Dima Bondarev: Dima's dedication to jazz has been around since early childhood. In his early twenties, he became part of two well-known Ukrainian jazz bands, Acoustic Quartet and Magnifika Group, to which he still belongs. Often you meet Dima, who lives in Berlin today, at small club concerts or jazz sessions. At the XJazz Festival 2018, the gifted / trumpeter performs with his new Qintet, whose sound can be described as artistically natural, lively and unconventional.
Julia Perminova is a young and talented pianist and composer. Born in Tyumen, Russia. In 2017 graduated Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, Moscow, Russia. Being a freshman at the Academy, Julia won several international competitions: Kim Nazaretov Contest for young jazz musicians (Rostov-on-Don), "Grand Piano in Jazz" contest (Moscow), Gnesin's Jazz (Moscow), Johnny Răducanu International Jazz Festival (Brăila, Pomania). In 2015 Julia was introduced as one of participants on International Festival "Future of Jazz", organized by Igor Butman. In 2016 took I first prize in the contest "International Talent" (Costa Brava, Spain). Also she took a part in various jazz festivals playing with famous Russian and foreign musicians: Linus Lindblom, Valeriy Ponomaryov, VitaliyGolovnev, Igor Butman and Moscow Jazz Orchestra. Julia has her own trio where she plays her own music. In 2018 she released her first album "Revival", which was recorded in Moscow. Now she is a student of Jazz Institut (Berlin, Germany)

The music of this quintet around the Berlin bassist Meinrad Kneer, plays exclusively impressive independent compositions of the bandleader. His music, influenced by different musical styles, such as jazz, rock, contemporary music and free improvisation, inspires this band and creates new interfaces for unexpected interplay and powerful improvisation.

Diego Pinera - The German-Uruguayan drummer and composer was honored in 2017 with the ECHO Jazz as "instrumentalist national drums / percussion". He was named for his last album 'my picture', which he recorded in 2015 together with the US saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Ben Street at Systems Two Studios in New York. He impresses with international virtuosity, musical sensitivity and a unique style mix of his Latin American roots and jazz. Its rhythmic independence and ability to play polyrhythmic is rare and almost unique worldwide. However, his powerful virtuosity on the drumset does not stand in the way of musicality, so he has a special power to compose melancholy melodies and his music radiates strength and calm at the same time.
Peter Weniger began to clarinet before he switched to the saxophone, and after graduating from high school until 1984 took part in the former experimental course "Popular Music" at the University of Music and Performing Arts Hamburg. Until 1992, he studied Jazz at the Hochschule für Musik Cologne with the degree "summa cum laude". About Peter Herbolzheimer, who encouraged him together with Dieter Glawischnig in Hamburg to become professional musicians, he became a member of the Federal Jazz Orchestra in 1987 and 1993 member of the SWR Big Band in Stuttgart as the first tenor saxophonist. At the end of 1999, Peter Weniger became a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts (ensemble, saxophone) and moved to the capital. He now teaches at the Jazz Institute Berlin (JIB), founded in 2005 by the University of the Arts and the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler", and is its Artistic Director.

the legendary Jam Session with Robin Draganic'

On their debut album, Shells in Motion, profound, linguistic images, subtle, harmonious and rhythmic interweaving connect with the individual expression of both musicians and their band members. The clear, warm vocal sound and its wide range combine with the virtuoso and at the same time intuitive piano playing to form a multifaceted, musical cosmos. The result is an experimental sound, which often sounds dreamy and melancholic and at the same time has a certain playful lightness. Sophia & Olga create music beyond the genre boundaries, somewhere between art song, pop song and contemporary jazz.

Consisting of international musicians from Europe and America, the band interprets well-known pieces from the 70s to the present day in the fields of soul, motown, R & B, jazz and pop. The American singer Dorrey Lin Lyles ensures goose bumps and a good mood with her extraordinary voice, whether she sings Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan or Alice Merton Hits.

Consisting of international musicians from Europe and America, the band interprets well-known pieces from the 70s to the present day in the fields of soul, motown, R & B, jazz and pop. The American singer Dorrey Lin Lyles ensures goose bumps and a good mood with her extraordinary voice, whether she sings Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan or Alice Merton Hits.

The quartet plays Originals material influenced by the golden age of jazz guitar in the 50, 60.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1988, jazz guitarist Gur Liraz attended the jazz major of the prestigious Thelma Yellin High School. There he has studied with numerous musicians from the Israeli scene, such as Amit Golan, Yuval Cohen, Erez Barnoy and Amos Hoffman. During this time he was also a private student of the jazz guitar master Ofer Ganor. Since 2004 he has been an active part of the Tel-Aviv jazz scene. During this time he performed in various jazz clubs and bars. In 2013, after six months in New York as a student of guitar legend Peter Bernstein, Gur moved to Berlin and soon became involved in his rapidly developing jazz scene.

Flutist Hadar Noiberg and pianist Olivia Trummer met almost accidentally while Hadar spent some time in Berlin. Their personal and musical connection was immediate, even though quite unexpected. They both share a deep appreciation for Classical music and jazz which they grew up on while also being influenced by various Latin styles in their compositions and improvisations. Being strong bandleaders in their own right, Hadar and Olivia bring a stunning combination of strength and tenderness into their music. With their unified and strong sound as a duo they are blending into one voice at times, as if flute and piano were extensions of each other. Adding Olivia’s vocals and Hadar’s use of effects and loops expands their tonal color palette. In November 2019 the duo releases their first common album, „The Hawk“. It mainly contains their original compositions as well as an arrangement of the Israeli folksong „Be-it Ha’arava“ and a new interpretation of George Harrison’s „Here comes the sun“. The genesis of the album - just like the music itself - has a magical lightness to it: An encounter gave rise to a project, a live recorded concert gave birth to an album. A spontaneous and flowing process which made perfect sense. The organic nature of this album mirrors the development of a beautiful friendship and the ability to hold space for one another musically and personally. The duo creates passionate, mysterious and lyrical music and takes the listener on a voyage into their own fantastical world.

KID COLLING the world of modern blues. A mix of blues and rock, enriched with jazzy harmonies and a groovy rhythm. The well-known musician from Luxembourg, who was played by the great guitarists like B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Garry Clark, Allman Brothers or the Tedeschi Trucks Band, expresses the "Roots" with the warmth and generosity of his sound and guitar playing - but not without adding a hint of jazz , which gives its game a lighter touch. KID COLLING repeatedly makes creative interventions in his music, which also make the groove and the captivating melodies, in the world of blues rock stand out. This he has shown in the year 2018 on his concert tour through the clubs and the grandiose appearance at "Sunday to the castle".

Landæus Trio is a tightly knit unit that takes every opportunity to celebrate life and imagination, rather than getting stuck in intellectual concepts. A live performance with Landæus Trio is typically fun and unpretentious, yet in the music there is a sophistication and brutal honesty at the core. While there is a lot of stylistic variation, there is never any question that these musicians have a deeply rooted understanding of the jazz idiom.

the legendary Jam Session with Robin Draganic'

ELEKTONIC are six musicians from Dresden and Nuremberg, who share their common taste for hip-hop beats, improvisation, jazz, electronic sound production and new music. Musically, they combine all of these influences into a sound that sounds a bit familiar, but always surprises. Acoustic blower motifs cross synthesizer sounds, grooving beats break through expressive sound surfaces - and the next moment it is the other way around.

Award winning Danish bass player & composer returns to Berlin to perform his new music. This multi international group spans 6 countries, and 6 different approaches to music. Syria, Latvia, Ukraine, France, Germany and Denmark are united in the hands of bass player Kenneth Dahl Knudsen.
Recently awarded the northern Jutland culture award, Kenneths sets out to discover new territories with freshly written music for smaller ensemble.
This night will be a mix of all Kenneths inspirations through 10 years of touring the globe.

The six musicians of this band together form a musical ferment that has so far elicited both jubilation and irritation in the feelings of music lovers of various provenance. The CD Paradise recorded three years ago is still overwhelmingly fresh as on the first day. This effect, which starts with every listening, is only possible through the chemistry of the musicians of the original line-up.

The New Strikers is the new ensemble led by Antonio Apuzzo, a sextet born on the ashes but also in the footsteps of the previous group, the quintet "Strike!".
The band's music moves between original compositions by Apuzzo and Lalla, poised between "free forms", expanded songs, blues and futuristic "spirituals" on texts by three great poets and writers, the Welshman Dylan Thomas, the Irishman James Joyce and Italian Cesare Pavese, and one of the most important voices of contemporary Italian poetry, the poet Jolanda Insana.
In the repertoire of the ensemble there are also original arrangements of songs by Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus and Albert Ayler, and excerpts from the songbook of one of the most progressive progressive rock bands, the Gentle Giant.In 2019 the band published a live reduction on You Tube in 6 videos of  Music for vocals, reeds, brass, marimba, bass, drums & percussions.

Belong to Berlin jazz scene. Through years of cooperation in different projects, a musical trust and a friendship has emerged, so that the joint formation of a clear musical discourse can come to the fore. The compositions depict this dialogue and also relate to tradition.

The drummer and bandleader Philippe Gottlieb, who emigrated from Switzerland to Israel in 1980 and played there with many renowned musicians, brings together young musicians from the Israeli jazz scene for a unique performance at B-Flat in Berlin. A swinging and exciting jazz evening.

"The" Vandojam "from Paris and New York now also takes place in the B-Flat, with the support of Vandoren / Paris."
Under the direction of Robin Draganic and Reiner Witzel

Chris Dahlgren - Born in 1961 in New York. Jazz Studies (B.M., 1986) at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. Composition and Experimental Music (M.A., 2003) at Wesleyan University. Composition studies with Anthony Braxton, Alvin Lucier, LaMonte Young and Christian Wolff. Double bass studies with Dave Holland and Francois Rabbath. During his first studies a tight double bass player in the jazz club »Blue Wisp« in Cincinnati. There u.a. Performances with Red Rodney, Johnny Coles, Herb Ellis, John Von Ohlen, Louie Bellson and Cal Collins. Performances and tours u.a. with Anthony Braxton, Charles Tolliver, Joe Lovano, Art Land and Tim Hagans. 1993 return to New York. Regular performances and recordings in the Downtown scene. Since 2004 regular cooperation with musicians and composers from Berlin. Tours in the US, Europe, South America and the former Soviet Union. Recipient of numerous prizes, i.a. from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Headlands Arts Center. Own compositions have been released by the labels Koch Jazz, CIMP, Not Two, Between-the-Lines, Leo and Drimila. Composition "A People's History", a commissioned work for Thomas Bucker for baritone and mixed sextet based on text excerpts from Howard Zinn's book "A People's History of the United States" (premiere in spring 2007 at Merkin Concert Hall, New York) , Since 2003 teacher of ensembles at the Academy of Music »Hanns Eisler« Berlin and JazzInstitut Berlin.

New album by jazz singer Corinna Reich
A journey through different cultures and times: The new album "Between Love and Loss" by jazz singer Corinna Reich is surprising and adventurous. It tells about longing, love and farewell, about their Czech roots and their fascination with the Orient.
The own compositions reflect different influences. Thus, the quartet's modern jazz sound is in some places combined with the unmistakable sound of a Nay flute and provided with Czech lyrics.
Studio: Recording and Mastering by Volker Greve - Volker Greve Studio Berlin
Label: Octason Records.

MFA KERA & Black heritage feat. Mike RUSSELL is known for Afro Soul, funk and jazz music. Black Heritage invites you to an unforgettable and unique musical journey with the mesmerizing charismatic vocalist and composer Mfa Kera of Madagascar, also known as "the VOICE" (the voice) and the extraordinary guitarist and singer Mike Russell from Washington DC. The variety and richness of its rich repertoire and the high quality of the soloists and the compositions make the group the right place in jazz as well as in world music events and festivals.

"Dog and hubris" tells of the unsubstantial nature of being.
Of the nice little things in life. From nostalgia to our first stolen horse. From playing at the pond, with the thick neighbor boy and the heuristic evolution. From clowns and frippery and ecstatic monkey dances. Of nebulous figures and time to pause. And that the good days are not counted yet. "Rooted in the jazz tradition of a Thelonious Monk or Duke Ellington," Dog and Hybris "celebrates the free movement of the modern age quite undogmatically, unless a 1950s hit is reinterpreted idiosyncratically or musically translated into an Expressionist poem from the first decade of the last century With their own humor, the five instrumentalists try to counter the injustices in the world and let the listener forget the reality with their music, at least for a moment. "

Inspired by the typical sound of the unique Hammond B3 organ, the band plays funky grooves based on the soul jazz of the 60s. The concert will feature blues and jazz titles and more. by Jack McDuff or Larry Young modern own compositions. The Bernd Spanier Organ quartet is part of a series of "classical" organ quartets and continues this tradition with dignity.

The traditional Christmas concert of Kompania, after the moth: Every year again ...
Rembetico meets Jazz.
Zoto's Kompania was founded in 1990 and is deeply involved with Rembetiko, Greek music as well as traditions from Asia Minor. The group soon became famous for the virtuosity of the musical craft, but above all for the ability to dialogue between national elements, traditional instrumentation (Bouzouki, Saz) and modern jazzy interpretation (violin, viola, clarinet).
From 1900s motifs of Greek folk music, instruments from the Balkans and the Orient, and European musical structures, the Rembetico music emerged in the dim light of shady entertainment districts. The six musicians of ZOTOS KOMPANIA take up the old musical traditions of the Mediterranean region and impress with a virtuoso show, sometimes wistful-soft, sometimes wild-jazzy. An evening for connoisseurs and lovers of world music and jazz, an evening for people who still want to sit back and listen.

Three musician luminaries from Benin and Burkina Faso meet in the melting pot Berlin. They combine their West African roots with afrobeat, salsa, funk, blues and jazz. The resulting fiery dance music with a pinch of desert blues baptizes her with a wink "Afrikadelle". Voices are sung in Yorouba, Fon, Dioula, French and German, with a pervasive power voice by Moussa Coulibaly - which does not require autotunes - iridescent with the gentle voices of Arcadius Didavi and Tunde Alibaba. The rhythmically pulsating melody instruments Balafon, Ngoni and Tanikka with calabashes as acoustic sounding bodies are arranged with bass guitar, percussion and drums to funky ballads. The trio will be accompanied by jazz guitarist Mauro Pandelfino from Italy and trumpeter Donath Kubrinski from Poland. A virtuoso ensemble full of élan, wit and ingenious musicality!

The Crusaders Project is a collective ensemble of American and French musicians all living in Berlin, Germany. Comprised of band members Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq (ten sax), Reggie Moore (Piano), Geoffroy De Masure (trombone), Charles Sammons (Bass) and Jesus Vega (Drums), the ensemble was formed with the intention of preserving and honoring the music of the legendary group from the 60's and 70's, The Jazz Crusaders.

Guitarist, composer, and arranger Fabio Gouvea has been praised for being a musician with a strong melodic approach, a deep harmonic concept, and an uplifting rhythmic feel all characteristics that have made him one of the most in-demand artists of his generation. Fabio has played with some of the leading musicians in Brazil and abroad, including Hermeto Pascoal, John Ellis, Hamilton de Holanda, Scott Colley, Nailor “Proveta” and Vinicius Dorin to mention a few. For the last 14 years, Fabio has also been playing, touring, and recording with renowned Grammy nominated band, “Trio Curupira”, alongside Andre Marques and Cleber Almeida. In addition to performing with some of the most important names in the international music industry, Fabio also leads his own group with whom he has recorded 3 albums in collaboration with fellow musicians Donny McCaslin, Helen Sung, John Ellis, Jean Michel Pilc, and Rogerio Boccato, among others. Separately, Fabio is also part of the faculty at the prestigious “Conservatório Dramático e Musical Dr. Carlos de Campos” in Tatuí, São Paulo, where he has carried out important work for the music community instructing some of the most talented young musicians in Brazil.

With a tribute to the stars of pop history, Pascal and her band are firing the past year into orbit. Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, Gloria Gaynor, Jimi Hendrix and bands such as Led Zeppelin or Doorsam event horizon of the past year appear in the best party mood and the old hits are getting in shape again. Some of the most well-known songs of rock and pop history had already taken the team Wroblewsky / Heckel with the "Seventies Songbook" for themselves and cleverly brought to the state of things. Pascal von Wroblewsky is a widely respected figure in her field and Jürgen Heckel is not only very familiar with the chords. The favorite songs are in good hands and now it's party! Welcome 2020!

With a tribute to the stars of pop history, Pascal and her band are firing the past year into orbit. Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, Gloria Gaynor, Jimi Hendrix and bands such as Led Zeppelin or Doorsam event horizon of the past year appear in the best party mood and the old hits are getting in shape again. Some of the most well-known songs of rock and pop history had already taken the team Wroblewsky / Heckel with the "Seventies Songbook" for themselves and cleverly brought to the state of things. Pascal von Wroblewsky is a widely respected figure in her field and Jürgen Heckel is not only very familiar with the chords. The favorite songs are in good hands and now it's party! Welcome 2020!