Jamie Baum Quartet & Anke Helfrich Trio

In the organizer's words:

Transcontinental jazz summit meeting: US flutist Jamie Baum and German pianist Anke Helfrich on the road together with top-class ensembles

Transcontinental phenomenal: the "JazzNights Special" with the bands of the multiple award-winning American flutist Jamie Baum and the German pianist Anke Helfrich, "one of the figureheads of German jazz, a pioneer" (NDR), will deliver what many promise. The two outstanding female leaders and their top-class ensembles not only stand for improvisational and compositional excellence, for diversity and variety and all the consistent qualities that make jazz so exciting, especially today, they are above all strong female voices beyond their instruments in a still male-dominated musical world. In different musical ways, the two bands explore the question "What Times Are These", the title of Jamie Baum's seventh album, and come to an inspiring conclusion together at the end of the concert evening, which is also found in the title of Helfrich's current work and encourages and encourages us all: We'll Rise, roughly: "things are looking up".

Anke Helfrich, who grew up in Namibia and Weinheim, and Jamie Baum, who was born in Connecticut and has been an integral part of the New York jazz scene for decades, have much in common. Obviously their love for the jazz metropolis of New York, where both enjoyed their training. Both are not only active as composers and performers, but also pass on their experience and insights as teachers: Anke Helfrich as a lecturer at the Jazz Department of the Dr. Hoch'sches Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main, which she founded herself, and Jamie Baum at the Manhattan School and the New School University. They also share a penchant for the piano, as not only Anke Helfrich studied with icons such as Kenny Barron and Larry Goldings, but flautist Jamie Baum's CV also includes close collaborations with pianists such as Jaki Byard and the recently deceased Richie Beirach. No wonder that Baum's current quartet, with whom she will now be playing live with us, includes one of the most original pianists on the current scene, the New York-based Argentinian Leo Genovese, known from his own formations, alongside Esperanza Spalding or in the Wayne Shorter Group or as part of The Mars Volta. It goes without saying that Baum and Helfrich prefer charismatic rhythm sections as leaders and soloists. On the evenings of this "JazzNights Special", Anke Helfrich and her well-rehearsed "We'll Rise" trio will perform with two world-renowned giants of the modern German jazz scene: Dietmar Fuhr on bass, who has played with Enrico Rava, Nils Wülker and Richie Beirach, and Jens Düppe on drums, whose musical career ranges from Albert Mangelsdorff to Wolfgang Dauner to Shreefpunk, Simin Tander and the NDR Bigband. Her counterparts in the Jamie Baum Quartet, which has also been touring internationally for many years, are no less respected. The New Zealand bassist Matt Penman has played with Madeleine Peyroux and Kurt Rosenwinkel, is part of the band James Farm with Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks and Eric Harland and has led his own bands with Shai Maestro, Mark Turner and Allison Miller.

The music of Jamie Baum and Anke Helfrich captivates with melodic subtlety and power and an elegance in the grooves that respects the wonderful tradition of what is known onomatopoeically as swing and interprets it in a contemporary way. By the end of the evening at the latest, when all seven musicians jam together, possibly even with other guests, this "JazzNights Special" will be unforgettable - and a valuable reminder of the unifying energies of jazz. Across borders, tastes and genders.

WEBSITE www.anke-helfrich.de
WEBSITE jamiebaum.com