fresh grooves. The album, which deals with transformation, cycles, and ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
On Time to Live, virtuoso saxophonist and composer Marius Neset once again proves why he stands among the most compelling voices in contemporary jazz. His energy, breathtaking technique and fearless musical imagination have long drawn world class musicians from across genres to collaborate with him. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Big Band
Nils Landgren’s 70th birthday is approaching – it will be on 15 February 2026 – and that provides a moment to reflect not only on the scale of his achievement, but also the astonishingly wide range of roles which his life in music has involved. He is one of the most successful European jazz musicians of the past few decades. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Since their founding in 2012, the vision string quartet has stood out for its genre-defying approach and fearless flexibility — performing classical repertoire from memory, composing its own works, and blurring boundaries between classical, rock, jazz, and minimalism. ...
Composer: Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), Florian Willeitner, Bella Bartók (1881-1945), Joel Lyssarides
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Chamber Music
Vocalist Viktoria Tolstoy and pianist/keyboard player Jacob Karlzon have worked together as close musical companions and friends for nearly three decades. So, when they choose to call their album Who We Are, it is far more than just an album title: they are making a statement. What they are offering is a kind of musical self-portrait. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Vocal
Shiraz, the Act debut by Dhafer Youssef, is the most personal album in the career of the world- renowned oud player and singer. In vibrant songs, it tells the story of the most important encounter of his life: meeting his wife, Shiraz Fradi. ...
Genre: World Music
Subgenre: Worldbeat
In the world of jazz, mastering the standards is an essential part of every jazz student's education. I experienced this myself back in the 90s while studying at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Now, thirty years later, I have decided to bring this timeless repertoire finally to the stage. My inner voice whispered to me, "Iiro, now is the ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Now it's time to build on this brilliant start and explore new possibilities for artistic development. Emma Rawicz quickly landed on the scene, studied at the Royal Academy and tried to take in as much input as possible that could point her in new directions. This includes the sextet with which she has now recorded ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Modern Jazz
The album PLAY brings together for the first time two of the most important American musicians of the current generation, forging new paths in jazz and far beyond: trumpeter Theo Croker and pianist Sullivan Fortner. The two have known each other for more than 20 years, but PLAY is their first recording together as leaders. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Someone once asked me: is there not an end to Christmas songs? The answer is simple: no, there is not. As long as we celebrate Christmas, there will be songs celebrating the occasion in one way or the other. There is no way I can describe the feeling when another recording session is finished. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Vocal
It's Still Snowing on My Piano (Live)
Bugge Wesseltoft's album "It's Snowing On My Piano" is a beautifully crafted Christmas jazz album, awarded Gold and Platinum with a timeless, serene sound. "It's Still Snowing On My Piano Live" brings a handful of recordings from Wesseltoft's Christmas concerts in Norway into your living room. The live recordings from December 2024 were taken from Nøtterøy Kulturhus, ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
