JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam

Genius

The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam offers an important platform for the Swiss jazz jam scene. After the musical opening of the jam band, lively and exciting sound conversations begin between musicians who spontaneously meet on stage, reflecting the diversity of jazz in all its facets. The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam is supported by the non-profit association JazzBaragge. There is no presale for JazzBaragge, only box office.

Saxophon

Piano

Bass

Franziska Bruecker & Dave Gisler

Dave Gisler

This duo combines tradition and innovation in a fascinating way. Gisler&#x27;s melodic and harmonic sophistication weaves a thread through jazz tradition, while Bruecker&#x27;s unconventional voice and lyrics catapult the whole thing to a new level of abstraction and experimentation. Together, they are a duo that knows its roots, yet continues to discover and redefine new creative forms of expression.

Christoph Irniger’s Pilgrim with Yumi Ito & Hannah Gottschalk

Over the years, the Pilgrim Quintet, led by Zurich tenor saxophonist Christoph Irniger, has developed into one of the most exciting ensembles in the young European jazz scene. On the occasion of Dave Gisler&#x27;s Carte Blanche at Moods, the well-rehearsed band will be joined by the unique singer Yumi Ito, who is regarded as one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal improvisation. Their connection is storytelling, creating an all-encompassing sound that defies categorisation. Some compositions are freely improvised, others are fully notated, but most are somewhere in between, with a flexibility that reflects a life of freedom where informed choices are made spontaneously. The sound is correspondingly varied: an amalgam of all kinds of styles, small or large, bright or dark. An experience of feelings and images that Hannah Gottschalk translates live into sound-reactive visual performances characterised by abstraction and an interplay of artistic intention and improvisation.

Vocals

Guitar

Šuma Čovjek

Kultur Shock & Moods present: Album Release Tournee «Ringišpil»

Šuma Čovjek is the result of a transcultural Swiss-Bosnian-Algerian collaboration. With heart-wrenching lyrics in varied arrangements and brass beats, they transform their live concerts into fantastic moments. On February 7th, the nine-piece band will present their new album “Ringišpil”, which means carousel in Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian, at Moods. The album feels like a constant rotation forward, everything is in motion, in constant transformation and thus transience and rebirth. Common ground only survives in interaction: on stage, between band and audience, and in our society. We look forward to an eccentric mixture of melancholy ballads, rhythmic Balkan pop-rock pieces, oriental beats and furious brass sounds.

DJ Emina

Warm Up & Afterparti

With the BalkanEkstra Parti there are no stops for Oriental sounds or Arabian rhythms – what’s important is the motto: danceable! Where the journey will take us through the night is unclear, but one thing is certain: dancing until the hips hurt, the feet burn and the stars dissolve with the dawn.

Tenorsaxophon

Trumpet

Trombone

Violin

Keyboards

Drum Kit

Nicole Johänntgen

Album Release «Labyrinth II»

Nicole Johänntgen&#x27;s Labyrinth is groovy, experimental, sometimes melancholic and here and there you can hear the flair of the Motown era of the 70s. After the successful and energetic evening in spring 2024, Johänntgen, Hansen and Stauffacher return to Moods - this time with the sequel - Labyrinth II. When the saxophonist creates music, she likes to look deep, reflect and feel life. While the unconventional line-up of saxophone, tuba (Jon Hansen) and percussion (David Stauffacher) offers unexpected new possibilities, Nicole Johänntgen remains true to her soulful, expressive and virtuoso playing, in which saxophone and vocals alternate in unexpected, artistic ways.

Tuba

Percussion

Afrobeats Explosion

The Afrobeats scene has virtually exploded in recent years, which is also reflected in the lively party scene that has developed around this genre. At the forefront from the beginning: &quot;Afrobeats Explosion&quot; at Moods. From its origins with Fela Kuti in the 70s to Wizkid – get ready for a special kind of dance explosion!

Simon Grab & David Meier

Simon Grab – Album Release «Porœs» (-OUS Records)

A new collaboration between Simon Grab and David Meier, between dense, bass-heavy electronics and earthy, vibrating drums. For once, the focus is not on Simon Grab&#x27;s idiosyncratic no-input mixer noises, but on pulsating, delicate beat electronics enriched with feedback, joined by David Meier&#x27;s sensitive, energetic drumming. After several studio sessions and their first live performances, their first album is now being released.

errad0

Simon Grab – New Project Premiere

errad0 is a celebration of sonic error, exploring the limits of electronic music and industrial hip hop, investigating the space in between what can exist on a dancefloor or at a punk show. Vocal dirt thrown into the mic by brazilian vocalist Antigo influenced by the anthems of facçao and proibidão carioca, singing violent chants about the becoming of a monster the state portrays, driven by the experience of being born as a black person in Brasil, paired with bass heavy beats by swiss noisemaker Simon Grab that assault your innards and tickle the ears. With this hyperreal mixture in mind errad0 evokes a rotten visual narrative about a hedonistic dystopia - errad0 grows into a deformed creature that incorporates sound and mass,blurring the lines between sonic matter and organic flesh.

Electronics

Izquierdo x Tavil

Tizia Zimmermann

Voice action and sonic extremism in collaboration for an absurdist outburst of artistic ideas of momentary nature...

Zimmermann/Corsano/Pitsiokos

Chris Corsano, Tizia Zimmermann and Chris Pitsiokos first played together in New York in summer 2023, during Tizia&#x27;s six-month stint in the big city. The trio quickly found a collective language drawing on their highly personal approaches to their respective instruments and their shared interests in free jazz, improvised music, drone and noise. Always in the process of discovery, each performance involves further revelations of until-then unimagined musical forms.

Voice Action

Moses Yoofee Trio

Noise Reduction & Moods present: Live 2025

Formed by talented producer and pianist Moses Yoofee, this trio brings together one of Germany&#x27;s hottest drummers of the moment, Noah Fuerbringer, and soulful bassist Roman Klobe. The sound is explosive, the playing unpredictable and the music a mix of jazz, hip-hop, soul and electro. As comfortable in the studio as they are on stage, with phenomenal performances of virtuosity and musicality, this power trio has attracted interest from the best festivals (We Out Here, Eurosonic, Reeperbahn, etc.) and titillated the ears of the best producers (Kaidi Tatham, Gilles Peterson, etc.). A musical slap in the face not to be missed.

Mumbi Kameri

Warm-Up & Afterparty

Mumbi Kameri is a young passionate music collector and radio host from Zurich. She started her musical journey at Kasheme, where she’s still an active part of the scene, playing monthly DJ sets and hosting weekly radio shows. With her vast and eclectic taste , she can take you on a musical journey, whether you’re in her living room or on the dancefloor. Her collection spans all kinds of genres, with it’s core in jazz and reggae.

KALI Trio

Kali represents the fresh spirit of a new generation of post-genre musicians. They feel at home in both composed and freely improvised musical contexts, following their creative intuition without ideology but with an even broader understanding of music history. With this in mind, Kali create dark pattern noise, raw minimal grooves and abstract, mystical trips with a sensitivity for sound and progressive power. The band&#x27;s creative possibilities range from epic dramaturgies to minimalist miniatures of sparkling beauty.

Style Bakery feat. Rita Roof / Pilar Vega / Benji Bonus / Sento

A superb live band meets renowned MCs and vocalists for a freestyle show: that&#x27;s the Style Bakery! Renowned acts present their songs in unique versions specially developed for this evening. Raw and unpolished. Hosted by the outstanding collective Jonny Ive, Pablo, Toni Schiavano and Flo Reichle. Valentines Eve promises to be full of diversity and unique voices: on this evening, rap takes a back seat for once: with Rita Roof, Pilar Vega, Benji Bonus and Sento, four extraordinary and versatile artists who could hardly be more different will take to the stage. Rita Roof, known as an outstanding backing singer for numerous Swiss hits, delights with her unmistakable voice. Born in Guatemala, she caused a sensation with her debut reggae album &quot;Stimm i mir&quot; and has since found her second musical love in the energetic soca genre. Sento, a 24-year-old singer and producer from Zurich, pursues a clear sound concept. His combination of infectious grooves, captivating vocal arrangements and bright synths makes his sound unique. He wowed the Swiss music scene with his EP Delirium and won two prestigious newcomer awards in 2024. Pilar Vega, an up-and-coming singer from Ticino, enchants with an irresistible mix of soul, hip-hop and pop. Her performances at events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Openair St. Gallen are proof of her talent. We are particularly excited about her stage collaboration with Sento - they have already released the song Child together. Finally, Benji Bonus will shake a big pinch of rap over the evening. The Baden native is no longer an insider tip in the scene and achieved national fame with Cyperh &#x27;22. His trademark is the clever and musical mix of rap and vocals. As such, Benji&#x27;s latest album Golden Dream is only a snapshot in time, as singer-songwriter borrowings and earthy funk are important cornerstones of his work.

Host

Nicolas Masson Quartet

Album Release «Renaissance»

Renowned saxophonist and composer Nicolas Masson (&#x27;1972) immersed himself in the world of improvised music at the age of 20, meeting influential figures such as Cecil Taylor and Fred Hopkins in New York. His dedication led him to further studies with Frank Lowe and Makanda Ken McIntyre. After graduating from the Geneva Conservatory in 2000, Masson moved to New York City and continued his studies with respected musicians such as Rich Perry, Chris Potter and Greg Tardy. A key figure on the Swiss New Jazz scene and ECM artist, Nicolas Masson has collaborated with a wide range of international musicians and has an impressive discography with eight albums as leader or co-leader on the ECM, Fresh Sound and Clean Feed labels. rA new album, recorded at the renowned La Buissonne Studios together with Colin Vallon on piano, Patrice Moret on double bass and Lionel Friedli on drums, will be released on ECM in January 2025. Although all the compositions are by Masson, he emphasizes the special dynamic of this group: The essence of this quartet lies in the chemistry between us. Our compositions are just the starting point for a sonic journey in which the collective imagination takes the lead.  This deep connection, which has developed over almost two decades, makes every concert a unique and immersive experience.

GANNA feat. Julian Sartorius

«Kupala»

On Ganna&#x27;s latest album «Kupala», the versatile singer Ganna Gryniva with her warm, impressive voice and the versatile, creative drummer Julian Sartorius create a unique sound world of experimental jazz and electronics that is enchanting. Ganna has long combined the folklore of her native Ukraine with pop music in various shades and formations. Sartorius&#x27; multi-layered, rhythmic patterns build a bridge between organic timbres and the vocabulary of experimental music.

Composition

Emile Parisien Quartet

«Let Them Cook!»

When accidents happen, they usually happen in seconds, sometimes in minutes. But this one has been going on for 20 years... That&#x27;s how long it&#x27;s been since the members of the Emile Parisien Quartet first played together at a jam session. At the end, they looked at each other in disbelief. Not only had they been struck by a collective musical lightning bolt, but they also knew that they had just...well...brought something to life. The common breeding ground was jazz, but everyone had all kinds of seeds to sow in it, from classical music and contemporary sounds to rock, electronica and chanson. Saxophonist Emile Parisien, pianist Julien Touéry, bassist Ivan Gélugne and drummer Julien Loutelier tear down barriers, change rules and yet know exactly where they want to go. “The central concern of the band was and is storytelling,” emphasizes Parisien. Their new album “Let Them Cook” is like a fresh breeze and the band&#x27;s music audibly breathes the spirit of the year 2024 and no longer that of the founding year 2004. There was a special moment along the way: at a concert in Sweden towards the end of their “Double Screening” tour, they took the opportunity to deviate from a purely acoustic sound and integrate some electronics. It worked and it seemed that these electronic sprinkles never contaminated the band&#x27;s sound, but rather enhanced it.

Florian Arbenz «London Group»

feat. Ivo Neame, Jim Hart, Percy Pursglove, Immy Churchill

In his almost 30-year career, Florian Arbenz has proven time and again that he is not only a brilliant drummer, but also has a good nose for unusual and exciting combinations of musicians and instruments. In his latest project, he devotes himself to the musical contacts he has made during his frequent stays in Great Britain. The result is an exciting mix of top musicians from different generations, whom Florian Arbenz has tailored to his latest program. The music moves between hip grooves, exciting improvisations and lyrical parts, giving the musicians plenty of freedom to bring in their own musical history and personality. Nevertheless, the music never loses its coherence and its great arc and Arbenz puts his very own stamp on his compositions with sophisticated harmonies, strong melodies, unusual instrumentation and his flair for different combinations of his fellow musicians.

Flugelhorn

Fender-Rhodes E-Piano

Vibraphon

Simon Spiess Late Bloøm

Late Bloøm is the solo project of Simon Spiess, who takes on the role of multi-instrumentalist for this project. He is inspired by unknown instruments, which he gets to know through in-depth processes and thus creates new worlds of sound. Late Bloøm is a composer, sound researcher and sound architect. Although he is best known for his warm, soulful and transcendent sound on the saxophone, the musician is also a beast when it comes to sound design. He&#x27;s quick to admit that he creates beauty from a deep searching force: combining vintage woodwinds, modular synthesizers, tattoos and aesthetics. When he&#x27;s not busy practicing the saxophone or meticulously chiseling sounds, you&#x27;re likely to find him doing an intense mindfulness exercise. His music covers a wide spectrum of raw emotions, from calming to unsettling. Presence, connection and an appreciation of the full spectrum of the human experience are a through line in his work. That and the stark, contrasting contrasts (black and white, sometimes misty, metallic gray), punctuated by unexpected twists of garish pink!

Hainbach

Based out of Berlin, Germany, electro-acoustic composer Hainbach (*1978 Freiburg im Breisgau) creates experimental music that is both visceral and whimsical. Using esoteric synthesizers, test equipment and magnetic tape he creates “one hell of a trip” in his live sets and recorded music. He shares techniques on experimental music on his YouTube channel, which has attracted an ever growing audience of more than 180000 subscribers and over 16 Million views, with several videos going viral. His body of work includes film soundtracks, pop productions, chamber music, theater music, sound art installations and music software. Hainbach’s music has been featured in Pitchfork, The Wire, Bandcamp Daily, Bleep and Boomkat.

Noria Lilt

Warm Up & Afterparty

In her constant quest for the in-between the genres, heavily influenced by dance music and rave culture, thirsty for bass, breaks, and bleeps; Noria Lilt puts together a bursting mix of the most heterogeneous electronic inspirations. From clubs to art centers and other live scenes, her practice oscillates between djing, live, composition and production, audiovisual installations, and multichannel pieces. Her production and composition process tends towards acousmatic and experimental music, with a delicate and unique sound design. TRNSTN RADIO co-founder, Kapitel Bollwerk resident DJ, SMEM artistic co-curator: she is an important figure and an active member of the cultural, nightlife, and musical scenes of Switzerland. In all her facets, she presents powerful messages in a captivating hybrid universe

Synthesizer

Woodwinds

Ali Dada

Local support will be provided by the Zurich band Ali Dada. Their music sounds like psychedelic guitars, sluggish drums and blurred soundscapes. The band draws essences from surf rock, slow jazz, lo-fi beats and ambient and cooks up their very own soup - dense, analog and full of joy. While their last releases were still located in downtempo and afterhour sounds, their recently released album Sum features a completely new, unique sound. Difficult to pin down and yet still present - somewhere between jazz, wave and the legacy of J Dilla.

Domenique Dumont

Domenique Dumont likes to keep quiet when it comes to the exact composition of the project. Until the booking was confirmed, it was also unclear to us who or what Domenique Dumont actually is - band, duo, solo project? But as the saying goes: It&#x27;s only music, baby. So why bother with trivialities? The act has also completely dispensed with a social media presence. When navigating through Dumont&#x27;s Spotify profile, you come across playlists with names like Global Groove (Groovy Sounds from around the World) or Electronica Romantica (Delicate digital expressions of the heart) and want to pee on the Porsche of the Spotify marketing people responsible. Because Domenique Dumont&#x27;s music is far removed from musical clichés. Instead, references from 50 years of pop culture and rare grooves are masterfully interpreted and served up instrumentally in a finely seasoned soundscape with extremely catchy melodies.

Sleepii & Chrigi G. us Z.

Before, between and especially after the concerts, GDS resident DJs take over the decks: Sleepii has been mixing bouncy tracks full of energy as part of the Fögel for almost ten years. Solo, she makes the music sound dreamy - the perfect way to drift off. But don&#x27;t worry: so far nobody has dozed off while listening! Chrigi G. from Z. has been collecting music for a long time. Almost pathologically, actually. With GDS.FM, he has now found a way to make it accessible. He puts together daily playlists in the radio program and presents his favorites mixed in clubs and bars or at festivals.

Harp

In Between Plus

Roberto Domeniconi

Music between the genres of today&#x27;s jazz, with a background of many years of experience in the jazz tradition and the experimental electronic music of the past decades: the electronic wizard and saxophonist Bruno Spoerri, the versatile pianist Roger Girod and the sensitive percussionist Tony Renold have come together to make music which has been freed of any stylistic boundaries.

Rapid Ear Movement

Four elegant men explore virtual particle fields, random unpredictable sonic constants, entanglement, mangledment, and several other superlatives of musical expression. All of this while having a great deal of fun!

Synthophone

Mammal Hands

Sometimes meditative, sometimes cinematic, with rhythmic elements that evolve, complement each other and develop into a driving maelstrom: Mammal Hands play a driving fusion of jazz and electronica that never loses its accessibility despite its complexity. On the contrary, the trio&#x27;s energetic live performances can put you in an almost trance-like state. The band is now on the road with their fifth album &quot;Gift from the Trees&quot; (2023) - a must for all fans of Portico Quartet, Gogo Penguin or Grandbrothers.

Driss El Maloumi

The undeniable talent of Driss and his two accomplices and their incredible on-stage complicity never cease to surprise and fascinate the audiences who attend their performances. In this trio project Driss invites us to distil the spices gleaned from the thousand paths he travelled between Arab, Western and sub-Saharan cultures.Quietly, simply, in the intimacy of a dialogue with two percussionists. So that his instrument can fully express its greed, its desire to revel in contact with other essences, other colours. He translates into music this personal journey between his own tradition and his encounters with other cultures.

Simon Spiess Helio

Album Release «Helio»

A somnambulistic journey through moods, rhythms and energies. Although Simon Spiess Helio Quartet have not been playing together in this constellation for very long, they feel a strong bond. This closeness gives their sound an organic wholeness that lasts and touches until the very last note. Malcolm Braff shines on the piano with an expressive, sometimes bluesy touch and inspires with his percussive, repetitive way of caressing and breaking up the melody. Saxophonist Simon Spiess&#x27; solos shine with an unfathomable sensitivity and creative power. His embracing timbre spreads across the band&#x27;s sound like the warming beams of a setting sun, and even in the higher registers his tone retains its compact and grounded quality, lending the harmonies even more depth and substance. Bänz Oester impresses with his clearly emphasized bass lines and melodic, lyrical solos, which fit perfectly into the band&#x27;s sound structure and yet stand out with their uniqueness. Drummer Samuel Dühsler subtly underlays the swinging, bouncy rhythms with brushes and light pulses on the cymbals, providing the necessary structure. He creates the important balance to the melodies and harmonies and enriches them with a gentle conciseness.  Two generations come together here, enriching each other through their individual experiences and processes and creating a profound whole with their own compositions. In their sound, which is rooted in jazz, they organically and intelligently integrate other styles and influences - it is innovative, international and timeless. The strength of this outstanding band is their rhythmic interweaving, combined with an incredible harmonic sensitivity and dense, restrained expressiveness that makes their music resonate in the soul and heart for a long time to come.  The debut album by Simon Spiess Helio Quartet, recorded by SRF, will be released by Unit Records in February.

Mareike Wiening US Quintet

«Reveal»

As she set out to conceive the music for her third album Reveal as a leader, drummer/composer Mareike Wiening glanced around and discovered a wealth of potential inspirations in the tumultuous events of recent years. Of course, there were the global upheavals that we’ve all watched unfold with bated breath: the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, political divisiveness in the U.S., Europe and beyond. Then there were the life-altering experiences that took place closer to home: Wiening moved back to her native Germany in 2018 after six years in New York, settling in Cologne. She suffered the death of a close family member after witnessing a slow decline in health, and she’s reaching a stage of life where societal pressures to settle down and start a family begin to strongly impinge. All of this set against the backdrop of an uncertain future for the music industry as inflation soars in Germany. Realizing that such heady subjects could result in a decidedly stark and somber album, Wiening chose not to react but to reveal, searching inward for the warmth and spirit that connected her with music in the first place. On Reveal, her third album for Greenleaf Music, Wiening has crafted her richest and most deeply personal music to date. “Personally and as a musician, I’ve been in so many situations in the past few years where the future feels insecure or questionable,” Wiening says. “I really wanted to listen deep inside myself and find the joy and hope in music.”

Les Frères Smith

Les Frères Smith have been a mainstay of the Parisian Afro-groove scene for almost 20 years. Always on the lookout for something new, the eleven brothers have never gotten stuck in the mire of repetition. Permeable to outside influences from noisy concrete cities and nature, Les Frères Smith have combined funk and highlife, jazz and soul, tropical flavors, glowing copper and polyrhythms into a highly inflammable fuel heated by the enchanting voice of Swala Emati Smith and the fury of Prosper Smith. They call this fuel Afrikanbeat.

Altsaxophon

Flute

Baritone Saxophone

K.O.S Crew Dancehall Mood

Party

Dancehall Mood is the monthly reggae and dancehall party at Moods. Like on every first Saturday of the month, the K.O.S crew will make the Moods club cooking with hot riddims. This promises an evening full of dancehall hits and reggae rarities, perfectly tuned to the respective audience and immaculately presented by the K.O.S crew and their guest.

Claudia Masika

Experiencing music together is the focus of the family concert series at Moods. There are no children&#x27;s songs, but rather concerts with good music that invite you to dance and be amazed. In a relaxed and happy atmosphere, young and old have the opportunity to explore the colorful world of musical styles together and share their enthusiasm. Her grandmother recognized Claudia Masika&#x27;s singing talent at an early age. She introduced Claudia to the magic of traditional singing in the Luo language. Claudia has been in Switzerland for about 15 years and has established herself as a top act with her international band. Her own version of the Afro fusion sound has found favor with a wide audience at home and abroad, far beyond the Afro fan community. On stage, Claudia Masika is a force to be reckoned with and with a large portion of positive energy and humor, meaningful songs and an experienced band behind her, she puts smiles on the faces of the audience and rhythm in their legs. - Duration of the concert 50-65 minutes - Children of all ages are welcome to attend this concert. - We will make sure the volume is appropriate, but we still recommend ear protection for the little ones. - Children under the age of 12 can attend the concert free of charge, but we ask that you reserve a free ticket in the system. - Young people between the ages of 12 and 16 pay half price. - Can&#x27;t afford a ticket? Send us an email at info@moods.ch.

Dimitri Howald & the Amnis Band Extended

Album Release «Southern Return»

Guitarist Dimitri Howald lets himself drift on his third solo album Southern Return - with a curiously yearning music that brings together the most diverse influences from jazz, new wave and tropicalismo to create a very personal mixture. Drive off - to where the forests give way to palm trees and the landscapes are vast and tropical. The times, places and influences overlap in these 12 very personal pieces of music, which Dimitri Howald recorded all by himself: We hear Brazilian tropicalismo influences, light and delicate jazz guitar figures, harmonies that radiate an untranslatable saudade, while the wave drum machine sets the pace at times, as on earlier albums. Dimitri Howald recorded Southern Return over the course of three years. He plays with the individual musical elements, tinkers, sings, warms - and breaks the idyll with analog synth sounds that emphasize the shadows or with pieces that lead right into the youthful grunge band cellar. Slight melancholy, longing, unfulfilled and as yet unrealized dreams: all this resonates delicately in this music. The concert will be played with reinforcements, i.e. Howald&#x27;s Amnis Band will be stretched out and enlarged. His quartet, consisting of Stefan Schischkanov, Toni Schiavano and Flo Reichle, will be joined by Michael Haudenschild, Sebastian Lötscher, Nao Rohr and Cégiu for a truly extended evening.

Viola

Cello

Millà – Guy – Niggli

Lucas Niggli – GLUT3

This brand-new trio takes a completely contemporary approach to jazz&#x27;s loaded yet magnificent instrumental formula: the piano trio. Perhaps comparable to the symbolism of the string quartet in classical music, is still an enormously rich playing field in terms of colour and interaction possibilities. In this constellation, however, not only do three improvisers who have been washed in many waters and one improviser who is yet to be discovered in this country meet, all of whom are also among the innovators in the way they play their instruments, but three musicians who are also active as composers in the field of contemporary music, performance and current forms of jazz. The pianist is not accompanied by a rhythm section, and the established roles are constantly dismantled, resulting in an extremely agile, intense trio music, characterised by a high level of formal awareness, nimble turns, beautiful sounds, wit and a discipline that gives the improvisations a special urgency. The well-rehearsed duo Barry Guy – Lucas Niggli, which can already look back on 25 years of history (in the trio Demierre – Guy – Niggli, in the quintet Lucas Niggli BIG ZOOM, in Barry Guy&#x27;s London Jazz Composers Orchestra, in the trio with Maya Homburger and in the &quot;HexenTrio&quot; with the legendary Canadian pianist Paul Plimely) is once again expanded into a triangle and finds a congenial partner in Jordina Millà for a dance on a tightrope without a net or false bottom.

Mostar Sevdah Reunion

Kultur Shock & Moods present

The story of this ensemble is one of success against all odds. In 1999, Bosnian sound engineer and producer Dragi Šestić gathered a group of musicians from different ethnic backgrounds – Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks - in war-torn Mostar. At the time, it was a bold venture that was initially met with more suspicion than interest. Some bands get boring with age, others get better. Mostar Sevdah Reunion fall into the second category, and you don&#x27;t even know how they do it, because you were already more than satisfied with the previous album. The Bosnian combo seems to be getting more and more relaxed, they have nothing to prove anymore. No note is too much and everything is just right. They also know how to surprise again and again. After collaborations with Saban Bajramović, Esma Redzepova, Boban Marković and other Balkan greats, they are now working on their twelfth album with Antonija Batinić, who used to play rock, jazz and blues. It alludes to Robert Golden&#x27;s film Stories of Sevdah, in which Sevdah is described as &#x27;Balkan blues&#x27;. Comparisons between genres are always a misnomer, but there is a parallel, as Rusmir Pobrić so aptly explains in the liner notes: Blues is the music of slaves, Sevdah is the music of the slaves of love. Listeners can expect eleven tracks of great emotion – without any kitsch.

Mario Peric

The BalkanEkstra Parti doesn&#x27;t stop at oriental sounds or Arabic rhythms - the main thing is to dance! With the legendary concert and party series Kultur Shock, Mario Peric is one of the pioneers of the Balkan scene as an organizer, DJ and producer. He has been thrilling audiences for many years with his varied, explosive and crazy sounds. His musical spectrum cannot be pinned down to one direction. The main thing is that it rocks!

The Clients

EP Release «Sell Out»

This formation has been shining as an irresistible groove machine on the Swiss soul and funk scene for years. The sheer joy of playing and the irrepressible sound that these five experienced musicians conjure up together on stage will make even the designated dance grouches twitch their hips. After several releases over the last few decades, they are now christening their new album «Sell Out» at Moods.

MKZ «Best of Stufentest»

Every year, the students of Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich (MKZ) can have their musical progress assessed by a jury of experts as part of the Stufentest. Outstanding contributions from all seven levels are then performed in front of an audience. This year&#x27;s final concert again reflects the stylistic breadth of MKZ - from Mozart to Motörhead, played and sung by eager beginners to stage-tested near-pros. Line-up: about 20 students (tba) from MKZ, accompanied by teachers (piano or accompanying band)

Pino Zortea Jazzkarussell

“There, the carousel is playing!” People stop, laughing. “How nice to see the carousel again. Where has it been all this time?” Playful children climb onto the horses and start spinning until the music fades, then the next ones get to ride. The carousel dances to the music deep into the night, while elsewhere, Pino Zortea&#x27;s Jazz Carousel begins a concert evening at Moods to celebrate the release of their second album, &quot;Tragedy or Comedy?&quot;

Aino Salto

The fact that musicians sometimes process what they have experienced is not a unique selling point. But Aino Salto has the vehemence, the acumen and the ability to confront even the most unpleasant things with (black) humor like hardly anyone else. Born in France, raised in Leipzig and now living in Bern, the musician Sonia Loenne had the feeling for years that she had to vomit something musical, as she describes it in her own words. Something had to come out. But it wasn&#x27;t clear what that was. Until I howled the music for my first album into the keys in the fall of 2023. Fortunately. Because Imagine People as Adolescent Birds is a collection of seven powerful songs, it&#x27;s music about sisterhood and feminist mushroom networks (Mother Mushroom), anger (Anger) and life as the feeling of looking at power lines while driving (Powerlines). The music comes from the bottom of their hearts, from flugelhorn, double bass, keys and drums, from the bottom of their throats. Vomit drips out of every syllable, a mixture of fear, naivety, hopeless optimism and the scent of raspberries.

Bloco Adalu

Adalu Carnaval

Tropikaos - Carnaval Adalu invites you on a journey through the sounds, sights and culture of Brazilian carnival, where people revel in colorful, harmonious chaos at the world&#x27;s biggest street parties. As in previous years, the Bloco Adalu will kick things off, with various percussive groups from Zurich coming together in one tempo. Led by the talented musician Juninho Ibituruna, these groups will open our carnival party in the foyer of the Schiffbau. Similar to a traditional Bloco de Rua, we will bring together the groups Ilù Àiya, Borumbaia and Zurich School of Samba.

Coletivo Gira

Women unite their voices, their instruments and their love of samba in a performance that revives the great samba classics, but also introduces the samba of the new generation. The work of women, whether as composers or performers, is always at the forefront. The group is made up of multi-instrumentalists from different regions of Brazil and the world who bring their idiosyncrasies and influences, resulting in a unique performance full of power and lightness, without neglecting the activism and resistance of women who are still fighting for greater representation in samba. The focus of the concert is on samba and other Afro-Brazilian rhythms from the Samba de Terreiro. The sound of the hand drums (ilú and conga) is present in most of the arrangements and gives them an independent tonal identity without neglecting their roots.

Banda Tropikaos

Experience the infectious sound of Brazilian carnival with Tropikaos! The band was put together by the Adalu association with the aim of presenting the best sound of Brazilian carnival. With their energetic performance, they take the audience on a musical journey through the whole of Brazil - from north to south, from old classics to modern hits. With their energetic performance, the talented musicians Dandara Modesto (vocals), Juninho Ibitiruna (percussion), Carlinhos Assuncao (percussion), Mauricio Caruso (guitar), Thiago K (vocals, guitar) and Rafael (bass) captivate the audience and ignite an irresistible groove that makes you want to dance. The band Tropikaos is more than just a band, they are an artistic experience that enchants the senses and ignites pure joie de vivre.

Baile Funk Party

Cris Trópica has set herself the goal of spreading the extensive Brazilian music culture, with all its roots and influences, in Europe. In her project BelezaPuraSomSistema, she regularly collaborates with DJs from home and abroad who share her passion for Brazilian music. She will bring the carnival to a close with hot Brazilian beats.

Disk Jockey

Vaudou Game

Spirit Music Society & Moods present

What happens here is hypnotic. The band Vaudou Game from Lyon, France, with its charismatic singer from Togo, quotes Afro-funk as it originated in Benin and Togo in the seventies. In other words, where voodoo is part of popular culture and has also left its ecstatic magic in the music. Frontman Peter Solo and his musicians groove uncompromisingly to the point of trance. It&#x27;s like fusing James Brown and Fela Kuti to create a new superfunk.

Buzz (Boss Hi-Fi)

BUZZ needs no introduction. 16 Tons: fantastic records, beautiful furniture. Boss Hi-Fi: best reggae DJs He will play a playful and groovy set after Vaudou Game. ¡Baila!

Together in Sound

Brandy Butler

Together in Sound is a new event in collaboration with Brandy Butler that invites music enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the artistry of albums in a communal setting, offering a rare opportunity for focused, intentional listening. Each session a featured guest will present their favorite album, offering a personal introduction that delves into the significance of their selection. Following the introduction, attendees will listen to the full album recording together, uninterrupted, in an atmosphere that encourages deep engagement with the art of listening. Together in Sound offers a thoughtful and reflective way to start a Sunday morning, blending music appreciation with community interaction.

Manon Mullener 5tet feat. David Stauffacher

Manon Mullener is one of Europe&#x27;s promising young jazz musicians. She weaves her notes between jazz, Latin music and the melodies of her native Switzerland. Her compositions are like travel diaries, blending the echoes of stages all over the world, from New York to Havana, via European festivals. Her playing, both intimate and vibrant, invites you on a sensory voyage, an immersion in a universe where every note tells a story. With her new album Stories, recorded in New York, the young Swiss pianist Manon Mullener traces a true musical fairy tale through 8 testimonies of people she has met all over the world, offering a different perspective on instrumental music. The audience experiences a modern jazz concert with the influences of Cuban music that make Manon&#x27;s playing so special, while also experiencing the life stories of Zoila, a 95-year-old Cuban grandmother who tells of the perfumery she ran with her husband in Havana in the 1950; Noh, a Mexican cab driver who still carries on the values of the Maya today; or Willard, a theater character from the upscale neighborhoods of New York fascinated by opera. Crazy energy and goosebumps guaranteed!

Chico Freeman’s Exotica

Two-time Grammy nominated saxophonist/composer Chico Freeman announces his new and highly anticipated project featuring some of the most accomplished musicians in the world. Chico Freeman has worked and recorded with some of the greatest artists in the world from many musical genres, as well as leading some of the most exciting groups and projects in the history of jazz. The unique combination of instruments and individual virtuosity of these musicians promises a wonderful collaboration of hearts, minds and musical wonder. Exotica continues the legacy of excellence and begins an incredible journey into the future of creative and modern music. Heralded as one of the most important saxophonists of our time, Chico Freeman has perfected an immediately recognizable approach to music and composition, blending what he has experienced from his past and providing fluidity into a future of infinite musical possibilities. Joined by none other than Swiss Bass Export, Heiri Känzig, and percussion maestro Reto Weber, Freeman&#x27;s Exotica return to Moods after 10 years!

Singers Night

First the world moved closer together, then the borders were drawn up again. That&#x27;s the bad news. But the good news is that OY are not part of it. rSinger/keyboardist Joy Frempong and producer/drummer Melodydreamer have been making music across all musical, linguistic and cultural borders for a decade. The Berlin-based duo with roots in Ghana and Switzerland have thrilled audiences on stages around the world, whether at festivals such as Eurockéenes in France, Rec Beat in Brazil or at club shows in downtown Cairo and New York. 2022 saw them on tour in Europe with the Colombian band Bomba Estéreo as a support act. It is therefore only logical that the title of their current album is World Wide We Polyglot negotiations of political and personal themes are musically realized. From electronica Afrobeats avant-pop to hip-hop, trap and jazz. OY&#x27;s music is more versatile and unified, stylistically more open and self-contained than ever. World Wide We is an open invitation to everyone who wants to dance all clichés to the ground at the duo&#x27;s celebrated concerts.

Vali Mayer Gypsy Dynasty

Up-and-coming artist Vali Mayer is constantly redefining himself. His latest endeavour – a deceleration. Bigger, better, not faster, stronger. How Slow can you go. Also part of the game are Holzmanno Winterstein, a companion of the legendary Schnuckenack Reinhardt, and the virtuoso guitarist Gigi Reinhardt, who&#x27;s himself part of the Django Reinhardt family.

V.I.P. Session by JUR Records

JUR Records invites you to the V.I.P. Session: Get ready for a wild night of dancing with well-known DJs and a good dose of drum&#x27;n&#x27;bass! 

Bajar

jazzhane & Moods present

jazzhane and Moods cordially invite you to the Nowruz Festival and welcome spring and the new year. Shortly after the equinox, we will celebrate the Nowruz Festival for the third time on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Nowruz means “new day” and has been celebrated for 3,000 years by over 300 million people in the Balkans, the Black Sea region, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. Bajar, the Kurdish-rock band led by frontman Vedat Yıldırım (founding member of the internationally acclaimed Kardeş Türküler), blends folk, rock, and traditional eastern tunes: a project born in urban Istanbul’s hybrid neighborhoods and streets. Singing in both Kurdish and Turkish, the band creates music, that is deeply political, challenges and protests the ongoing ghettoization of minorities, racial and cultural discrimination, inequality, democracy, and freedom. Perhaps, this is best seen in their cover version of «They Don’t Care About Us», which they have recorded with Defjen, a daf-percussion-collective from Istanbul. A tour de force: reinterpreting and blending Michael Jackson’s masterpiece with Eastern tunes, switching Brazilian percussions with the Daf, and adding Vedat’s strong Kurdish voice, the song is a call - once again and after more than a quarter of a century - for freedom and justice.

Kefaya & Elaha Soroor

Kefaya &amp; Elaha Soroor is an award-winning collective that combines synth-rock, post-punk and psychedelic jazz with the rich textures of Afghan folk music to create a sound that transcends boundaries and genres. Accordingly, the collaboration was praised by the Guardian as one of the most fascinating new bands of the year. Elaha Soroor had achieved great fame in her home country thanks to the show Afghan Star. When the young singer spoke out against Sharia law, she received death threats and had to flee to London. Here she met the band Kefaya and the idea for this album immediately began to mature. The result is an album that is intended as a statement against the prejudices against the Afghan people.

Ingoma Busuku

Jonas Ruther

The story of Ingoma Busuku began with an initial contact between Jonas Ruther and South African saxophonist Linda Sikakhane. Mediated by Nduduzo Makhathini, the two had originally planned to tour Switzerland in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the tour had to be postponed several times before finally taking place in 2022. On the subsequent tour in South Africa, they also performed with singer Paras Dlamini. The concert at Moods will be Dlamini&#x27;s first appearance in Europe. The band&#x27;s name &#x27;Ingoma Busuku&#x27; also comes from the South African singing tradition and means &#x27;song of the night&#x27; in isiZulu, referring to the lyrics, which are deeply rooted in the Zulu tradition and at the same time reflect universal themes such as love, spirituality and connection to the ancestors. The band combines these with groovy rhythms, spiritual melodies and fine improvisation. During their tour of South Africa, the band recorded their first album, &#x27;Isambulo&#x27; (2022), produced by none other than Nduduzo Makhathini.

Jools Holland

Tonight with Jools Holland - the British music legend returns! The multi-talent became known in 1974 with the new wave formation Squeeze, and since 1992 he has hosted the successful music show &quot;Later... with Jools Holland&quot; on BBC, while also touring with his own boogie-woogie, R&#x27;n&#x27;B and pop program. He is always accompanied by a top-class line-up. This year he will be supported by the Jamaican R&#x27;n&#x27;B voice Ruby Turner.

Mark Lettieri

Mark Lettieri is both an extremely versatile guitarist and a very busy man. At home in virtually every genre, he is currently one of the most sought-after studio musicians and has toured with a number of major artists. In 2008, Lettieri became an integral part of the jazz/world group Snarky Puppy, where he contributes as guitarist, arranger and composer. Outside of Snarky Puppy, Lettieri has released five albums as a leader, and in 2018 Lettieri joined forces with Vulfpeck offshoot The Fearless Flyers, which includes Vulfpeck&#x27;s Cory Wong and Joe Dart on guitar and bass, respectively, and drummer Nate Smith (Chris Potter, Pat Metheny). His most recent recordings include David Crosby, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Adam Levine, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Tori Kelly, Ledisi, Tamela Mann, Eric Roberson, Lecrae, Lupe Fiasco, Keyshia Cole, Xzibit and numerous radio and TV jingles.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra

Tribute to Bill Holman 

Big band musicians around the world mourn the passing of master composer and arranger Bill Holman, who died on May 6, 2024 at the age of 97. His long and prolific career spanned seven decades and produced hundreds of compositions and arrangements that have become beloved core repertoire of big bands and favorites of their audiences around the world. The last time Bill Holman was in Switzerland (2014), he conducted a concert of his music with the Zurich Jazz Orchestra, which remains one of the most memorable performances in the ZJO&#x27;s long history. Our musical directors Daniel Schenker and Ed Partyka met in 1996 as members of the Generations Festival Big Band in Frauenfeld, which was conducted by - you guessed it - Bill Holman. The Zurich Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the wonderful music and long life of Bill Holman on March 27, performing some of his most popular works as well as some rarely heard gems that highlight the orchestra and its outstanding soloists.

Leitung

Bassposaune

m4music Festival

5 stages, over 40 shows, several expert talks and an award show: the Migros Kulturprozent&#x27;s m4music Festival is the first festival highlight of the year. On Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Schiffbau, Moods and EXIL. m4music connects, promotes and discovers: This is where the Swiss music scene comes together, exchanges ideas and celebrates the acts of tomorrow. With the festival with shows, conference and award show, and the Demotape Clinic, Migros Kulturprozent creates a platform for exchange, information and talent promotion. The ticket can be exchanged for the festival wristband at the check-in desk from 11.30 am. It entitles the holder to admission to all concerts (subject to capacity). Discover more cultural highlights in Zurich: With the m4music ticket, you can also visit the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (10 minutes&#x27; walk from the festival site) free of charge: www.migrosmuseum.ch In addition, the entire afternoon program of m4music with Conference, Demotape Clinic and Openair Stage is free and freely accessible. All performance times and further information on the festival can be found at www.m4music.ch and Instagram. The festival will be held in accordance with the current official regulations; we reserve the right to make changes to the program.

Jacob Karlzon, Benjamin Koppel, Scott Colley, Magnus Öström

Portable Infinity

Portable Infinity is the name of the Scandinavian-American project. The All-star quartet not only has jazz history with it, but also personal meetings with greats such as Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield and Esbjörn Svensson. A lot is connected here: the long experience, the openness to new things and the pure desire to play. “As a child I was always inventing something,” says Benjamin Koppel. “I invented a whole world and a language for this world. I use all that in my music.” The Danish saxophonist and award-winning novelist is a defining figure of European jazz, always in exchange with the American tradition. In the quartet he meets the magically grooving drummer Magnus Öström – a former member of the legendary EST, the incredibly versatile bassist Scott Colley and the energetic pianist Jacob Karlzon, for whom every concert is an event: “For me, performing live in front of an audience is the original place for music, an ecstatic experience for both sides.”

Peter Schärli Trio feat. Glenn Ferris

All the best, dear Peter! Peter Schärli has been performing on stage for almost fifty years. In this country, of course, and in the European region, but also at festivals halfway around the world, in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. There are reasons for this constant success - consistent quality at a high level. And the fact that this often prevails sooner or later is one of the comforting realizations of our existence. Glenn Ferris is also one of the few world-class musicians who can claim to have played with the brilliant Frank Zappa: As a very young trombonist, he was a member of the small Wazoo Orchestra, which played a few of Zappa&#x27;s best and most complex compositions on a world tour. Ferris has been working professionally since he was sixteen years old and his discography, with over a hundred CDs under his own name and as a sideman, reads like a Who&#x27;s Who of jazz and pop music: from Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Tim Buckley and the Average White Band to Don Ellis, Quincy Jones, Art Pepper, Tony Scott, Archie Shepp and Billy Cobham to John Scofield, Michel Petrucciani and the Brecker Brothers. Quality also means artistic integrity for Schärli. An artist does not have to fulfill expectations, he has to be himself. Schärli is exactly that, the result is a body of work that is constantly evolving, yet always bears his signature. You can feel it in the music here: there are beautiful melodies, clever chords, plus swing, drive, sophisticated improvisations, virtuoso craftsmanship, empathetic interplay - in short, everything that good music can offer. What more could we want?

Yao Bobby x Simon Grab feat. Freeky (aka Nathalie Fröhlich)

Simon Grab

Simon Grab&#x27;s music is celebrating the error, taming raw noises and electronic feedback circuits to find a musical balance within the randomness. The combination of dirty bass electronics by the Swiss noisemaker with straightforward rapped lyrics in French and Ewe, the native language of Togolese MC Yao Bobby, culminates in a dark, experimental hip-hop and bass noise experience. As the duo ‘Yao Bobby x Simon Grab’, they&#x27;ve been working together since 2018, releasing their music on the Bristol label LavaLava Records, and some of their music videos have won awards. Other tracks have appeared on compilations by labels such as Exist Records, Syrphe and the Nyege Nyege Tapes. The latter organises the renowned Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda, where the duo has just performed for the second time. FREEKY is the new project from rapper Nathalie Fröhlich, whose hard-hitting lyrics have resonated across Europe in recent years. With this project, she dives even deeper into the raw energy and intensity for which she is renowned, mixing her incisive flow with productions that are much darker than usual. The project is an ode to freedom, to MC culture, but above all to the real underground rave. The kind that&#x27;s hidden away, where anything goes, the kind that will never be profitable but will make you rich. The kind that, though sometimes threatened, will never disappear.

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Zainab Lascandri is a Black, trans- and interdisciplinary artist who flows between the realms of pop culture and elite art. Her work navigates theater, music, film, and performance, dissolving boundaries to create new meanings. “Imagine A Black Child” is a powerful performance that merges sound archives, self-produced music, video, and dance into a contemporary ritual.

Style Bakery feat. Nnavy / Bandit

A superb live band meets renowned MCs and vocalists for a freestyle show: that&#x27;s the Style Bakery! Renowned acts present their songs in unique versions specially developed for this evening. Raw and unpolished. Hosted by the outstanding collective Jonny Ive, Pablo, Toni Schiavano and Flo Reichle. This April edition features the enchanting Lausanne soul singer Nnavy. We are really looking forward to her touching voice and her incredibly charismatic performance. Her star is rising steeply: she played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, tours at home and abroad and had an appearance on the cult format Colors-Show. The rap legend Bandit from Glarus will also be joining us: in the noughties, he shaped the Swiss rap scene like no other with his collective Luut&amp;Tüütli. His urgency and energetic style leaves no one cold, which can also be experienced impressively in his legendary freestyle performances.

Nikki Hill

Anyone who has experienced Nikki Hill singing her heart out knows that this woman is like a thunderbolt! Loud, bright and electrifying! Together with husband and guitarist Matt Hill and her ‘Pirate Crew’, the North Carolina-born singer is finally bringing her unmistakable Deep South Soul back to Moods. With unfiltered energy, they take on all varieties of American roots music and deliver a sound that makes you believe in rock and roll again.

Jazz Trombone Festival

Samuel Blaser Trio

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