Headliners

fred hersch has an impeccable status as a jazz pianist striving for absolute beauty. even so, he can still he challenge himself by regularly forming duo with musicians of various generations, including esperanza spalding, ralph alessi and enrico rava. alongside a piano solo set he will now form a duo with his kindred spirit of the same generation, michael moore, the world renowned clarinet and saxophone player, composer and member of icp orchestra . on their previous duo album this we know, many facets of jazz come to the surface, from ballads and improv and from monk to latin. ‘i met michael moore in the summer of 1975 in boston’, says hersch. ‘i had come from cincinnati and he from northern california to study with the legendary pianist jaky byard. we spent many hours playing duets, hanging out and listening to records. my musical relationship with him is the longest ongoing partnership of my life. after he moved to amsterdam we continued playing together and made several albums that i think are very special. he is one of the best and most creative instrumentalists and composers i know and i am a huge fan of everything he does. he is a treasure on the dutch music scene and i welcome this opportunity to make music together after many years.’ ‘top-notch musicianship from two close friends. hersch and moore know how to tell a colorful story.’ (all about jazz).

the sound of trumpeter avishai cohen is instantly recognizable. yet he keeps looking for new ways to express himself and to compose. he is a master at bringing different worlds together harmoniously. this is why he has been compared to the greatest jazz musicians in history by the american press: ‘like miles davis, he can make the trumpet a vehicle for uttering the most poignant human cries’, wrote jazztimes. a new album by the avishai cohen quartet will be released this year on the quality label ecm records. it’s the follow-up to naked truth (2022), which was recorded with the same line-up. the band’s symbiosis is truly beautiful, leaving no doubt that we are in the presence of four jazz heroes at the top of their game.

since 2001 ronin has been bridging the gap between minimal music, jazz, zen meditation and martial arts. with utmost precision, swiss pianist nik bärtsch has been building a consistent oeuvre, recorded in fine detail by renowned label ecm records. through ‘modules’, numbered compositions, he builds a fine-meshed structure that reveals surprising rhythms and grooves. the tight performances recall minimal techno and electronic music.  throughout the years, ronin has had few lineup changes. the newest member is  jeremias keller on bass, since 2020, alongside sha on bass clarinet and double bass clarinet, and kaspar rast on drums. ‘firmly anchored to the groove, swiss-born bärtsch leads his group ronin through knotted moduls. layering his piano into and above ever-evolving patterns from a locked-in rhythm section, the group flirts with rock, funk and some kind of cosmic, steve reich-informed varietal of jazz. when bassist björn meyer and drummer kaspar rast start percolating, bärtsch touches on a new form of musical propulsion, one that isn’t necessarily swinging but always moving, evolving and expanding, ever forward’ (los angeles times). 

saxophonist jasper blom strives for a synthesis of jazz, pop, classical and improvised music. this makes him a perfect match for the metropole orkest. melody and adventure are keywords in the work of blom, who has been composing for a wide variety of ensembles for many years. he shared the stage with jazz legends, but now it’s all about his smooth and versatile playing. a key figure in dutch jazz, jasper blom has led countless bands and sessions. as a tenor and soprano saxophonist, he has performed with stars such as lee konitz and chet baker. not surprisingly, he received the buma boy edgar prize in 2019. his dream of collaborating with the metropole orkest is now coming true. their joint album will take centre stage at this concert.