Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVIII: Jazz Goes Baroque

Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic ICD / digitaliiro rantala, michael wollny & leszek możdżer / piano & Fender Rhodes (on 06 & 08)The return of a legend:In 1944, the notorious American jazz impresario Norman Grantz (1918 – 2001) had a vision: He wanted to anchor the uniqueness and virtuosity of improvised music deep in society, enable the musicians to garner the rank and recognition that they deserved, and create something entirely new by spontaneously combining different styles and approaches in unexpected ensembles. There could only be one place to make this plan a reality – a classical concert hall: "Jazz at the Philharmonic" was born. Grantz' concerts, which later also went on tour, enjoyed fantastic success for 20 years. He presented the most famous jazz musicians of the era, including the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Lester Young. Jazz got sophisticated. Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic: The new concert series in the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic picks up on Norman Grantz' ground-breaking idea. The Berlin Philharmonic Foundation was of the opinion that jazz deserved more attention, and when ACT-owner Siggi Loch remembered the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concert series, he proposed such a concept for Berlin. It became immediately apparent on 11 December 2012, at the opening night of "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic", that jazz is a welcome guest. For the first time in its 25-year history, the Kammermusiksaal was completely sold out for a jazz concert, with an audience of 1200. 3 pianists - Iiro Rantala, Leszek Możdżer and Michael Wollny proved – as soloists, in duos and as a trio – that jazz can break down the rigid old borders between "serious" and "entertaining" music. They showed an audience of largely classical fans that, in no uncertain terms, classical and jazz are anything but opposites. The Tagesspiegel newspaper wrote that it was an event "with rarity value for Berlin" and the public broadcaster ZDF said: "That was fantastic, if not to say world class". The live recording "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic I" provides the proof of what can happen when musicians that have never played together before join forces in unusual situations. Rantala, Wollny and Możdżer succeed in creating a defining moment in music, in which "jazz and classical meet as equals" (Tagesspiegel), little wonder really, with all three of them being such crossover fans. Michael Wollny, the still only 34 year-old flagship of young German jazz, gets his inspiration just as much from Schubert or Mahler as from Björk or Kraftwerk, which culminates into powerful masterpieces like "Hexentanz", Wollny's solo title on the album of the same name, a chromatically undulating, harmonically sparkling and rhythmically rousing cornucopia of his unrivalled personal expressiveness. The Pole Leszek Możdżer enjoyed a classical music education. An exchange between the main musical directions is entirely natural for him, as his impressionist solo "Incognitor" shows. The Finn Iiro Rantala is a kindred spirit in this respect, as can be heard in the duet "Suffering". Iiro Rantala, the recent Echo Jazz award winner in the field of international piano stands at the peak of the innovative eclectics aligning themselves with the old jazz tradition to study and revere great inventors of piano music and use them for their own ideas. It only makes sense then that the recording begins with him. Rantala's version of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Aria and the Goldberg Variations, the starting and endpoint of all swinging and improvised music, here transported with exemplary care into the present. Nor is it any more a coincidence that he and Wollny follow it up with "Tears For Esbjörn", the poignant homage to one of the most influential jazz pianists of the last 20 years: Esbjörn Svensson, who died in 2008. Indeed, it is the overwhelming duets that make it clear that all three musicians have the same quality playing together as they do as soloists. After all, they all started their careers in bands: Wollny with his trio [em], Rantala with the trio Töykeät and Możdżer in various groups, for example with Lars Danielsson. Then, when they all join together for Chick Corea's "Armando's Rumba" at the end of "Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic", it is the expected highlight that casts a spell on the listener. And all the while, even beneath this raging, masterly Latin party, there is a classical foundation to be heard. At the latest after the "powerful start" (Tagesspiegel) of the first "Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic" edition there was no doubt that more had to follow. On 25 March, the pianists Joachim Kühn and Yaron Herman meet with Michel Portal on the bass clarinet and violinist Adam Baldych to go on an adventure of free improvisation; a musical dialogue without a net. Norman Grantz would have loved it. Credits: Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonic (Kammermusiksaal), December 11, 2012 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Walter Quintus Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker in cooperation with ACT Produced by Siggi Loch ACT would like to thank: Sir Simon Rattle, Martin Hoffmann and Alfred Brendel.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic II: Norwegian WoodsCD / digital Solveig Slettahjell vocals Bugge Wesseltoft piano & synths (except 2 & 5) Knut Reiersrud guitars & harmonica In The Country: Morten Qvenild piano & synths (except 4 - 6) Roger Arntzen bass Pål Hausken drums A blues guitar introduces the melody, restrained, elegiac and yet full of energy. A clear, female voice takes over, its power potentiated by its uncanny serenity. A piano gathers together the theme one more time before all of them, joined by an additional trio, take it through a mightily dynamic loop until it tapers out almost to nothing in the end. "Ingen Vinner Frem Til Den Evige Ro" is the name of the old Norwegian church song that Knut Reiersrud, Solveig Slettahjell, Bugge Wesseltoft and In The Country transform so fascinatingly into a modern Nordic hymn in the sold-out Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie. It was another one of those magic moments that the "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic" series so reliably produces. Founded in 2012 and curated by Siggi Loch, the idea was to craft inimitable evenings by means of thematic concentration, but most of all with stirring, often first-time encounters between outstanding musicians. Such were the first concert in December 2012, also available on CD, with the magical trio of pianists Michael Wollny, Leszek Możdżer and Iiro Rantala, and this fourth evening entitled "Norwegian Woods". The recordings were initially designed to be documentations for radio, but the musical result was so convincing that the artists themselves wanted to publish it on CD. Only the input from Mathias Eick could not be used, for legal reasons. The live recording shows as if under a magnifying glass, not only as described above, how a country with only five million inhabitants was able to become the epicentre of European jazz, and dispose over one of the most exciting jazz scenes in the world – and that far away from the established centres of jazz. One of the reasons is the interweaving of their own roots: Norwegian folk music and classical works ranging from Johann Nesenus to Edvard Grieg. This wasn't the intention at first, but the land of the fjords was simply too far off the beaten tour track of American jazz musicians, and that ended up helping to develop an own vocabulary – the typical "Nordic sound" as was made popular by Jan Garbarek et. al. in the early seventies, and that is today something like the DNA of Norwegian jazz. The second key to success is the almost unconditional receptiveness to all kinds of influences. In the relatively small Norwegian music scene, jazzers have no qualms about working with classical musicians or those from the pop and rock genres, something that could be seen compellingly in the "Norwegian Woods" collaboration. Naturalness and lyrical composure on the one hand and eruptions and artistic expression on the other characterise the voice of the evening's musical focus, that of Solveig Slettahjell. The inventor of vocal deceleration and essentialisation employs all that and more in her version of Tom Waits' "Take It With Me". In doing so she is supported by her partner of many years from Slettahjell's Slow Motion Quintet, Morton Qvenild. This ingenious universalist of young Norwegian jazz has already tried everything out; from pop to metal. But since 2003 his trio In The Country, with drummer Pål Hausken and bassist Roger Arntzen has been the undisputed leading force. The structural principles practiced here – soundscapes grow into finely differentiated dialogues, mighty domes of sound evolve into pastel chamber-jazz or electronically embellished sound pictures – come into their own on "Norwegian Woods", especially in "Can I Come Home Now". Pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, just turned 50, is one of the pioneers of the young Norwegian jazz generation, and he represents the two most important directions of modern Norwegian jazz, both dated 1997. With "It’s Snowing On My Piano" Wesseltoft showed his contemplative side, perfecting the elegiac Norwegian jazz on a radically reduced, timeless solo-piano Christmas album (the biggest-selling ACT album to date, with more than 120,000 copies sold). At the same time, with his "New Conception of Jazz" he turned his attentions to things electronic, with the ground-breaking new approach of including contemporary pop elements from deep house, ambient music, drum’n’bass, big beat, soul and funk. On "Norwegian Woods" he illustrates just how fascinatingly he has developed both aspects, for example with the lyrical solo "Chicken Feathers" and the dramatically dazzling jam version of John Hiatt's rock classic "Have A Little Faith". And finally there is guitarist Knut Reiersrud, the oldest, most travelled and yet here least well known of this JABP edition. His playing field is the blues, which Buddy Guy and Otis Rush introduced him to in the USA at the tender age of 18. Since then he has played with stars the likes of Dr. John, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Five Blind Boys of Alabama. But if Reiersrud weren't a Norwegian, he wouldn't have that longing for his native sound traditions alongside the American blues legacy, or that insatiable curiosity for other spheres that led him to spend time in Africa, India, Nepal and Iran. His JABP solo "Jargo" is the best proof of this. Norwegian individualists present themselves as a close-knit group at this singular fourth "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic"; and their country as still the spearhead of European jazz, which has long since emancipated itself from the motherland USA and launched decisive developments of its own.Credits: Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS) Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker Recorded, mixed, edited and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic IIICD / digital Leszek Możdżer piano Lars Danielsson bass & cello Zohar Fresco percussion Atom String Quartet: Dawid Lubowicz violin Mateusz Smoczyński violin Michał Zaborski viola Krzysztof Lenczowski cello For many, jazz means new ideas, new sounds, and always doing things for the first time, and the same goes for the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” concert series. On these evenings, surprising, unique combinations of musicians and border-crossing projects can be heard in the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonie. This is one of the many reasons why they have nearly always sold out since their inception in November 2012, and part of what makes them a highlight of Berlin's music scene. On May 7th, 2014, “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” headed East on its musical journey to the jazz stronghold of Poland. Whenever the topic of Polish jazz arises, it’s never long before the name Leszek Możdżer is mentioned. The 1971-born piano virtuoso is revered like a pop star in his homeland, his albums routinely make their way into the Polish charts, beating artists such as Sting or Beyoncé to the top spots along the way. Możdżer's music is deeply rooted in Polish music tradition while at the same time striving for new horizons. Everything is thrown in, from classical to jazz to pop, all interlaced and in sync with one another. Możdżer’s classical piano education enables him to explore his own worlds of sound with masterful technique. Chopin, the national hero of Polish music, is an ever-present influence but Możdżer also takes cues from modern Polish composers such as Witold Lutosławski, best known for his complex symphonic oeuvres as well as catchy popular “hits”, and Krzysztof Komeda, the founder of an unconventionally lyrical, genuinely Polish jazz sound, and composer for many of Roman Polanski’s films including “Rosemary’s Baby”. For his “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic”, Możdżer enlisted the help of Swedish bassist and cellist Lars Danielsson, Israeli percussionist Zohar Fresco - perfoming both as a piano / bass duo or trio - and the Atom String Quartet. Without his friends, the concert evening would only have been half the occasion, virtuosity and musicality went hand in hand. Danielsson and Fresco are soul mates of Możdżer, and they have been collaborating closely for ten years now. Performing with the Atom String Quartet was a new experience for all three men, they are one of the world’s finest string quartets and are mentioned in the same breath as the American Kronos Quartet. Outstanding classical technique and a stupendous talent for improvisation enable the quartet to use their instruments with a range that has never been heard before. Together, Leszek Możdżer & Friends, the protagonists in the sold-out Kammermusiksaal, conjured up a celebrated concert evening that once again shows that a mix of jazz, classical and folk music provides important impulses for the future of European jazz and Poland, here with Możdżer on the piano, plays a big part in that.Credits: Produced by Siggi Loch & Leszek Możdżer Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS) by Klaus Scheuermann and Piotr Taraszkiewicz Mixed and mastered by Grzegorz Czachor and Klaus Scheuermann. Additional mixing by Marek Heimbürger

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic IV - Accordion NightCD / digital Klaus Paier accordion Asja Valcic cello Régis Gizavo accordion & vocals Nguyên Lê guitar Stian Carstensen accordion Adam Bałdych violin Vincent Peirani accordion Emile Parisien soprano saxophone The programme is the star at “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic”. The aim of the concert series, curated and produced by Siggi Loch, is to bring together different musicians in a way that has never been seen or heard before, with one thematic focus. On 13 February 2015, the eighth edition at the sold out Kammermusiksaal saw the spotlight focus on the accordion: From Musette in Paris to Schrammelmusik in Vienna, the Sinti and Roma music from the Balkans and the tango in Buenos Aires, the accordion is best loved in popular music, and a welcome companion in house and folk music: the "common man's orchestra". In the classical and jazz genres, however, it is all too often misunderstood and still an outsider in classical and jazz music, despite pioneering talents such as Astor Piazzolla and Richard Galliano. Vincent Peirani, one of the stars of the evening who “expertly modernises” the instrument (3sat Kulturzeit), initially underestimated the scope of sounds and opportunities for musical development that the accordion offers: “As a boy I always wanted to learn the drums. The accordion was an instrument for grandparents, but my father made me learn it […]. Not until I had learned to play Mendelssohn and Bach on it did I realise how versatile an instrument it is, and then I adopted it - or it me …” The classically trained accordionist Klaus Paier is an adventurous sonic explorer, who creates an intoxicating mix of jazz, classical, Musette and world music, alongside cellist Asja Valcic – in a nutshell: “Eurojazz at its best” (Der Spiegel). Connecting the unexpected: Surprising, unusual artistic encounters can produce magical moments, and for this evening, Siggi Loch initiated two duos that had never played together before. Firstly, Régis Gizavo, an autodidact accordionist who learned his trade on the streets and in the bars of Madagascar, From his local folk music to Portuguese and South African styles, mostly heard on the radio channels he could receive from neighbouring Mozambique, Gizavo snapped up everything he could get his ears on. At “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic”. He teams up with guitarist Nguyên Lê, a musician renowned for his fusion of world music and jazz. Secondly, Stian Carstensen, well known for his pioneering multi-style band “Farmers Market”, joins forces with the Polish violin wizard Adam Bałdych. Vincent Peirani was voted “The Discovery of the Year 2014” in France (Victoire du Jazz), is considered by Fono Forum as a “one in a century talent”, and the FAZ newspaper recently wrote that “Peirani can do almost anything on an accordion”. Alongside the saxophonist Emile Parisien he forms a dream team that was awarded the ECHO Jazz 2015 as best international ensemble performance (2014’s “Belle Époque”). Astor Piazzolla's “Libertango” tops off the “Accordion Night”. Interpreted by all of the artists together, this is a rendition of the eternal classic that has definitely never been heard in this way before. And so it is that another memorable and celebrated “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” is brought to a magnificent conclusion.Credits: Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS), February 13, 2015 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker Produced & curated by Siggi Loch

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic IX - PannonicaCD / digital Iiro Rantala piano & leader Dan Berglund bass Anton Eger drums Angelika Niescier alto saxophone Ernie Watts tenor saxophone Charenée Wade vocals A single moment can change a life forever. That happened to the Jewish baroness and heiress Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter (1913-1988), née Rothschild. On hearing Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight’ on a trip to New York at the beginning of the 1950s, she was so totally captivated by the music, she turned her back on her native Europe and on all the glamour of her previous existence, and became one of the great supporters of American jazz. Siggi Loch experienced a similarly decisive moment in his life when, at the age of just 15, he heard a concert by Sidney Bechet and decided that his life from then on would be dedicated to jazz. This decision had a profound effect not just on him, but also on the way this music has developed in Europe, most notably in the years since he founded ACT in 1992. So it was above all a feeling of affinity with Pannonica which inspired Siggi Loch to dedicate an entire evening to her in the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” concert series which he has curated since 2012. The concert, on 6 February 2019, thirty years after her death, focused on pieces by the musicians whom the “Jazz Baroness” supported over many years with money, accommodation, advice and friendship, and who often dedicated compositions to her to express their gratitude: Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Sonny Rollins. Musicians from five countries took part in the concert: Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala, a habitual unifier of the traditional and the modern, was directing. Alongside Swedish bassist Dan Berglund and Norwegian-born drummer Anton Eger, he formed the musical foundation. In addition, there were three outstanding soloists: American saxophonist Ernie Watts, who shared the stage with Thelonious Monk back in the pianist’s lifetime, German saxophonist Angelika Niescier and New York singer Charenée Wade. Together they do not only demonstrate magnificently that a single moment can indeed transform an individual life story, but also that such occurrences have the power to shine beyond the confines of continents, cultures and epochs.Credits: Recorded live in concert by Klaus Scheuermann, at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS), February 6, 2019 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Produced by Siggi Loch

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic V: Lost Hero - Tears for EsbjörnCD / digital Iiro Rantala piano Viktoria Tolstoy vocals Ulf Wakenius guitar Lars Danielsson bass Morten Lund drums The Swedish pianist Esbjörn Svensson, who died in a tragic accident in 2008, changed the course of jazz in Europe in this century. He breathed new life into the most classic of all jazz formations, the piano trio, because he had a compelling vision of how he could make it function like a rock band. That concept ran right through what he did: from the group's outward appearance to way they cohered and kept their sights firmly fixed on their shared musical concept. The trio e.s.t. always drew the listener in quite brilliantly with their catchy melodic hooks, their particular way of circling and repeating, insistent and completely mesmeric. The result was that Svensson became the pop star of jazz. Countless bands have followed his example and adopted the basic design of e.s.t. Svensson's concept of crossing genres has also been a major influence on a whole host of the leading European jazz pianists of our time. The Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala, who has without question developed a style which is entirely his own, nevertheless includes Svensson among the musicians who have inspired him. Rantala has been developing and refining his own ways to pay homage to his musical heroes. The most recent example is an album devoted to John Lennon, “My Working Class Hero,” but he first embarked on this kind of very personal venture earlier, in 2011, with “Lost Heroes”, an album for solo piano which also marked his debut on the ACT label. That album garnered the prestigious “Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” and was honoured in the ECHO Jazz awards. Rantala pays tribute on it to his personal musical icons, from Jean Sibelius to Bill Evans and Michel Petrucciani – and even Luciano Pavarotti. There is also a nod on this album to fellow pianist Esbjörn Svensson with Rantala's emotionally affecting composition “Tears For Esbjörn.” That one piece, that germ of an idea was to grow into a full-length concert in the series "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic". When it took place, on 1st October 2015, Iiro Rantala was able to draw on the support of several prominent musicians, all of them artists who have chosen to follow in Svensson's footsteps as far as the crossing of genres is concerned. That major event in remembrance of the "lost hero" Svensson was not just a triumph, it was also a deeply moving occasion. The concert also included one musician whose working relationship with Svensson had been particularly close, the singer Viktoria Tolstoy. She has been called - and with good reason - 'Esbjörn Svensson's voice'. She was the one artist for whom the pianist had been prepared to depart from the discipline he imposed on himself of concentrating all of his considerable energies on e.s.t. As early as 1997, Svensson took the then 22-year old singer under his wing for her first album "White Russian". He co-wrote the highly melodic pop-jazz songs which feature on it, and produced the album too. e.s.t. became Tolstoy's backing band on that album, and also accompanied her on the road around Germany for her first tour. Later, in 2004, Svensson wrote and arranged all of the material for her ACT debut album „Shining On You,“ and played piano on the album - under the pseudonym Bror Falk. Guitarist Ulf Wakenius is another musician with a special connection with Svensson. He was a huge admirer of his compatriot and in 2008 became the first musician to devote an entire album to pay homage by playing Svensson's music. The remaining two members of the all-star band at the Berliner Philharmonie were musicians who had already worked with Rantala on "My History of Jazz," and who share a multiplicity of connnections with all of the others involved in the concert. In the first instance there is Swedish bassist and cellist Lars Danielsson, a pivotal figure in European jazz, and also the Danish drummer Morten Lund, who has participated on at least 60 albums by major international stars, and is regularly to be heard alongside members of the ACT label family such as Cæcilie Norby and Adam Bałdych, and indeed with Rantala himself. Rantala and his co-protagonists, in various formations, evoking different moods and adopting any number of interpretative strategies, have turned their attention to a number of the best known of Svemsson's compositions, which now form an intrinsic part of the Great European Songbook. The sequence of tracks takes in the mysterious slow motion Nordic atmospherics of “From Gagarins Point Of View.” which was the first hit for e.s.t., the drama of “Seven Days of Falling,” presented here as a piece for a guitar trio to improvise over, and the “Dodge the Dodo,” which was e.s.t's signature tune in their concerts. The title track of the album, “Tears For Esbjörn,” performed by the trio of Iiro Rantala, Lars Danielsson and Ulf Wakenius serves as a kind of prologue to the album. As the album's epilogue, John Lennon's “Imagine” brings an optimistic, Utopian vision, and creates an atmosphere which is consistent with Svensson's work and its wonderful power to connect. “Love is Real” is there too, as is to be expected. Svensson's most emotionally charged composition, and now a jazz standard, is movingly sung by Tolstoy and seems to justifies the album title “Tears for Esbjörn.” Tears for the loss of an irreplaceable artist such as Svensson are justifiable, even inevitable. The man was taken from us, and cruelly early, but there can be no doubting the durability of his musical legacy.Credits:Curated, produced by Siggi Loch Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, (KMS), October 1, 2015 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic VI: Celtic RootsCD / digital Knut Reiersrud guitars, Weissenborn lap steel & harmonica Ale Möller mandola, trumpet, shawm (“skalmeja”), overtone flutes, hammered dulcimer & harmonium Fraser Fifield soprano sax, low whistle & Scottish border pipes Tuva Syvertsen vocals, Hardanger fiddle & harmonium Aly Bain fiddle Eric Bibb vocals & guitar Olle Linder percussion & double bassThe concert series “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” has set itself the ambition to reflect current developments and shifts in jazz, and in European jazz in particular, ever since it started. A new configuration of musicians is assembled for each concert, the focus is placed on a different theme, and the results have invariably been truly memorable one-off concerts. At the beginning, this approach might have seemed something of a risk, but the idea has evolved to the point where it has been described by Berlin’s respected regional broadcaster RBB as “a successful formula for delivering very great concerts.” “Celtic Roots” was another in this line of triumphs; success has evidently now become a matter of habit. This concert re-traced the paths taken by Celtic music as it traversed European culture, and also charted its influence on jazz. Modern Celtic music in all its depth and breadth has a continuous tradition which manifestly pre-dates the nineties wave of world music and ethno-music. Turning the clock back again, jazz had also been influenced by folk music long before the revivals of the sixties and seventies. Following the waves of emigration from Ireland and Scotland in the nineteenth century, elements of Celtic music were present in the origins of American country music and of the blues, above all in the southern states of the US, but also later in New York. For this particular journey by “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic,” most of the participants would not necessarily count themselves as jazz musicians. Moreover, the fact that “Celtic Roots” was brought into being under the aegis of Scandinavian artists was also clearly intentional, because the recent history of their music is so permeated by the rediscovery of their own folk heritage, which then led them naturally to the absorption of other traditions. Track by track, this illustrious group of quite exceptional performers finds myriad ways for tradition and innovation to coalesce, right from the first chant of the bagpipes in Fraser Fifield's “Psalm.” “Willie Murray’s Reel” is given a wholly new character with a fascinating range of guitar sounds. “Lament For The Children” is turned into a multilayered and constantly changing improvisation. “St. James Infirmary” has a truly Celtic final section, and comes across with a new vigour and forcefulness. It is in moments like this that the excitement of the Berlin audience in the hall come through palpably to the listener of the CD. In addition to the buzz of the occasion, it becomes clear that the shrewd gamble behind this “Celtic Roots” concert has paid off - again. The virtues of “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” are a spirit of musical freedom and the sheer joy of collective musicmaking at the highest level. In combination, they are an irresistible force.Credits: Curated, produced by Siggi Loch Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, March 8, 2016 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Presented by Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic VII - Piano NightCD / Vinyl / digital Leszek Możdżer piano, Fender Rhodes on Summertime Iiro Rantala piano Michael Wollny piano All three play Fender Rhodes, in turn, on La Fiesta “Three men, three pianos, one emotion – jazz”. These were the words with which German national TV news succinctly summed up the piano summit on 31st May 2016 in a sold-out main hall of the Berlin Philharmonie – a concert which can now be experienced exclusively on vinyl. And the TV news reporter continued: “Iiro Rantala, Leszek Możdżer, Michael Wollny. Each in a class of his own. Together, they’re a miracle”. Is there perhaps an element of déjà vu in this story? Yes, certainly. Because these were the same three jazz piano greats who had performed at the very first ‘Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic’ in December 2012, the event which triumphantly set in motion the concert series curated by Siggi Loch at the German capital city’s classical music shrine.Making this second appearance together were three of the most outstanding and established representatives of European jazz, each with a host of awards to their name. Możdżer, Rantala and Wollny are from a generation which mostly went through the rigours of classical study and therefore have a knowledge of that canon and tradition. Each of them has ventured from there into the freedom of jazz, and have not just loved it, but also thrived on it. They also grew up, almost inevitably, living and breathing rock and pop music. In other words, these are musicians who have garnered experiences in all genres and style, and who simply ‘make music’ that transcends technical barriers, and do it “in the spirit of jazz”, which puts them at one with the basic tenet of the ACT label. After more than a dozen ‘Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic‘ concerts – all of them completely sold out, with all three pianists returning, individually, from other formations – it was exciting to listen out for how the three had developed in the interim since that first concert together. Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala has been integrating completely new colours into his playing – “melodies full of clarity and beauty”, as the Stern, one of Germany’s leading magazines, described them, have become a focus for his artistry. The two solo albums ‘Lost Heroes’ (from 2011) and ‘My Working Class Hero’ (a tribute for what would have been the 75th birthday of John Lennon in 2015) finally gave him a major international profile. Artistic integrity, a respect for the power of melody and the freedom he has when soloing – Rantala brings all of these elements to the fore with total conviction in his composition ‘Freedom’.Michael Wollny has also found his artistic freedom – something he has worked towards for ten years. It was with ‘Weltentraum’ (2014) and ‘Nachtfahrten’ (2015), however, that word really started to get round that there was a quite exceptional pianist in Germany, a “complete master of the piano” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, FAZ), a musician who seems to be able to find his own surprising solution to every kind of musical or aesthetic proposition. He certainly does that on this album in a duo with Iiro Rantala – ‘White Moon’, a composition by his most important early teacher Chris Beier, who was also the first to spot Wollny’s potential. There remains the Polish “phenomenon” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) Leszek Możdżer, who is the great romantic among European jazz pianists. His “filigree virtuosity with its light and shade is fascinating, hugely entertaining and nobody gets even close to what he can do as a craftsman of the contemporary piano” was the verdict of the German broadsheet FAZ. Możdżer’s ability to combine the simple with the difficult is something he demonstrates incomparably in the pictorial, almost filmic composition ‘She Said She Was A Painter’. The piano summit concert has its shape, its dramaturgy, building inexorably towards a grand finale with all three pianists on the stage together. First there is the soulful heat of Gershwin's ‘Summertime’, and then a wild ride through Chick Corea’s ‘La Fiesta’. It is in moments like these, as the pianists play their multi-dimensional games of pursuit and avoidance, that the true spirit of this concert series emerges. The thrill, the tingle and the danger of these exceptional live encounters are part of the jazz tradition, but have been updated to send a buzz of excitement around today’s technology-fixated audience. Iiro Rantala’s ‘Olé!’ at the end of this concert didn’t just resonate in the hall in Berlin at the moment of triumph. It is a powerful and durable expression of the effect of live music at its absolute best.Credits: Recorded live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie May 31, 2016 Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Recorded and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Mixed by Klaus Scheuermann & Bartek Kapłoński

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic X - East - WestCD / digital Majid Bekkas guembri & vocals Nguyên Lê e-guitar NES Nesrine vocals & cello Matthieu Saglio cello & vocals David Gadea percussion Black String Yoon Jeong Heo e-guitarGeomungo Jean Oh e-guitar Aram Lee / daegeum & yanggeum Min Wang Hwang ajaeng & janggu ‘East meets West’ was the central theme in the life of Nesuhi Ertegün (1917-1989). He grew up as the son of the Turkish Ambassador in Washington, and Nesuhi himself was to become an ambassador too: one of the most important producers and advocates that jazz has ever had. On the 30th anniversary of his death, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic curator Siggi Loch dedicated an evening to commemorating this friend and mentor who had been like a father to him. For Nesuhi, jazz had no borders; this concert was a posthumous validation of the farsightedness of that vision. On the cultural world map, East-West today is synonymous with the tense relationship between Europe and Asia, between Occident and Orient. From the Renaissance to the present day, there have been repeated waves of enthusiasm for Eastern culture in the West. And for the hundred years or so that jazz has existed, it too has always tended to absorb elements from other cultures into its stylistic vocabulary. Conversely, artists from Eastern cultures have embraced jazz, fused it with their own traditions, revealing new and fascinating expressive possibilities. Black String, the South Korean quartet led by geomungo player Yoon Jeong Heo, takes a 1500-year old Korean musical tradition and brings it into the modern era and into jazz in way which is totally compelling artistically. NES Trio with charismatic singer/cellist Nesrine Belmokh has a distinctive sound drawn from the musical melting pot of the Mediterranean region. A special guest is the Moroccan oud and guembri player Majid Bekkas, who has often brought the Gnawa blues of his homeland into projects ranging from “folklore imaginaire” to avantgarde jazz. And providing the perfect East-West link is French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê, whose go-between role combin-ing the worlds of jazz, rock and Asian folk music has been pio-neering. Together they celebrate a meeting of East and West. Nesui Ertegün would have been overjoyed. Credits: Recorded live in concert by Klaus Scheuermann at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS), November 20, 2019 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Cover art by Philip Taaffe, Isfahan (2009), by courtesy of Jablonka Galerie Cologne

Philip Catherine - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XI: The Last CallCD / Vinyl / digital Larry Coryell guitar Philip Catherine guitar Jan Lundgren piano Lars Danielsson bass Paolo Fresu trumpet The two guitar icons Larry Coryell and Philipp Catherine share a long history and, despite their different musical backgrounds on both sides of the Atlantic, a close musical kinship. Recorded on January 27, 2017, as part of the "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic" series, "The Last Call" is the final recording of Larry Coryell, who passed away four weeks later on February 19, 2017. It serves as an echo of a very special relationship between two highly accomplished guitarists, filled with creative compatibility, enthusiasm, and deep mutual understanding.Credits:In memory of Larry Coryell (1943-2017), his last concert Recorded live in concert by Klaus Scheuermann at the Philharmonie Berlin (KMS), January 24, 2017 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Cover art based and inspired by a work of Alain Biltereyst (Original: ACT Art Collection)

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII - Sketches of MilesCD / Vinyl / digital Theo Croker Quartet: Theo Croker trumpet & leader Danny Grissett piano Joshua Ginsburg double bass Gregory Hutchinson drums Magnus Lindgren – conductor, tenor saxophone (on So What), flute (on All Blues) Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker: Michael Hasel & Egor Egorkin flute Matic Kuder, Andraž Golob & Manfred Preis clarinet Markus Weidmann bassoon Andrej Žust & Sarah Willis horn Guillaume Jehl, Lennard Czakaj & Marc Ullrich trumpet Olaf Ott, Thomas Richter* & Susann Ziegler* trombone Peter Kanya tuba Guest / Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker Among the legends of jazz, Louis Armstrong still stands out as the best known of them all, but Miles Davis also has his unique place: as the greatest genius and innovator the art form has ever known. Born in St. Louis in 1926, the trumpeter was not just an instantly recognizable figure, he was a visionary who repeatedly gave new, decisive impulses to modern jazz, starting in the early 1940s while still in his teens, when he was at the heart of the invention of bebop. Then, in 1949, he countered the heat of bebop with cool jazz. And when the groundbreaking recordings of this period were released on “Birth of the Cool“ as late as 1957, Miles Davis, together with the masterly arranger Gil Evans, was already anticipating the next mini-revolution: modal jazz. Between 1957 and 1959, three epoch-making albums in this idiom were produced in quick succession: “Miles Ahead”, “Milestones” and “Kind of Blue”, the last of which became the most successful jazz album of all time. At this time, Miles Davis, still in his early 30s, was still to take his art in yet more new directions with hard bop, fusion jazz and jazz rock. Davis also had an uncanny and unerring knack for identifying talent. Throughout his career, he consistently brought the very best up-and-coming musicians into his bands, people who frequently went on to become stars in their own right: John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Keith Jarrett, Joe Zawinul and many more. By the time Miles Davis died in Santa Monica in 1991 at the age of just 65, he had become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Miles Davis performed at the Philharmonie at the first Jazzfest Berlin in 1964, returning there as headliner a total of eight times. In memory of this lasting connection, and also to mark 30 years since Miles’ death, Siggi Loch, curator of the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” series, devised a homage to this musical genius with “Sketches of Miles”. The spirit of Miles Davis was once again in the air on 27 November 2021 at the hallowed hall, where it palpably inspired and energized the participants in this unique concert. The Theo Croker Quartet and members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Magnus Lindgren were clearly stepping into mighty shoes, and yet the tribute they produced to one of the great icons of jazz is constantly dazzling.As is the case for all of the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” concerts, the line-up was a complete one-off. The first part of the programme focused on highlights from recordings by Miles Davis‘ band, whereas in the second, members of the Berlin Philharmonic joined the Theo Croker Quartet on stage to perform three suites from the orchestral albums, “Miles Ahead”, “Porgy and Bess” and “Sketches of Spain”. The arrangements were especially commissioned for the concert.  To take on the role of trumpeter in a Miles Davis tribute could be an unnerving experience, but not so for Theo Croker, who is consistently impressive. Born in Florida in 1985, he is now one of the most respected jazz musicians of his generation. The Süddeutsche Zeitung has called him a “visionary of post-hiphop jazz” and praised his “accomplished grasp of the entire history of African-American music.” Croker has many of the Miles Davis hallmarks, and the band behind him is excellent too: pianist Danny Grissett has been in Tom Harrell’s band since 2006 and also released six highly acclaimed albums as leader. Bassist Joshua Ginsburg has been a fixture on the New York jazz scene for almost two decades. Finally, 51-year-old Gregory Hutchinson, “the drummer of his generation” (Jazz Magazine), has played with almost all the greats of jazz. The members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside their regular work as the “world’s greatest orchestra”, are always prepared to step into small ensemble combinations and to throw their energies into new musical adventures. Under Magnus Lindgren’s direction, and with the Theo Croker Quartet, we hear a resoundingly “symphonic” Miles Davis. The Swede has developed a speciality of jazz-meets-classical projects. He recently delved into the works of another of the greats of jazz: in “Bird Lives” with the SWR Big Band and John Beasley, he marked the Charlie Parker centenary. Here, in collaboration with his compatriot Hans Ek, best known as the creator of the E.S.T. Symphony, he excelled again in the role of arranger. “Sketches of Miles” was an evening which will echo and resonate for a long time. The Theo Croker Quartet, together with members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Magnus Lindgren didn’t only walk in the footsteps of a genius, they also left their own indelible imprint.Credits: Music arranged by Magnus Lindgren (Tracks 01, 03 & 04) and Hans Ek (Tracks 02 & 03) Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Live recording at Philharmonie Berlin, 27.11.2021 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover art by SHOSHU / ACT Art Collection

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIII: Celebrating Mingus 100CD / digital Magnus Lindgren baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, leader & arranger Georg Breinschmid double bass, leader & arranger Tony Lakatos tenor saxophone Jakob Manz alto saxophone Matthias Schriefl trumpet Shannon Barnett trombone Gregory Hutchinson drums Danny Grissett piano Camille Bertault vocals The centenary of the birth of Charles Mingus, in April 2022, has served to reinforce his importance in twentieth century music. His “achievements surpass in historic and stylistic breadth those of any other major figure in jazz.” (New Grove Dictionary). Mingus could be angry, even violent, but also loving and tender, and all of these aspects of his complex character are reflected in his music. As he once said, “I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult is because I am changing all the time.” Extremes of emotion are the very truth and core of Mingus’s music, and they are reflected in the six compositions by him heard here, on “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic – Mingus 100”. The concert was one of the main events marking the centenary and took place on 13 April 2022 in the concert series curated by Siggi Loch. This album is a live recording from that concert. At one level, it was ‘just’ a concert. There were no protests. No basses or chairs were deliberately broken. Nobody took a shotgun and aimed it at a lightbulb. And yet, as is clear from this recording, the nine musicians who appeared on stage at this concert – and who mostly did not know each other before this project – each threw her or his whole musical essence into this project, while staying true to Mingus’s spirit and to his unique way of expressing defiance and dissent. The first musical sounds to be heard on the album come from Austrian bassist Georg Breinschmid (b.1973). One of the co-leaders of the project, he juxtaposes forthright attack and caressing tenderness in the Mingus manner as his bass introduces Mingus’s “Jelly Roll”. “Georg is a wonderful communicator and one heck of a bassist,” says the other co-leader, Swedish reedsman Magnus Lindgren (b.1974). Breinschmid’s story is remarkable. Until the age of 25, he had follo-wed a traditional path. As a young, top-flight classical double bassist, he had already become a full member of the Vienna Philharmonic, a role carrying lifetime tenure. He then turned his back on that world, and has pursued his own way as a musician rooted in jazz and Viennese popular music ever since. His passion for Mingus came early, and has remained with him. “As a fourteen year-old just starting on the bass, I remember loving the sound, the compositions, the whole package. It comes at you from so many sides,” he says. Breinschmid and Magnus Lindgren had not worked together before, but their mutual understanding and respect grew as they did. “Magnus is a great musician!” says Breinschmid. “An amazing virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, an expert arranger – simply a great artist. He always keeps a sense of the whole ensemble in his eye, and of how it’s going to work best.” Lindgren, better known on higher winds and flute, is to be heard here mainly on his vintage Selmer baritone saxophone, and also on bass clarinet. Lindgren was also drawn to Mingus’s compositions early on, his involvement strengthened by a close collaboration with Steve Slagle, a guiding light of the Mingus Big Band in the 1990’s. As regards the Swede’s instrumentalist role here, he simply says: “I love Pepper Adams – and it’s fun to play baritone.” “When Charlie speaks of Lester...” It was Joni Mitchell who put English words to Mingus’s beautiful lament on the death of Lester Young, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” on her “Mingus” album. The context here is different, as is the language. Out of some Mingus-ian polyphonic chaos emerges the authoritative singing voice of French vocal star Camille Bertault. The words she has written evoke Charles Mingus’s feelings of loss. Then, magically, wordlessly her voice ascends, and when she holds her final note (E natural) for a full fifteen seconds, it is a jaw-dropping tour de force of poise and control. She is also responsible for new and teasingly enigmatic words for “Self-Portrait in Three Colours”. There are other strong voices here. Two Americans are at the strong beating heart of the band: pianist Danny Grissett has had nearly two decades at the top level of the New York scene and has been a member of the Mingus Big Band. Drummer Gregory Hutchinson has worked in countless contexts, not least the classic second Joshua Redman Quartet from 1998-2001; he is one of the greats of our time. There are also two musicians who have made Germany their home. Since moving from Hungary to Germany in 1980, tenor saxophonist Tony Lakatos has appeared on over 300 albums and was a major presence in the Frankfurt Radio Big Band until 2021. The strong tone and improvising fluency of Australian-born trombonist Shannon Barnett, now based in Cologne, also prove ideal in this context. The home team from Germany, trumpeter Matthias Schriefl and young star saxophonist Jakob Manz both play as if their very lives depend on it, and in such a way that all stereotypes about German order and discipline need to be promptly thrown out of the nearest window. This is utterly passionate music-making at a very high level. There can be few sounds as joyous as the performance of “Better Git It In Your Soul” which brings this recording to a close. The 2022 Mingus Centenary has resonated deeply: just as injustice, fear and uncertainty and the need to grieve surround us, so do instances of super-human kindness and visions of beauty. All these human emotions are there in Mingus’s music. Whereas Mingus’s ashes were entrusted to the River Ganges, his indomitable spirit truly came to life in an unforgettable concert in Berlin. Credits: All music composed by Charles Mingus arranged by Magnus Lindgren (02, 03, 05 & 06) and Georg Breinschmid (01 & 04) French lyrics for Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and Self-Portrait in Three Colors written by Camille Bertault Live at Philharmonie Berlin, Kammermusiksaal, 13.04.2022 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Cover art by Soshu

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIX : Nils Landgren 70 CD / limited red transparent double vinyl (2xLP, 180g) / digitalNils Landgren vocals & trombone Michael Wollny piano Lars Danielsson double bassWolfgang Haffner drums China Moses vocals (3-7) Magnus Lindgren direction, arrangements, tenor saxophone & flute Mitglieder der Berliner PhilharmonikerSarah Willis, horn Stephan Stadtfeld, trumpet (guest) Guillermo Serrano Marchena, trumpet Jonathon Ramsey, trombone Jesper Busk Sørensen, trombone Angus Butt, bass-trombone (guest) Alexander von Puttkamer, tuba Backing vocals on “Ain’t Nobody”Viktoria Tolstoy, Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Cæcilie Norby, Johan NorbergOn 15 February 2026, trombonist and singer Nils Landgren celebrated his 70th birthday in suitably grand style: with the lavish orchestral album Love of My Life and a tour of Europe’s leading concert halls. Siggi Loch, founder of the ACT label and Landgren’s long-standing supporter and friend, gave him a very special present: an evening in his curated concert series Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic, held in the main auditorium of the Berlin Philharmonie. During the first half of the concert, members of the ACT family paid tribute to “Mr. Red Horn”. After the interval, Nils Landgren himself took to the stage to rapturous applause, presenting an exclusive programme dedicated to his great idol, friend and musical companion Joe Sample. He was joined by Michael Wollny, Lars Danielsson, Wolfgang Haffner, China Moses and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, performing arrangements by Magnus Lindgren. The concert became a soul-jazz celebration in the temple of classical music, and by the end, no one remained in their seats. Liner notes by Nils Landgren Somewhere back in 2025, Siggi Loch called me and invited me to perform in his “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” program in connection with my 70th birthday. That’s an invite one does not say no to, although I had to give it some thought before accepting the challenge, at least 10 seconds. I really loved the idea of pairing fine jazz musicians with the outstanding brass players from the Berlin Philharmonic, arranged by multitalented Grammy winner Magnus Lindgren.My wish was to invite singer China Moses to complete the setup, and to our luck, she gladly accepted the challenge. Siggi and I started to make our wish list, and very soon we decided on songs with a personal connection to me, once being part of Joe Sample’s world. Simply songs we love. Magnus delivered first-class arrangements, and the concert was a mind-blowing experience, with an amazing group of musicians, a fantastic audience, and a record company on their toes, recording the event just in case it turns out good. I believe it did.Thank you, Siggi, and everyone involved, for this once-in-a-lifetime experience! Love, NilsLiner notes by Siggi LochNils Landgren is a phenomenon, and European jazz is all the richer for his presence. By performing more than 200 concerts a year, he more than earns the title of “the hardest-working man in the business.” On 15 February 2026, he turned 70.“Mr Red Horn” has carved out an enduring place in jazz history through his tireless excellence in so many different roles: as bandleader, composer, producer, talent scout, festival director, and also as a highly effective and authentic advocate for the music – who nonetheless always manages to remain approachable.Ever since his first appearance at JazzBaltica in 1994, German audiences have been taking him and the bands he leads to their hearts; he is now easily one of the most popular jazz musicians in our country. The very first time I heard him perform, I was totally captivated, and signed him as one of the first exclusive artists on the fledgling ACT label. It was through him that Esbjörn Svensson and many other great Swedish artists joined the label, making his influence on its evolution both central and unique.With over 60 albums to his name, he is also our most successful artist. I am therefore infinitely grateful to Nils Landgren, not only for his contribution to the success of ACT, and thereby to the fulfilment of my childhood dream, but also for the steadfast friendship which binds us. Organizing a special Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert with him to mark his 70th birthday was something particularly close to my heart. When I first phoned Nils with the idea to dedicate the evening to his idol – later his collaborator – Joe Sample, I remember there was a moment of silence from the other end of the line.Then, as Nils so often does, he ended the silence with: ‘If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll do my best.’ And, as always, that’s precisely what he did. There was a buzz throughout the hall before Nils had even played a single note, and by the end of the evening, the entire Philharmonie was on its feet. Mission accomplished, we made it happen!Siggi LochCreditsMusic by Joe Sample, lyrics by Will Jennings, except 07 and 08 by Nils LandgrenRecorded live on 05 May 2026 at the Berliner PhilharmonieLive sound by Jan UgandRecorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus ScheuermannCurated and produced by Siggi LochCover photo by Steven Haberland, design by Siggi LochPhotos by Steven Haberland (back cover), Stefan Rabold (booklet)

Stefano Bollani & iiro Rantala - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVCD / Vinyl / digitalStefano Bollani pianoiiro Rantala pianoSome people are naturally, genuinely funny. They make us smile, and sometimes laugh. It might sound simple to do, but it’s a demanding art, and people who can do it this well are to be admired. For musicians operating at the level of Stefano Bollani or Iiro Rantala, humour has nothing to do with getting cheap laughs through failing, it is rather about how they spring sudden surprises on us – and on each other – by showing us something incongruous or wacky in the music. We’re never laughing at them, always with them. They might be showing us a new perspective, a clever detail that has hardly been spotted before, illuminating some unexpected connection or angle. Out of nowhere, an aria might suddenly be accessorized with a stride piano accompaniment, or the pianists might take a motif and transpose it into some way-out key signature, or use their sparkly, fleet-fingered pianism to comment and illuminate a theme. These two musicians venerate the original, but choose to give it to us in a different guise. It might sometimes turn into a game of hide and seek, but these are humourists who respect their sources and make great use of them. For them to do otherwise would not just leave a bad taste, it would also be completely out of character.Humourists like Stefano Bollani from Milan and Iiro Rantala from Helsinki are masters when it comes to appreciating, valuing, and above all loving the music they play. Each of them also, clearly, holds the artistry of the other in high esteem, venerates the melodic invention of the composers they interpret, and is completely alive to all the possibilities which the instrument can offer. These are musicians with a straightforward love of playing, and, since both are virtuosos, a duo concert by them is an experience of shared creative inspiration. Iiro Rantala says he is happy to celebrate Italian music ‘with the best possible duo partner, il Maestro Bollani.’ And the Italian responds: ‘During a musical career, you meet musicians who are different from you. But how much more fun to share the stage with a guy with a very similar musical taste and approach.’These are two artists, then, who visibly and audibly chime well with each other. They met on the stage of the Berlin Philharmonie on 1 February 2023 to celebrate a shared passion. The basic idea might seem a surprise, but the fact is that both of them have a reverence for Italian opera. ‘I'll go so far as to say that some of the best melodies in the world come from Italy, and in this particular case, from Italian opera,’ Iiro Rantala explains. ‘There is nothing better in music than a good, simple and catchy melody. You can't teach that stuff; there is no melody class in any music school. Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini and Puccini had a talent, a gift for melody! And how magnificently they used it!’During the lifetimes of these composers, this way of making music also went hand in hand with having respect for the audience. The opera composers of the 19th century wanted to offer something to listeners. They wanted to tell stories and entertain, sometimes with a message, but always with a feel for the level of enthusiasm and engagement in the hall. Composers who wrote anthemic and catchy tunes could be sure of being played and sung – and also heard. The concept still works today. ‘La Bohème’ and ‘Nabucco’ are fixtures in the programmes of opera houses, even if the plots and libretti might sometimes seem past their sell-by date. These works are full of melodies that have become ingrained in the collective memory of the cultural world, to the extent that all Stefano Bollani and Iiro Rantala have to do is to suggest the first few notes from Musetta’s waltz (from La Bohème) or hum the Prisoner's Chorus (from Nabucco) and the audience in the Philharmonie is already swaying along.Both players bring a finely-tuned sensitivity to this celebration of Italian opera. And both have such long and deep experience as improvisers, it becomes abundantly clear in this recital that they don’t need to question their first instincts. Their shared enjoyment is palpable: the default mode of communication between them is a smile. They are quite clearly having fun, because on the one hand they are playing repertoire from outside jazz, and yet on the other, there is nothing more 'jazz' than borrowing or stealing a good song. It’s a particularly appealing paradox. Through Italian opera, Bollani and Rantala locate each other's funny-bones. The melodies of Italian opera, may be old, they are certainly important to both musicians, but this album also shows how new and how fresh they can be. Credits:Recorded at the Berlin Philharmonie, Germany on 1st February 2023 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover art by Peter Krüll

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVI: Piano Night IICD / Double vinyl / digitalLeszek Możdżer pianoGrégory Privat pianoiiro Rantala pianoMichael Wollny pianoFour unique top-flight European jazz pianists, each with limitless freedom of expression. Limitless joy too for the audience in the completely full main hall of the Philharmonie Berlin. But perhaps there is also something even more im-portant here: music’s unique power to unite people. It was this intense magic that brought the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic series into being. At the first concert in 2012, there were three pianists: Iiro Rantala, Michael Wollny, and Leszek Możdżer. It all started as a one-off experiment, a spe-cially curated jazz concert at the classical music temple, the Philharmonie Berlin. But that was just the start: this unique series of concerts and recordings has gone from strength to strength. More than a decade later, Rantala, Wollny, and Możdżer meet again at this special hall, which was always intend-ed to have ‘music at the center.’ This time, the original three are joined by Grégory Privat, another unique pianistic talent. The principle is the same as in 2012, and yet the out-side world has changed immeasurably, so the repertoire choices and interpretations reflect the many contradictions of our time. There is more seriousness now, and thoughtfulness and introspection – but also hope, joy, and curiosity. And, as if to defy all the uncertainties of the world, we hear outbursts of fun – childlike, playful, unrestrained.Perhaps what Rantala, Wollny, Możdżer and Privat achieve above all is to let us experience the essence of what music as an art form truly is: a reflection of our times, but also a means of expressing pure emotion... and a uniquely powerful form of communication with the power to affect people to their very core.Credits:Produced by Siggi Loch Recorded live at Philharmonie Berlin on December 3, 2024 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus ScheuermannCover art by Stanley Whitney © 2024, “Song”, ACT Art Collection, Cover design by Siggi Loch

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVII: Gnawa World BluesCD / Vinyl / digitalMajid Bekkas guembri, oud & vocalsNguyên Lê guitar & backing vocalsHamid Drake drums Three continents, three musical world citizens. Morocco-born Majid Bekkas, Franco-Vietnamese Nguyên Lê and American Hamid Drake have combined their astonishing musicality, their origins and their global experiences to create a captivating live concert programme encompassing desert blues, Gnawa trance, Middle Eastern jazz, sixties rock and Far Eastern serenity. Voice, oud and guembri (bass lute)...electric guitar with a wide spectrum of shimmering timbres...a percussion arsenal between subtlety and physicality – these are the tools deployed here by three remarkable, world-class, globe-trotting protagonists... Majid Bekkas's innovations have cast a wholly new light onto the fascinating music and culture of the Gnawa minority in Morocco, and he has also worked with jazz greats such as Joachim Kühn, Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders, and, most recently, with the Magic Spirit Quartet, whose recordings for ACT have built a bridge between Nordic and African sound worlds. Among the very great guitarists of our time, Nguyên Lê stands out as one of the most exciting and individual personalities, having developed a unique style in which Southeast Asian melodies, complex jazz harmonies and highly virtuoso excursions into rock naturally co-exist. Chicago-born Hamid Drake, with his intuitive feel for many of the world’s percussion traditions and his background of varied collaborations from Don Cherry over Peter Brötzmann to Melba Moore, provides an improbably wide range of rhythmic impulses.The repertoire which the three performed so memorably on 10 November 2024 reflects a tremendous wealth of ideas which fuse and coalesce. The opening track ‘Gore Blues has a reflective blues melody played in unison by oud and voice over a strumming guitar... then we hear an animated, five-note ‘trialogue’ between lute, electric guitar and delicate cymbal work. Then, with ‘Mrahba’, the trio enters the realm of traditional Gnawa music: here are Lê and Drake creating a rocky, funky mood, while Bekkas’s powerful incantations over a rearing bass riff create a trance. ‘Boom Boom’ - in tribute to John Lee Hooker - gets going like a heavy, rolling, yet organic blues machine – the way in which Bekkas breaks away from his roots here is utterly astonishing. 'Ascending Dragon' offers a meditative interlude... thumb piano… a melody thoughtfully hummed, Nguyên Lê ornamenting the melodic line brilliantly. Then, as a high-spirited antidote to this, Bekkas, Lê and Drake interpret Jimi Hendrix's ‘Purple Haze’, initially very close to the original, before the new middle section recalls the guitar hero's journey to the Gnawa stronghold of Essaouira in July 1969. ‘Tair’ starts as a free oud improvisation, which then stimulates the interplay of the two string masters. And in the finale “Sidi Bouganga”, the trio ignites the joyful side of the Gnawa language with a hymn-like, exuberant tone.Three stellar musicians have drawn on their musical heritages – and created a celebration of human kinship which is breathtakingly alive. Credits: Recorded live at Philharmonie Berlin on November 10, 2024 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus ScheuermannCover art by Mohamed Melehi © 1969 (untitled), Casablanca Art School © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVIII: Jazz Goes Baroque CD / Vinyl (LP, 180g) / digital  Bernd Lhotzky harpsichord and musical director Emile Parisien soprano saxophone Frédéric Couderc flutes Henning Sieverts double bass and violoncello Eric Schaefer drums Like all of the very best and most successful conjurors and magicians, pianist/composer Bernd Lhotzky never runs out of tricks. His most recent two albums for ACT could not have been more different, and yet both have been garlanded with important awards. His most recent, the solo piano album Rag Bag (2024) received the German Record Critics' Award, who praised Lhotzky for his “brilliant pianism” and his “effortless playfulness and fine sense of style”. Its predecessor As An Unperfect Actor (2021), new settings of Shakespeare sonnets by Lhotzky was built as a star vehicle for the great Austrian film and theatre actor Birgit Minichmayr. Lhotzky’s programme for her has had remarkable success both as an album and live. Indeed, the album led directly to an extraordinary consequence: the German Shakespeare Foundation (originally founded in 1864) decided for the very first time ever to give a prize to an actor...and awarded it to Minichmayr. The citation for the award is a fine testament to quite how brilliantly Lhotzky’s vision came to fruition on “As An Unperfect Actor”. It reads as follows: “Her singing sounded utterly effortless, and her musicality and depth were deeply moving.”Jazz Goes Baroque is different again. It is a live recording derived from a special concert which was a two-fold celebration. On the one hand, it was the fiftieth concert in ACT founder Siggi Loch’s very popular and hugely successful series Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic. On the other, it celebrated one of Loch’s earliest resounding triumphs as a fledgling record producer: George Gruntz’s hugely successful Jazz Goes Baroque from 1964. This was the Swiss musician’s first album in his own name, it sold very well, and paved the way for a unique and remarkable career in jazz. Six decades later, Bernd Lhotzky was commissioned to construct a programme to pay homage to the original 1964 record, but which would also depart from it. On the night, he directed proceedings from the harpsichord (as Gruntz had done on the record)…at a concert taking place a mere stone's throw from the Philips studio on Potsdamer Platz where the earlier recording had been made.The instrumentation involved in the top-flight group which played the concert also referenced the group which recorded Jazz Goes Baroque back in the 60s. In the earlier disc the main solistic role was given to Klaus Doldinger, an emblematic figure in German jazz from the 1960s onwards. In 2025, we find a pivotal figure in European jazz in his absolute prime with a similar function, Emile Parisien. We also find French flautist Frédéric Couderc, bassist/cellist Henning Sieverts and the endlessly inventive Eric Schaefer on drums, whose work here Lhotzky particularly admires: “The variety of colours, rhythmic ideas and different grooves he brings to the table is simply incredible.”Bernd Lhotzky, best known for his extensive knowledge of early jazz, has an unfailingly interesting approach to what can happen when jazz meets Baroque music, and his starting points are based on his own, highly personal musical observations and an uncanny intuition. In a melody by Bernardo Pasquini, he hears the voice of Sidney Bechet. A movement by Handel can call to mind the long, sweeping melodic arcs of Brahms. Behind an apparently effortless, flowing passage by Vivaldi, he revels in an intricate numerical game — and a wily corncrake carefully covering its tracks. In Couperin, a stumble becomes a fatal ‘chute fatale’; in Pachelbel, an ostinato figure that has been going round and round for centuries becomes a creature crying out plaintively for freedom. These arrangements, rather than deriving from historical observations, stem from vivid images — images that lend the works an unexpected sense of immediacy.For Lhotzky, the kinship between Baroque music and jazz lies in their shared delight in variation. Sequences, ostinatos and recurring patterns create a resilient framework within which musicians can communicate and move freely. “One hears what is revealed in conversation over the garden fence, in lively exchanges at the marketplace, in the warm dialogue of everyday life.” Monteverdi invited musicians to improvise over a basso continuo several centuries before the jam session was invented. For Lhotzky, jazz and Baroque therefore do not meet as opposites, but are related to each other. Jazz gives Baroque music new rhythmic energy and improvisational breadth; Baroque gives jazz historical depth, contrapuntal density and luxuriant, florid forms. The ideal of European harmony is another guiding idea for the group which performed at the Berliner Philharmonie. In his liner notes, Lhotzky describes it as “two wind players of French origin and a German rhythm section, happily united in music.” In this sense, Jazz Goes Baroque is also a reflection on the path European jazz has taken. By encouraging listeners to go back and hear the 1964 album, the 2026 version reminds us how, over the course of six decades, European jazz has developed its own language, its own heritage and its own distinctive characters. ACT has been, and remains, an important part of that story — and Bernd Lhotzky has written another surprising, brilliantly realised and joyful chapter in it.CreditsAll arrangements by Bernd Lhotzky Live recorded on 25 September 2025 at the Berlin Philharmonie Recorded by Klaus Scheuermann Mixed and mastered by Klaus ScheuermannProduced by Siggi Loch Cover art by Edi Rama, Untitled, 2016 Courtesy of Marian Goodman Gallery Design by Siggi Loch

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic VIII - MediterraneoCD / digital Stefano Bollani piano Jesper Bodilsen bass Morten Lund drums Vincent Peirani accordion & accordina Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker Geir Lysne arranger & conductor To put the “Sound of Europe” on the big stage is the mission of “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” and of its curator Siggi Loch. Earlier concerts in the series – tracking down “Celtic Roots” or strolling through “Norwegian Woods” – have shown how the sheer plenitude of European music has left its mark on the jazz of our time. Many of the roots of European music are to be found in Italy. The country was an early hub for Western classical music, and was where opera was born. From Sicily up to Venice, all kinds of gloriously diverse and many-hued folk music heritages are nurtured. There is a nationwide tradition of the “cantautore”, and in film music, Italy sets the trend: Nino Rota's and Ennio Morricone's movie scores are known worldwide. “Mediterraneo” avails itself of this cornucopia of inspiration – and sets off on a journey of discovery. The 17th concert in the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” series was a major event which took place in the sold-out main hall of the hallowed temple of classical music. The central figure of the evening is Stefano Bollani. This maestro of the jazz piano, born in Milan in 1972, is a figure of unrivalled prominence on the Italian jazz scene. His creative arc is uncommonly far-reaching. It ranges from working with senior figures like Lee Konitz, through luminaries like Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and, of course, his longtime partner Enrico Rava, French innovators such as Michel Portal and Martial Solal, and on to world music greats such as Caetano Veloso and Richard Galliano. So, for “Mediterraneo”, it was important for Bollani to cast his net wide, to shape an evening that would be full of variation and surprise; the Italian is not content just to perform for the audience, above all he wants to entertain them: alongside Monteverdi, Rota and Morricone, Puccini and Rossini, there was also the evergreen sixties pop song “Azzurro”, made famous by Adriano Celentano. Bollani emerged as the ideal travel guide for this Italian night. With his completely individual virtuosity and his enjoyment in playing, his Mediterranean ease and well-judged injections of humor, Bollani takes the listener on the Grand Tour through the music of his homeland. Right by his side an exceptional rhythm section with the two Danes: Jesper Bodilsen and Morten Lund, plus a star guest on the accordion, Vincent Peirani, and 14 intrepid members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. They don't just bring a cultured sound, they also prove refined improvisers. The Norwegian Geir Lysne wrote the arrangements for the concert, and also directs the musicians through this Italian night. He is an ideal partner for Bollani. They have already won an ECHO prize for their work with the NDR Bigband. Both are musicians who like to make discoveries and spring surprises. Lysne is an extremely deft experimenter in sound. He uses unusual instrumentation to bring a richness of timbre, and also brings tension and a unique feel for groove, placing musical material into wholly new and unexpected contexts. And then there is Vincent Peirani. Raised in Nice, the most visible face of young French jazz, the accordionist is a talented storyteller. He had already shone at the “Accordion Night” in the Berlin Philharmonie. This time, in his tightly meshed interplay with Bollani, he ensures that there is additional Mediterranean flair, and his cultured playing brings heart-stopping moments of excitement and surprise. The well-known themes by Ennio Morricone from the spaghetti western movies are kept aside for Peirani. They are showpieces for him at his absolute best. Bollani and Co. delivered utterly compelling passages of music, and touched the hearts of the audience. “Mediterraneo” wasn't just a unique musical occasion. It also proved a point: Europe has so much to offer.Credits: Recorded by Nanni Johansson live in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, Großer Saal, June 12, 2017 Mixed by Klaus Scheuermann with Geir Lysne & Roberto Lioli Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated and produced by Siggi Loch Cover art by Federico Herrero, Landscape, 2017 by permission of the artist and Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf

Joachim Kühn - Komeda - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIVCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums Atom String Quartet Dawid Lubowicz violin Mateusz Smoczyński violin, baritone violin Michał Zaborski  viola Krzysztof Lenczowski cello Krzysztof Komeda has legendary status in Polish jazz, and was also one of the pioneers of European jazz. His wider fame resides largely in his work as a film composer – he wrote the soundtracks for all of Roman Polanski’s early films, notably "Dance of the Vampires" and "Rosemary's Baby". Komeda died in 1969, tragically early, at the age of just 37, but left a hugely influential body of work. Joachim Kühn, now a jazz piano icon in his own right, is a great admirer of Komeda, whom he met in person in Warsaw in 1965. As part of the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert series, curated by Siggi Loch, he performed a major tribute concert to him on 14 October 2022, at which he played in three formats: solo piano, with his New Trio, and alongside Poland’s Atom String Quartet. Komeda may not be particularly well-known outside Poland, but in his native country his renown is at a similar level to Chopin’s. He is seen as an integral part of the rise of Polish jazz from its first underground stirrings to becoming one of the beacons of Polish culture. This was a movement forged by composers whose work went most of the way to being seen as a new kind of national music. Komeda’s influence extended beyond his native country in that he became a key figure in the emancipation of European jazz from the American tradition. At the same time as Lars Gullin and Jan Johansson in Sweden were taking similar approaches, Komeda fused Polish folk music and its tradition of melismatic singing with the characteristics of jazz. He thus became one of the great lyrical and melodic voices of mid-twentieth century music. His early death in an accident made him a cult figure in his native country. In his latter years, Komeda concentrated mainly on film music; Roman Polanski brought him to Hollywood in 1967. A highlight of his jazz work was undoubtedly the album "Astigmatic", recorded in 1965 in one single overnight session with the trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, among others. To this day, it regularly receives the accolade of being the most important jazz recording in Poland; the magazine Jazzwise listed it as one of their "jazz albums that shook the world." For a tribute to Komeda, there could be no better guide than Joachim Kühn, the German pianist and jazz icon. The two men knew each other, indeed Kühn was in the studio and listened to the "Astigmatic" recording session in December 1965. The previous day, Komeda and Kühn had both played with their bands at the Warsaw Philharmonic: "For me, he was one of the great visionaries of European jazz, even then," Kühn recalls. Komeda's compositions have been part of the repertoire of the equally visionary Joachim Kühn ever since. Kühn leads the very small cohort of German jazz musicians who have achieved a genuinely international profile – something which has been the case for almost 60 years. The Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert begins with the three tracks of the legendary album "Astigmatic": the title track plus "Kattorna" and "Svantetic". The line-up for this celebration evening is phenomenal with Kühn as very much the first among equals. He plays as part of his "New Trio" with Eric Schaefer on drums and Chris Jennings on bass, and also with the Atom String Quartet, whom Jazzwise called a "world class quartet” with a “forceful mix of classical and jazz improvisation": violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, Michał Zaborski on viola and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. The seven extraordinarily fine musicians on stage create a heady mix from Komeda’s era-defining work: compelling free improvisations and superb soloing alternate with Komeda’s powerful melodies. The composer always thinks pictorially, but here we are treated to individual music-making at the highest level, and yet with an astonishing sixth sense of anticipation. The results are compelling, modern and timelessly beautiful. Next follow a series of single arrangements from Komeda's other works, and these also draw the listener in with their seemingly perfect dramaturgy: Kühn's plays a quasi- romantic, wonderfully gentle solo on "After the Catastrophe"; next we hear his emotionally affecting duo with Mateusz Smoczyński on "Moja Ballada" from 1961; then, the Atom String Quartet version of "Crazy Girl" from Komeda's soundtrack to Polanski's "Knife in the Water"; thereafter comes a stunningly good trio arrangement of the well-known lullaby "Sleep Safe and Warm" from "Rosemary's Baby". After that, all the musicians re-assemble for an energetic finale, "Roman II". Several things are coming full circle here, not just musically but also in terms of Komeda’s and Kühn’s personal histories. What they have in common - almost tangibly so - is that jazz was quite literally the window which gave them their freedom. For a time, Krzysztof Trzciński (his real birth-name) was able to hide his musical identity behind his profession as an ear, nose and throat doctor, using the pseudonym Komeda for his music. But there came a point when the Polish state could no longer keep his popularity under wraps. Joachim Kühn’s story, on the other hand, is that he escaped from the paternalism of the GDR regime at the age of 22 when he fled to the West. Joachim’s brother Rolf gave him some initial help to establish his international career, and that led Joachim to work in the USA, France and Spain, but, most importantly, it was the escape through music which gave him his artistic freedom. Another, very personal circle closes at the end of the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” Komeda concert. Joachim Kühn plays as an encore "My Brother Rolf" in memory of his brother who had died shortly before. Credits: Recorded live in concert by Thomas Schöttl at Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic, Kammermusiksaal, October 14, 2022 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by Joachim Kühn Curated by Siggi Loch Cover art by Shoshu

Limited testpressings of the album by Iiro Rantala, Stefano Bollani.Only 4 test pressings are available, making it a rare collector's item!Album: Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XVRelease Datum: 28.03.2025 These test pressings were used to ensure the highest audio quality before mass production.Our Vinyl Test Pressing Package includes: 1 Bio-Vinyl test pressing in its original white sleeve. A beautifully designed card, featuring hand-written key details about the release such as artist names, album title, production year, number of test pressings. Album booklet in PDF format. This sheet provides an in-depth look at the album and includes: The cover artwork, a text about the album, tracklist, full credits for production and performance, instrumentation details. Test Pressing Authentication Certificate This certificate confirms the authenticity of this test pressing, which was produced as part of the quality control process before the final vinyl pressing. Test pressings are made in limited quantities to ensure the highest audio fidelity and manufacturing standards. Each test pressing is carefully inspected and approved by our team before production proceeds. This document serves as verification of its authenticity and uniqueness. For official validation, this certificate bears the company stamp.Please note: A test pressing is a preliminary version of the vinyl record used to evaluate the quality of the pressing before full production. The audio quality may not be identical to the final version and may include some imperfections inherent to the test process. It holds historical significance as part of the production process.