Angélique Kidjo in Concert "Hope" - Jazzfestival Basel 2027

Description

Best Piano-Trios in Jazz Fred Hersch Allstar Trio The Washington Post describes the trio led by New York jazz pianist Fred Hersch (with Thomas Morgan on bass and Joey Baron on drums) as "one of the most significant ensembles of our time." Born in 1955, Hersch has collaborated with many jazz greats and is celebrated for his lyrical playing. He has recorded dozens of remarkable albums, received countless awards, and is also a highly regarded teacher who has mentored stars like Brad Mehldau and Jason Moran.
In the 1960s, songwriter Jimmy Webb drove through the American wilderness. As the sun set, he saw a silhouette of a technician working on a telephone pole in the distance. He captured that image and wrote a song about the lineman from Wichita. "Wichita Lineman," recorded by country singer Glenn Campbell, became a worldwide hit and has been covered countless times. When Fred Hersch plays the song, the story of the lonely technician is always present, even without the lyrics being sung. "I hear the words in my head when I play," says Hersch, "it influences my music. When I teach young musicians, I always tell them: Learn the lyrics. They are not just words; it's a song."
After starting to play the piano at the age of four, Hersch attended the New England Conservatory in Boston until his graduation in 1977. He then moved to New York, where he quickly became a sought-after pianist. During this time, Hersch appeared as a sideman in band projects with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Toots Thielemans, Gary Burton, Art Farmer, and Charlie Haden. Soon, Hersch gained international attention with his own compositions, band projects, and especially his solo programs, such as his albums featuring interpretations of Monk or Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1996/97. To date, Fred Hersch has been involved in over 25 albums as a solo artist or bandleader and over a hundred albums as a sideman or guest musician. He was the first musician to have the honor of performing a week with his solo piano program at the renowned New York jazz club Village Vanguard. He can also be heard on John Hébert's album Sounds of Love (2022) and Nadje Noordhuis’ Full Circle (2022). Hersch is known for narrative melodic improvisation in jazz.
MIKE STERN/LENI STERN BAND
“One of the most influential jazz fusion guitarists of his generation.” (DownBeat) For over four decades, Mike Stern has established himself as a central figure in jazz fusion. His career includes more than a dozen solo albums, numerous international tours, and several Grammy nominations. Early on, he became part of the musical movement that opened jazz to new influences without sacrificing its depth. Collaborations with personalities like Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, and Billy Cobham were formative experiences that shaped his musical approach. Stern's playing is distinctive: powerful and direct, yet harmonically complex and deeply rooted in the blues. Rock energy, jazz harmony, soul feeling, and improvisational freedom merge into a language that is instantly recognizable. Influences from Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, or Albert King are palpable but never imitative—they flow into a personal sound world that has grown over decades. The current band brings this openness to the stage in concentrated form. The rhythm section of electric bass and drums provides an elastic, powerful foundation that supports both driving fusion grooves and calm, breathing passages. Above this, saxophone lines, guitar colors, and African-inspired sounds expand the musical spectrum without losing focus. Live, this creates a wide musical journey: from energetic rock and fusion compositions to funky improvisational spaces and lyrical ballads. Characteristic is the constant interplay—a dialogue where every voice matters. The music does not seek effect but the necessity of each individual note. That is where its strength lies: experience is not displayed but lived.
Line-up:
Mike Stern – Electric Guitar
Leni Stern – Electric Guitar, N’goni, Vocals
Bob Franceschini – Saxophone
Gary Grainger – Electric Bass
Dennis Chambers – Drums
KURT ROSENWINKEL ALLSTAR QUINTET «The Remedy 2026»
Kurt Peter Rosenwinkel (* October 28, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is one of the great guitarists of our time. Growing up in a musical family, Kurt began taking piano lessons at the age of nine. At twelve, he switched to jazz guitar; at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, he was classmates with Christian McBride, Joey DeFrancesco, and Questlove. After studying at the Berklee School of Music, he toured with Gary Burton in 1992. He then moved to New York City, where he played with Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band (from 1992), Joe Henderson, the Brian Blade Fellowship, Tim Hagans, Seamus Blake, Perico Sambeat, and Jochen Rückert. In his own group, musicians like Mark Turner, Brad Mehldau, or Joshua Redman play. In 2013, he performed a solo concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival; he has also appeared with Eric Clapton and the hr-Bigband. He has a long-standing collaboration with the Portuguese Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos.
On June 4, 2019, Eric Clapton invited Rosenwinkel on stage at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin to interpret the songs Cocaine and Before You Accuse Me together. He can also be heard on Joe Farnsworth's In What Direction Are You Headed? (2023). Rosenwinkel, who was last heard with the Chopin Project in Basel (J. P. Brodbeck), is now coming to Basel with his well-staffed band.
Line up:
Kurt Rosenwinkel (Guitar)
Mark Turner (Sax)
Jeff Tain Watts (Drums)
Aaron Goldberg (Keys)
Joe Martin (Bass)
Contributors: Jazzfestival Basel