What began in 2005 as an experiment – just three concerts in Sweden bringing together a triumvirate of leading figures from European jazz – has developed in the past 20 years into one of the most distinctive line-ups now defining the ‘Sound of Europe’. Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano and Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren tell ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Crossover Jazz
The duo setting can be like a breath of fresh air, particularly for musicians who normally deal with the complexity and intricacy of much larger ventures. Saxophonist Emma Rawicz, whose star has been rising all over Europe since she joined the ACT label last year, runs and directs her own big band. Pianist Gwilym Simcock, whose ACT album “Good Days At ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XV
For over a decade, ACT Music has been celebrating extraordinary moments of live jazz in one of the world's most famous concert halls with its Jazz at the Berlin Philharmonie series. Curated by ACT founder Siggi Loch, the renowned series brings together the best musicians for unique, often unexpected collaborations - and has delivered countless ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
One of the most acclaimed piano trios in contemporary jazz and beyond. And an album that makes a statement: complex, demanding and full of surprises. ‘The Michael Wollny Trio is a reminder that this is the 21st century – and not the 1960s,’ wrote the UK’s Jazzwise magazine as a reflection on the evolution of the jazz piano trio. And yet, in many respects, ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
A band like a five-piece orchestra. Breathtakingly multi-layered music, full of virtuosity and inexhaustible imagination. Cabaret: a song and dance or two, some jokes, hummable tunes, and perhaps some sparkles - right? OK, but know that this cabaret is informed by a breathtakingly wide-ranging musical imagination. Now you have a better idea ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Vocal virtuoso Andreas Schaerer and his pan-European quartet create a musical utopia of a world without borders. Swiss vocal phenomenon Andreas Schaerer has been described as 'the Germanic Bobby McFerrin with the flow of a Shakespearean actor’ (L’Alsace). His ‘charismatic and powerful stage presence’ (FAZ) mark ...
Composer: Andreas Schaerer (1976)
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Vocal
Some Other Time: 60 Years of Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans
For Anna Greta, Waltz for Debby has always been more than just an album — it’s a masterpiece that never fades. The iconic collaboration between Bill Evans and Monica Zetterlund seamlessly blends American jazz with Nordic folk traditions, creating a timeless connection that has deeply influenced her own musical journey. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Vocal
In their latest album, Safe Place, German jazz duo Roman and Julian Wasserfuhr craft an intimate refuge through music. This is not about a physical destination—it’s a state of mind, a sanctuary for reflection and focus amidst the noise of modern life. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Crossover Jazz
The duo of pianist Johanna Summer and saxophonist Jakob Manz represents a rare stroke of luck for contemporary German jazz. Both are standout figures of their generation, blending supreme virtuosity with fearless creativity and unmistakable individuality. Rooted in jazz yet effortlessly blending influences from classical, pop, and beyond, they ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Instrumental
In Portraits, Polish violinist and composer Adam Bałdych crafts an extraordinary musical journey, blending lamentation, jubilation, and prayer to reflect on the fragility of life and a call for peace. Inspired by historical accounts and today’s conflicts, Bałdych’s virtuosic violin—both standard and Renaissance—leads his ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Whether it’s jazz, classical music, rock, Thelonious Monk or Nine Inch Nails: Vincent Peirani blends it all together. The French accordionist likes to venture into unexplored territories with Jokers. Like the joker, who can turn up in different roles and guises, each of these three virtuosos can become a soloist, a rhythmist, a colorist, and so on. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
This is the second edition of the collaboration between ACT and Château Palmer—one of the most legendary Grands Crus from Bordeaux’s Left Bank. This time, Château Palmer itself became the exclusive recording venue for an equally exceptional ensemble. TRIO features internationally acclaimed bassist, cellist, and composer Lars ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Kan Ya Makan (Once Upon a Time)
Franco-Algerian singer, cellist and songwriter Nesrine is a storyteller, a "Scheherazade", for our times. And her album "Kan Ya Makan" – the Arabic for "once upon a time" – has something of the aura of a modern "Tales from the Arabian Nights". The Times newspaper (UK) has called Nesrine "an incandescent, multilingual talent", ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Crossover Jazz
Al Jarreau always said he sang Al Jarreau music, and he truly was one of a kind: his six Grammy awards and nineteen nominations as ‘Best Vocalist’ cover no fewer than three categories – jazz, pop and R&B – in other words, musical genres didn’t really concern him. “Music may well fall into categories for other people, and I understand that,” he ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Vocal
Bill Laurance and Michael League, longtime friends and collaborators, have released their second duo album “Keeping Company,” which contrasts with the larger scale of Snarky Puppy. The album showcases an intimate musical partnership, with Laurance focusing on acoustic piano and League on fretless bass and ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
"Highlife" takes listeners on a vibrant journey through the rich musical heritage of Peter Somuah’s Ghanaian roots and the innovative world of jazz. Drawing from his early years playing highlife music in Accra, and blending it with influences from legends like Miles Davis, Somuah creates a unique sound that bridges generations. The album showcases a rich tapestry ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Exactly when and how the long neck lute ‘bouzouki’ first landed in Greece remains a mystery. Its roots go back to the fourth century before Christ. Named after the “Βυζί“, the Greek word for female breast, the current form of the instrument is relatively young and has been all over Athens and the Peloponnese since around 1920. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Each new band in Joachim Kühn's creative career has marked a new departure for him, a broadening of his horizons. Now, in double bassist Thibault Cellier and drummer Sylvain Darrifourcq, the pianist has found two musicians with whom he can achieve the things that are important to him at this stage of his life, around his 80th birthday: to take a path which allows him even more freedom. ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
Magic Moments 17 "In The Spirit Of Jazz"
The annual albums in the ‘Magic Moments’ series, curated by ACT founder Siggi Loch, are among the most popular compilations in European jazz. The 17th edition, which will be released in 2024, is a particularly impressive demonstration of the unifying power of the idea of jazz: 18 pieces by four generations of musicians with strong influences from classical, pop and the music ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Compilations
Something very special indeed is happening in the Spanish jazz scene. For a long time, its lively centres of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville tended to stay somewhat detached from the international jazz world. But in recent years a whole generation of Spanish jazz musicians has been rising to international renown: it is more than a ...
Genre: Jazz
Subgenre: Contemporary Jazz
