alpha-ray

Vocals

Synthesizer

Guitar

Electronics

Trumpet

Bass

Drum Kit

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.

Mira Lu Kovacs

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

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.

Ace Ross

Saxophon

Keyboards

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.

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.

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.

Flo Stoffner

&quot;Free improvisation at its best&quot; is what Swiss guitarist Flo Stoffner embodies in a unique way. His way of playing and deconstructing the guitar is unmistakable and unique and has been described as &quot;some kind of autopsy of the guitar sound&quot;. Solo or in collaboration with musicians such as John Butcher, Chris Corsano, Paul Lovens, Rudi Mahall, Albert Cirera and Hans Koch, but also with spoken word artist Anna Frey or with Anna &amp; Stoffner, he has become one of the outstanding figures of the European improvisation scene. Looking back as well as forward, he raises the banner of instant composing and proves again and again how alive, surprising and up-to-date the tradition of free improvisation is today.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Theo Bleckmann

Flugelhorn

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Theo Bleckmann 

Ed Partyka and Theo Bleckmann have worked together on several projects in Germany and Finland since 2007, and as Theo is the new jazz vocal teacher at the ZHDK, a collaboration with the ZJO was but a matter of time. Originally this was supposed to happen last season, but unfortunate circumstances made a postponement necessary. Ed Partyka will arrange Theo&#x27;s own compositions as well as a broad repertoire ranging from jazz standards to songs by Kate Bush for Theo&#x27;s unique voice and combine them with the many interesting instrumental textures and timbres of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra. A very special vocal jazz concert. Theo Bleckmann is a multiple GRAMMY®-nominated singer, composer and ECM recording artist who has recorded more than 17 albums and collaborated with artists such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Sheila Jordan, Kneebody, Ben Monder, John Hollenbeck, Phil Kline, David Lang, Ulysses Owens, Bang on a Can All-Stars and, most notably, Meredith Monk since 1994. Bleckmann was interviewed by Terry Gross on the NPR program Fresh Air and appeared on the David Letterman Show with Laurie Anderson. He consistently tops the DownBeat polls, and in his home country of Germany he was awarded the prestigious JAZZ ECHO by the German Phono Academy.

Director

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

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.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra

Regie

Best of: Arranging Jazz

The art of jazz arranging has been around for 100 years. The Zurich Jazz Orchestra will trace the development of this art form for big band - a best-of program as a look back at our season theme The Art of Arranging. The journey begins in the 1920s, continues with the swing and big band era of the 1930s and 1940s and leads into the post-war period. Influential arrangers such as Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, Carla Bley, Billy Strayhorn, George Gruntz and Mathias Rüegg will be in the spotlight and show how &quot;The Art of Arranging&quot; has developed over the past 50 years.

Nubiyan Twist

Acclaimed by the press and critics, celebrated by fans, part of the crème de la crème of British jazz, Nubiyan Twist from Leeds bring together virtuoso musicians, experienced producers and inspired composers under the direction of Tom Excell. Together they create an unmistakable, infectious big band sound with influences from jazz, hip hop, Afrobeat, Latin, soul, reggae and dance music – a captivating, powerful musical experience.

Dominique Fils-Aimé

Dominique Fils-Aimé is back with a new album and after several attempts finally plays the Moods stage for the first time. Following her successful trilogy of albums that traced the history of African-American culture and history and even earned her a JUNO for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2020, comes her latest record, &quot;Our Roots Run Deep,&quot; which will be released in September 2023 on Ensoul Records. Inspired by soul icons such as Billie Holiday, Etta James and Nina Simone, the Canadian with Haitian roots tells of the wellspring of her soul and holds the audience with her voice in a soothing sonic embrace.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Ola Onabulé

Vocal Artistry Series

If little more than a year passes before the ZJO invites a guest for a second time, the premiere must have been a complete success: In November 2022, British-Nigerian vocalist and songwriter Ola Onabulé performed with the ZJO for the first time. He is a virtuoso, self-effacing singer and a lyricist with today&#x27;s world in mind and history in the back of his mind. The topics of his songs hardly leave anything out, from basic human love of life to political content. In doing so, he refrains from stereotyping, which makes his work more elaborate, but his songs all the more authentic.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Karolina Strassmayer

Gil Evans' «New Bottle Old Wine»

The Zurich Jazz Orchestra will present the complete program of the original arrangements of Gil Evans&#x27; classic album New Bottle Old Wine from 1958, with alto saxophone soloist Karolina Strassmayer interpreting the parts originally played by Cannonball Adderley. Compositions such as King Porter Stomp, St. Louis Blues and Round Midnight will be heard. Before Strassmayer became the first woman to join the WDR Big Band in 2004, she was part of the New York jazz scene for over 15 years and played with Chico Hamilton and the Diva Jazz Orchestra. Today she is a professor of jazz saxophone at the Folkwang University in Essen, where she founded and still directs an empowerment program for women in jazz. The second set of the concert features jazz standards arranged by Ed Partyka for the outstanding soloists of the ZJO and orchestrated for the same unique instrumentation as Gil Evans: Trumpets and trombones are reduced from four to three each, with horn and tuba used instead. The piano is missing entirely and the saxophones are largely replaced by flutes and clarinets.

Almost exactly ten 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 of the evening therefore remains the same: musical fireworks, fun, unconventional. This year, the Austrian trumpeter will celebrate the music from his folk crossover album Alpen &amp; Glühen with the ZJO. Ed Partyka will enrich Thomas Gansch&#x27;s original compositions inspired by folk music, which were originally performed by a chamber ensemble, with jazz sounds and big band power.

Jazz

Rap / R'n'B / Brass

Experimental

Jazz Experimental

Soul / Blues / Funk

Rap / R'n'B

Pop / Rock / Singer / Songwriter

Jazz Modern Creative

Global Sounds

Electronic / Party

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