Jazzfest Berlin 2025 - Part 1

 

By Paul Acquaro and Sarah "Flake" Grosser 

 

Thursday @ Festspiele (Paul) 

 

"Where will you run when the world's on fire?" asked the slogan of the 62nd Berlin Jazz Festival, and while I have not yet come up with a satisfying long-term answer to the question, for four nights in mid-autumn, I at least found some refuge in the expansive Haus der Berliner Festspiele, ground zero of the festival. Ensconced safely enough in the impressive, mid-century modern auditorium, home to theater, dance and modern music, it felt at least temporarily removed from the raging discontent 'out there,' that is, until the Beyond Dragon's trio breathed their musical fire.

 

 

Beyond Dragons. © Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake

Beyond Dragon's saxophonist Angelika Niescier, along with cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Eliza Salem, lit up the stage with a welcome energy. A tough melody, eschewing any frills and niceties, bolted from the leaders horn while an intense pulse eminated from the cello. Along with the drums, the two a driving engine. Focused and ferocious, but not without an ear to melody, the trio burned up the stage for an hour, building up tension, Reid taking friction-full excursions, Niescier oscillating between tough heads and heady solos, and Salem always purposeful. 

 

Deranged Particles.© Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake 

German bassist Felix Henkelhausen's "Deranged Particles" took the stage next, and its seven piece configuration seemed to promise an expansive counter to the focused might of the previous trio. The Deranged Particles began with the hum of Valentin Gerhardus' electronics and a splatter of Philip Dornbusch's percussion. Then as layers of sound began to pile up, Henkelhausen's bass could be heard cutting through the expectant atmosphere. Particles of sound indeed - as the group came together, Percy Pursglove's trumpet and Philipp Gropper's tenor saxophone were front and center, while Evi Filippou's vibraphone and Elias Stemeseder's keyboard work formed the perimeter, the music that emerged was a loose collective of sound with a tinge of orderly chaos. Each tone was an important piece of the picture, each shift of the rhythm adding slight instability to the structure. 

 

Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith © Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake

Closing out the first night was the most intimate of the configurations, the duo of pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. Touring their latest recording, Defiant Life on ECM, there was already a bit of an answer to the festival's motto: we live in spite of the fire engulfing our worlds, and the music that the two created showed us how to do it. The two began defiantly - sharp chords from the piano and incisive notes from the trumpet - expressive and lined with small melodic statements, punctuated with big intervallic jumps. After a passage of loose tones from the horn, the two found themselves emerging from musical mists into engrossing, emotional pastures. The sounds of Iyer's Fender Rhodes and Smith's soft and wide-ranging trumpet was poignant. Rhythmically strong with cutting melodic lines, the duo was inspired and their music cerebral but passionate. A strong ending to a strong opening night in the main hall.

 

While the main event is happening at the Festpiele, the clubs A-Trane and Quasimodo, both in the vicinity, were serving as outposts of the festival ... other safehouses in this dangerous world ... and both were featuring top-notch groups. For a quick report on these activities, we turn to Free Jazz Blog colleague Sarah "Flake" Grosser, with a panoptic view of the goings on at Quasimodo...

 
Tim Berne’s CAPATOSTA @ Quasimodo (Sarah)

 

CAPATOSTA. © Fabian Schelhorn

There's no line, but the sold-out venue is truly packed. A couple hundred patient and attentive jazz lovers stand to attention as Tim, Tom, and Gregg wail away on stage, commanding the club to take notice. Barely anyone is moving, mesmerized by the frenzy. It's rapid, and busy; crunchy guitar and high tootling sax with Tom's intuitive accompaniment on drums. It goes down a treat and the crowd whoops and cheers once it's over.

From the back, there is still a pretty good unobstructed view, even for shrimps, but the sound quality and mix are well balanced. Even through light conversation, the music is nicely audible. Tim demands attention both musically and literally, asking a few rowdier patrons over at the bar: "What's German for 'Shut the fuck up'? It's really hard to play while you're talking…" Granted, it’s quite late at night, and people have had a few drinks at this point. The crowd is not offended, even laughing along with Tim’s American bluntness. Regardless of his question being rhetorical, in true German tradition, the fans offer practical suggestions back: “Halt die Fresse?”(Shut your face?) ”Schnauze? (muzzle/snout?)." Tim’s musical response is raw and unapologetic; an anarchic breath of fresh air. 

Gregg Belisle-Chi – electric guitar
Tim Berne – alto saxophone
Tom Rainey – drums

***

Friday @ Festspiele (Paul)

 

Friday evening and the Lina Allemano Four were hitting the small stage at A-Trane. This was happening just as the main stage was heating up at the Berliner Festspiele. In an effort to keep things simple, I stuck to the main hall, but really, how unfair this burning world is!  

 

Signe Emmeluth's Banshee © Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake

Saxophonist Signe Emmeluth's Banshee, whose self-titled debut recordiing is out on Motvind Records, is a multi-headed, genre-bending, free-form group that is hard to categorize. Emmeluth's profile has been on the rise in recent years as a fierce, free saxophonist and with Banshee she both doubles down and confounds. Drawing on a a-list roster of Norway's young, burgeoning experimental scene, Banshee features Guoste Tamulynaite on keys, Jennifer Torrence on percussion, Guro Skumsnes Moe on bass, Heiða Karine Jóhannesdóttir Mobeck on electrified tuba, Anne Efternøler on trumpet and the scintillating Maja S. K. Ratkje on voice, electronics and violin. Everyone, in fact, is credited with voice, which proved to be a central piece of the work. The piece began promising with a blend of vocalizations and a progressive groove. Rhythmic ideas interwove as the leader interjected energetic lines. Then, following a noisy-laden musical breakdown, they group began to wander and for a little too long. Eventually, an emerging pulse helped point the way out, which culminated in the arrival of the banshee. Pained wailing at first, then an emergent, folkloric melody formed, giving new shape as a blend of zombie sounds, melodic shapes and diffuse grooves rode the piece out.

 

David Murray © Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake

The contrast with the next group could not have been greater. Woodwindist David Murray, a veteran of the venerated NYC Loft-Scene of the 1970s and a prolific player whose style straddles avant-garde and traditional jazz, appeared with his current quartet and provided a set to soothe unsettled souls. Murray, who plays tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, ripped on both as he presented the music from his latest Impulse! recording Birdly Serenade (2025) with pianist Marta Sánchez, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Chris Beck. A more than capable quartet, it was perhaps Sanchez who stood out the most, with an early solo that added a bright energy to the pulsating rhythm. Murray proved spry and versatile throughout, shifting effortlessly between bopping melody and outside lines. The penultimate piece featured artist Francesca Cinelli, who also happens to be Murray's wife, dramatically reciting her lyrics to the song 'Oiseau Du Paradis' (Bird of Paradise), ending with saxophonist and poet trading-eights. 

 

Makaya McCraven © Berliner Festspiele Photo Camille Blake

The final act at the main stage was a more recent ascendant to in the modern jazz scene, drummer Makaya McCraven. Another contrast to the evening, the quartet of McCraven on drums, Junius Paul on electric bass, Matt Gold on guitar and Marquis Hill on trumpet, played a CTI-reminiscent set that offered glimmers of inspiration. Stand out was Gold, whose guitar work offered interesting melodic twists and rousing solo turns. Generally groove oriented, Paul did a wonderful job interjecting unexpected rhythmic accents and impulses. Coming back for a rare festival encore, they were a crowd favorite.

However, while it is over at the main hall, the youngsters are still keeping it going at Quasimodo. We turn again to our intrepid reporter in the field, Sarah "Flake" Grosser for an update from the fringes...

 

The Young Mothers @ Quasimodo (Sarah) 

 

The Young Mothers  © Fabian Schelhorn

Back at the club across town, away from the packed Festspiele, a different kind of packed show was taking place. The atmosphere here was entirely different - adventurous, playful, and free-spirited. I’m not sure what gave The Young Mothers their special sheen. Perhaps it was the combination of instruments or the colourful combination of characters onstage. Maybe it was the uplifting, catchy melodies. When everyone sings along in chorus: “It is better if you let it,” it’s such a happy sound and I can’t get the smile off my face. The crowd is immersed in the bright aura of the beautiful music, far from the mainstream, and wonderfully creative. Jonathan F. Horne whips out a violin bow and starts going to town with it on his guitar, giving a double meaning to the term “shredding.” It’s most entertaining keeping an eye on Stefan González the percussionist, pivoting from pretty vibraphone articulations to intense black metal blast beats on the drum kit, and throaty growling. It sounds almost schizophrenic on paper, but the transitions between the metal segments were seamless and fit the mood, which also shifted via a fusion of genres from jazz, to hip-hop to rock and beyond. It felt like a party - one I never wanted to end.

Jawwaad Taylor – trumpet, rhymes, electronics, programming 
Jason Jackson – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone 
Stefan González – vibraphone, drums, percussion, voice 
Jonathan F. Horne – guitar 
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass, electric bass 
Frank Rosaly – drums, electronics, programming