Ace Ross

Saxophon

Keyboards

Bass

Drum Kit

Finale

Ace Ross is the alter ego of drummer and producer Arthur Routaboul, who is active in various up-and-coming jazz and contemporary music bands. Ace Ross boldly combines live jazz and modern production. In doing so, he creates an innovative and captivating musical experience, influenced by bands such as corto.alto or Nubiyan Twist.

Mira Lu Kovacs

Vocals

Guitar

Piano

Mira Lu Kovacs is the voice of the avant-garde supergroup 5K HD, band leader, grunge-pop guitarist for My Ugly Clementine, sound corporate designer for Vienna&#x27;s Belvedere Museum and theatre musician. Amidst this exciting diversity, Mira Lu Kovacs&#x27; solo project on her latest album &quot;Please, Save Yourself&quot; (2024) surprises with an extraordinary calmness. Her voice, introspective lyrics and guitar unfold into sophisticated compositions that become music for daydreaming and maybe even shedding some tears.

30 Jahre Zurich Jazz Orchestra

Leitung

Altsaxophon

Tenorsaxophon

Trumpet

Trombone

Bassposaune

Tuba

Horn

30 Jahre Zurich Jazz Orchestra

Since its foundation three decades ago, the Zurich Jazz Orchestra (ZJO) has established itself as one of Europe&#x27;s leading professional big bands. With tireless energy, artistic curiosity and a deep love of the big band tradition, the ensemble has had a decisive influence on the Zurich jazz scene - with its unmistakable sound of swinging elegance, experimental openness and orchestral power. The musical development of the ZJO has been decisively shaped by the various musical directors, who have set new impulses with their signature style and expanded the stylistic diversity of the orchestra. Each era - whether characterized by their own compositions and arrangements, international collaborations or programmatic curiosity - has furthered the ZJO&#x27;s artistic identity. On its 30th anniversary, the ZJO looks back on an impressive musical journey. The anniversary concert program brings together highlights from the repertoire of the past decades - works that have particularly shaped the ensemble and its audience. At the same time, we are opening up the archive and bringing some hidden treasures back to the stage: less frequently performed compositions and arrangements that impressively expand the artistic spectrum of the ZJO. It is an evening full of memories, discoveries and perspectives - a musical homage to the past and a resounding outlook on the future of an orchestra that is constantly changing and yet remains true to its vision.

Floriano Inacio

Cavaquinho

E-Gitarre

E-Bass

Percussion

Album Release Tour «Duas Moradas»

Pianist and composer Floriano Inacio Jr. has &quot;Duas Moradas&quot; (two homes) - he moved from the global metropolis of São Paulo to Bülach. And so his fifth album, which tells the story of this journey, is called Duas Moradas. The songs were written all over the world and recorded in a studio in the Brazilian hinterland. Inacio Jr. was inspired by nature, his family and his musician and poet friends, whose memory resonates in every note. The album captivates with a variety of Brazilian rhythms, which are also strongly influenced by the aesthetics of jazz. With engaging melodies, contemporary harmonies and expressive improvisation, the work reveals Floriano&#x27;s passion for jazz, especially Brazilian jazz.

alpha-ray

Synthesizer

Electronics

alpha-ray describe their music as &quot;trip-hop-inspired, jazz-influenced, synthesiser-backed hybrid pop&quot; – and you can hear that influence. The quartet combines lyrical and intimate storytelling with electronic sounds and beats. The result is an intense yet gentle musical mix that reflects the contrasts of life.

Mundus

Hammond organ

The Trio Mundus creates a powerful yet melancholic sound, drawing on influences from groove, contemporary jazz and hip-hop. Victor Decamp&#x27;s compositions act as a musical diary, capturing the feeling of being at home amidst moments of loneliness and intensity. This is music that never fails to surprise.

Samson Philipps

Rhodes

Samson Philipps is a duo consisting of drummer Samuel Schmassmann and keyboardist Philipp Bucholtz. While their music is rooted in nu jazz, they also incorporate elements of drum ‘n’ bass, trip hop, funk, psychedelia, and ambient, creating a driving, yet dreamy sound.

Ramzi Hammad & RH Collective

Flute

Bass Clarinet

Ramzi Hammad & RH Collective 

Drummer and composer Ramzi Hammad combines the Middle Eastern rhythms of his heritage with modern jazz in his music. Hammad&#x27;s life is reflected in his sound. Brought to life by the collective, his Palestinian roots, his jazz studies at the Zurich University of the Arts, and his fondness for the London jazz scene merge into a greater whole.

Ace Ross is the alter ego of drummer and producer Arthur Routaboul, who is active in various up-and-coming contemporary music ensembles and jazz bands. Ace Ross boldly combines live jazz and modern production, creating an innovative and captivating musical experience influenced by bands such as corto.alto and Nubiyan Twist.

Maurice Storrer Quartet

The Maurice Storrer Quartet celebrates contemporary jazz that draws on the tension between form and freedom. At the heart of their music is dialogue: open, courageous, and always flowing. Every moment is carefully thought out, and played anew—with a clear reference to jazz tradition, while also reaching beyond stylistic borders. Their music challenges listeners, never stands still, and thrives on the immediacy of sound.

Barbatuques

Body

Moods Summer Special

Barbatuques scored a hit with Baianá in 2005, which later became the World Cup anthem in Brazil and led to countless remixes. However, to reduce the group from São Paulo to one track would not do them justice. With their mixture of body percussion, vocal music and influences from various Brazilian styles, funk, electronics and rap, Barbatuques have created their own unmistakable sound aesthetic and thus contributed significantly to the worldwide spread of body percussion. Their music has been used for various film, commercial and video game soundtracks and has led to performances in over 30 countries. 25 years after their formation, they return with a new stage show that includes new material as well as their older hits.

Majur

Producer

Director

Adalu & Moods present

Blending notes of R&amp;B, Blues and rap with the waves of soul. The Bahian artist had a striking start to her career, featuring in the Latin Grammy nominated song “AmarElo” alongside Emicida and Pablo Vittar. Majur’s debut album “Ojunifé” (2021), documents her journey of self-discovery and features collaborations with Liniker and Luedji Luna, reinforcing the message of diversity and black affection. She made her international debut at the Roskilde Festival and has been featured in major Brazilian lineups such as Rock in Rio. With a powerful musical presence, Majur merges African, Indigenous, and modern influences, solidifying her place in the music scene.

Christoph Grab's ROOT AREA & Guests

Album Release «In Pursuit of Happiness»

ROOT AREA stands for soul jazz. After three years, the top-class line-up, consisting of Christoph Grab and Nicole Johänntgen on saxophones, Marcel Thomi on Hammond organ and Elmar Frey on drums, is now making an impressive return with its new album In Pursuit Of Happiness. For the album release at Moods, Zurich guitarist Michael Bucher will also be accompanying the band. With the new album, ROOT AREA consistently continues their idea of integrating a wide variety of grooves into their music and using them as a foundation for their original compositions and improvisations. Whether bluesy boogaloo, gospel ballads, New Orleans grooves, quirky reggae or Afrobeats - ROOT AREA combine deep musical roots with the present.

Carte Blanche Special

Accordion

Franziska Bruecker, Roberto Domeniconi, Dave Gisler, Simon Grab, Victoria Mozalevskaya, Lucas Niggli, Jonas Ruther, Tizia Zimmermann

The carte blanche evenings at Moods are something special. Curated by leading Swiss jazz musicians, these evenings invite you to discover and inspire. And what&#x27;s better than an artist&#x27;s carte blanche evening? When all the musicians join forces. Every year, the Moods Musicians&#x27; Council selects Swiss musicians for a Carte Blanche. With a budget of 11,000 francs, they are free to organise their projects as they wish. There are (almost) no limits – be it concerts, sound installations or invitations to guest musicians. Dave Gisler, Franziska Bruecker, Jonas Ruther, Lucas Niggli, Roberto Domeniconi, Simon Grab, Tizia Zimmermann and Victoria Mozalevskaya have come up with something special to close this year&#x27;s Carte Blanche season at Moods. Solo, trio or all together: Moods Carte Blanche artists will showcase their talents in a variety of constellations on 6th June. Instead of concentrating on their own musical creations, as they did in their individual shows, they will create unique soundscapes together on this evening. Familiar patterns and genre boundaries are completely ignored. For example, while Simon Grab - the noisemaker par excellence - is completely electronic, Victoria Mozalevskaya originally comes from classical music and has now dedicated herself to contemporary jazz. Worlds will collide, we promise.

Greg Foat

He is a jazz pianist, composer, music producer - and a fixture on the London jazz scene: Greg Foat. In his pieces, Foat mixes jazz and ambient with electronic influences, creating unique soundscapes that invite immersion and exploration. Greg Foat is an innovator, always pushing the boundaries of his music. He recently collaborated with Venetian electro legend Gigi Masin on the critically acclaimed «Dolphin». His creativity knows no bounds. His live releases are proof of this. On «Live at Can Rudayla, Ibiza», for example, he fuses analogue synthesizers with ambient house and space jazz, while on «Live at Villa Maximus, Mykonos», he combines more cosmic jazz sounds with psychedelic elements. Foat will perform at Moods with the living groove machine Moses Boyd. The young jazz drummer, who turns 34 this year, has been described by the Guardian as the poster boy of London&#x27;s jazz revival.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Thomas Gansch

Baritone Saxophone

Album Release «Neat Little Songs»

The long and very fruitful artistic relationship between Thomas Gansch and the ZJO has now been immortalized on a studio recording. This new CD will be presented on May 22nd at Moods. The program consists exclusively of compositions by Thomas Gansch, arranged by Ed Partyka. In addition to Thomas, the soloists of the ZJO can also be heard extensively. The music is profound and humorous at the same time and combines elements of jazz, classical and folk music with unexpected detours into the world of film music and 20th century pop culture. Almost exactly eleven years have passed since Thomas Gansch&#x27;s first performance with the ZJO. Today he is a good friend of the band and a favorite of the ZJO audience. The basic concept therefore remains the same for the joint CD: musical fireworks, fun, unconventional, crazy. Gansch and the ZJO have already performed everything imaginable together: Gil Evans, Don Ellis, their own music. And Thomas Gansch&#x27;s own music can now be heard on the new CD. Thomas Gansch and Ed Partyka have known each other for half an eternity. They met in 1999 at the Vienna Art Orchestra, and later Ed Partyka also played in Thomas Gansch&#x27;s band Gansch &amp; Roses. We have known each other for so long, but until now I have never had the opportunity to arrange his music for a jazz orchestra. I am very pleased that this has finally become possible and that we can present this special program with new arrangements with the ZJO on a joint disc, says Ed Partyka. Thomas Gansch not only has a keen awareness of the history of popular music and jazz, his roots also extend to Alpine folk music and the entire history of European classical music. All this profound knowledge is wrapped up in Viennese humor and presented with a great stage show and virtuoso trumpet playing. Listening to him, you get the impression that playing the trumpet is very easy.

Sélène Saint-Aimé String Trio

Violin

Cello

Sélène Saint-Aimé only appeared on the music scene a few years ago and has already developed a strong, independent voice. With a father from Martinique and a Franco-Ivorian mother, she describes herself as an “Afro-descendant”. Accordingly, her musical identity is clearly cosmopolitan, as she is influenced by both her roots and her travels. In this exclusive concert series, she will reinterpret songs from Louisiana, the Antilles and La Réunion and get to the bottom of her Creole identity. She will be accompanied by French violinist Thèo Ceccaldi, who has already won a Victoire du Jazz as “Revelation of the Year” and demonstrated his versatility with the French-Ethiopian project “Kutu”; and Guillaume Latil, one of the most sought-after jazz cellists. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Lea Maria Fries

Album Release «Cleo»

A fascinating voice reminiscent of Mélanie De Biasio and Beth Gibbons: Lea Maria Fries (et.nu, 22° Halo) is releasing her first solo album &#x27;Cleo&#x27; on 4 April 2025. On it, the Swiss singer confidently tells of an artist&#x27;s intimate search for her future, maturity and sensitivity. It is about encounters with the world, about being a woman in society and culture, and about becoming a queen like the one who has inspired her since childhood: Cleopatra. Strong, soulful, powerful, fresh and full of surprises, &#x27;Cleo&#x27; captivates the listener with every note.

Dr.O.G.E

Orgel

Dave Gisler

Two musicians invent a new state of intoxication: no drugs, just drums, organ and electric guitar. Valeria Zangger, Dominik Blum and Dave Gisler leave times and styles behind when they create their music. Motifs, essences and quotations are taken from the pool of rock, pop and their own musical worlds and catapulted into new dimensions through improvisation. The result can be a cross between Pink Floyd and free jazz, or a noise prayer with Jimi Hendrix and Arnold Schoenberg. This trio was initiated by drummer Fredy Studer, who died unexpectedly in August 2022. Valeria Zangger is now on board, with a stylistic spectrum ranging from pop music to experimental and free improvisation. The interweaving of the most diverse musical hallucinations characterises the trio and is the chemical formula for their explosive fuel. What they have in common is the desire to create energetic sound processes inspired by the history of rock and jazz, which vibrate atmospherically in the free play of encounters and can grow into powerful vibrations.

The long-standing and very fruitful partnership between Thomas Gansch and the Zurich Jazz Orchestra will continue this year. In addition to repertoire from the past, there will also be new arrangements written by Ed Partyka especially for this concert, presenting Thomas Gansch as a composer and multi-instrumental soloist, but also as an amiable &#x27;enfant terrible&#x27;. One thing is certain: the wonderful musicians of the ZJO will provide some musical surprises. It is also certain that the band and the audience will experience an unforgettable evening.

Elina Duni Trio feat. Rabih Abou-Khalil

Flugelhorn

Jurykonzert

Born in 1981 as the daughter of a writer and a director in the Albanian capital Tirana, Elina Duni first appeared on stage at the age of just five. A lot has happened since her first musical steps on radio and television: today, Elina Duni is an ECM artist and, since 2017, a laureate of the Swiss Music Prize. In this ZKB Jazz Prize Special, the oud virtuoso Rabih Abou-Khalil meets the Elina Duni Trio with Marc Méan and Matthieu Michel. A unique constellation that will probably bring some golden moments. The concert took place as part of the ZKB Jazz Prize.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra Funk Night

Joseph Bowie’s Big Band Funk - The Legendary Music of Defunkt

Joseph Bowie is the brother of the big band musician Byron Bowie and the co-founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie. Joe himself founded the punk-funk-jazz group Defunkt in 1978. The band released several genre-bending albums in the 1980s, and their music has been called one of the most adventurous sounds of the last quarter of the 20th century. Over the past 20 years, Joe Bowie has also worked to adapt this music for big band. One of the arrangers Joe has worked with since 2011 is Ed Partyka. The ZJO is looking forward to an energetic evening of danceable hits from the long history of Defunkt.

Orchestra Baobab

Timbales

Congas

Last year, Orchestra Baobab, one of Africa&#x27;s greatest bands, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Its story begins in the heart of Dakar&#x27;s medina in Senegal in the late 1960s and stretches around the world and into the 21st century. The group of singers and musicians from all over the continent play a mixture of Afro and Latin American styles, international pop and traditional griot music. After last year&#x27;s sold-out concert, the band returns to Moods this August. Before and after the concert, DJs Afreekaya &amp; Voilà Tim will be spinning some tunes.

Schmidi Schmidhauser & The Hasta Luegos

Abschiedskonzert

What luck: Mrs. Schmidhauser buys a guitar but doesn&#x27;t find enough time to practice. So she gives the instrument to her boys. Beat and Jürg don&#x27;t waste much time and start rocking. Some time later Beat, meanwhile matured to Schmidi, plays his first gig at the age of 14. Today, about 1500 concerts and 46 years later, Schmidi delights us for the last time live on stage, because – and to our regret – &quot;it&#x27;s enough of a good thing.&quot; From now on, he wants to devote himself to things that have came up short in all these years. Schmidi has experienced indescribable things on a thousand and one stages, on the road with &quot;Stop the Shoppers&quot;, &quot;HOT DC&quot;, &quot;Los Hobos&quot;, &quot;Chica Torpedo&quot;, &quot;Traktorkestar&quot;, &quot;Oso loco&quot;, with Polo, Kuno, Endo, Büne, Sina, Lo &amp; Leduc - and again and again with Jürg/Jiri, the beloved brother. So then: clear the stage!

Evelinn Trouble Orchestra

Viola

Evelinn Trouble

One year after her fifth studio album &quot;Longing Fever&quot; won the &#x27;Indie Suisse Album Of The Year Award&#x27;, Evelinn Trouble is back on tour with her band. Evelinn Trouble, known for her creative restlessness, her virtuoso voice and her idiosyncratic songwriting has added an exciting pop work to her discography with &quot;Longing Fever&quot; - a break with her psychedelic era but still unmistakably Trouble. It&#x27;s an exciting album that traverses highs and lows with fervour, ranging from Beatlesque love songs to euphoric melodies buoyed by distorted hip-hop. Unexpectedly, new sounds of string instruments join the otherwise dark sound universe of the singer: a string trio expands the band to the &quot;Evelinn Trouble Orchestra&quot;. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Alina Amuri + Special Guests

Sousaphon

Album Release im Moods

Alina Amuri&#x27;s record launch will take place as part of the Schiffbaufest. The concert is free of charge, but we ask our guests to reserve a ticket via the link in order to have guaranteed admission. With different cultural influences and a lively and bold message, Alina Amuri manages to create magical musical moments. Born in DR Congo Kinshasa and raised in Switzerland, the singer and multi-instrumentalist has developed her own homemade style between Afro, Neo Soul and Trip Hop in the last ten years. An unforgettable voice meets Congolese percussion joy and surprising flute interludes, releasing forces where optimism returns and dancing becomes inevitable. A sound that creates a new sense of togetherness and the promise that everything will be alright. Alina Amuri&#x27;s music combines influences from Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone and Alicia Keys with a fresh, lively twist. Alina has already been selected for SRF 3 Best Talent, has been nominated for the most important Swiss music award (Swiss Music Awards) and won the Swiss Live Talent Award with her last album (Chasing Traces). At this concert Alina Amuri will present her next studio album Back To You. It is the most personal record so far and tells about her journey back to her birthplace Kinshasa, back to her family roots.

Yarima Blanco Y Son Latino

Tres

Yarima Blanco is an outstanding Tres Cubano player and one of the few outside of Cuba to master this unique three-stringed instrument. With her own septet, Son Latino, she combines various Cuban styles with Latin American influences. Her electrifying performances showcase not only her impressive technique on the tres, but also her powerful voice and charisma. Blanco perfected her skills during several years of study in Cuba and quickly became a sought-after artist, also making waves on the international jazz scene with the orchestra ANACAONA. Pancho Amat, international master of the tres cubanos, describes Blanco&#x27;s talent as exceptional. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Summer Pearl

From her hometown of London, singer Summer Pearl is currently taking the music world by storm. Her sound of jazz, soul, hip-hop and dub, is reminiscent of the one of the great Erykah Badu, both powerful and touching at the same time. Summer Pearl herself describes it as &quot;a meditation on my past and a reflection of our present. It is both a personal and political message exploring black and female liberation and love gained and love lost.&quot;

Rap / R'n'B / Brass

Experimental

Jazz Experimental

Jazz

Soul / Blues / Funk

Rap / R'n'B

Pop / Rock / Singer / Songwriter

Jazz Modern Creative

Global Sounds

Electronic / Party

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Ace Ross

Finale

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