* Many thanks to Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen / bremen.online for the complimentary tickets! The opinions shared here are solely my own. *
Did you know that one of the largest jazz festivals and trade shows in the world — jazzahead! — happens every year in Bremen? Admittedly, I definitely did not — but now after attending the jazzahead! 2017 clubnight, I’m already marking my calendar for next year! The clubnight features jazz performances across the city in over 40 venues late into the night. Sorting through the sheer number of shows was a bit overwhelming — so my friend and I came up with a couple criteria, like new (to us) venues and innovative styles of jazz. Here is what our night looked like:
Kulturzentrum KOKOON – Noahs Boat – 7:30pm
We started off in the Neustadt in the very relaxed atmosphere of Kokoon. With drinks and snacks in hand, we settled down into comfy armchairs to enjoy the music of Noahs Boat. Purely instrumental, the music combined the best of both analog and electronic sounds in a way that I really enjoyed. I would definitely go see Noahs Boat perform again, and since they’re from Berlin, that shouldn’t be too hard!
Kulturkirche St. Stephani – Continuum – 9:00pm
From Kokoon, we had about half and hour to make our way to the St. Stephani church to hear a jazz reinterpretation of songs by Martin Luther, just in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation coming up later this year. A very fitting location for such a show, the trio Continuum has adapted their music and style to fit the acoustics of the large cathedrals of Germany. Although the music itself wasn’t really my thing, I liked the idea behind it.
Courtyard by Marriott – Mathias Heise Quadrillion – 10:30pm
Although not on our original list, we spontaneously decided to add the Mathias Heise Quadrillion as our last show of the evening. I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw the four, very young Danish guys take the stage — but they killed it with an energetic and edgy set highlighted by a soulful-wise-beyond-their-years harmonica. Also in between the songs, Mathias Heise offered sarcastic and very funny commentary. I loved it!
If had more energy, I would have made my way to the next venue with more shows continuing into the wee hours, but I called it a night at this point. I really enjoyed the eclectic mix of both music and locations that the jazzhead! 2017 clubnight had to offer — it was a great way to spend a relaxed Saturday evening! Now I’m off to enjoy the rest of my long weekend…
Are you a jazz aficionado? What are you up to this weekend?