KOMBITICKET - Wilkins & Swift - Jazzfestival Basel 2027

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Best Piano Trios in Jazz Fred Hersch Allstar Trio The Washington Post describes the trio around 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 numerous awards, and is also a highly regarded teacher, having mentored stars like Brad Mehldau and Jason Moran. In the 1960s, songwriter Jimmy Webb drove through the American wilderness. Sunset, an endless line of telephone poles – and suddenly Webb saw a silhouette at the top of a pole: a technician at work. He remembered the image and wrote a song about the line technician 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 at the top of the pole is always present, even if the text is not 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. It’s not just words, it’s a song." Having started playing piano at the age of four, Fred 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, he appeared as an accompanist for band projects by Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Toots Thielemans, Gary Burton, Art Farmer, and Charlie Haden. Hersch also gained international recognition through his own compositions, band projects, and especially his solo programs, such as his albums with Monk and Rodgers and Hammerstein interpretations in 1996/97. To date, Fred Hersch has participated in over 25 albums as a solo artist or bandleader and over a hundred albums as an accompanist or guest musician. He was the first musician to perform a week-long solo piano program at the renowned New York jazz club Village Vanguard. His work 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.[1] Various projects with classical musicians—such as concert pianist Jeffrey Kahane or violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg—or solo programs with different orchestras demonstrate the versatility of pianist Hersch. MIKE STERN/LENI STERN BAND "One of the most influential jazz-fusion guitarists of his generation." (DownBeat) 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. He was an early part of the musical movement that opened jazz to new influences without sacrificing its depth. Collaborations with figures like Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, and Billy Cobham have profoundly shaped his musical stance. Stern’s playing is unmistakable: 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 immediately recognizable. Influences from Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, or Albert King are perceptible 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 a concentrated form. The rhythm section of electric bass and drums provides an elastic, punchy foundation that supports both driving fusion grooves and calm, breathing passages. Beyond that, 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 improvisation spaces and lyrical ballads. Characteristic is the constant interplay—a free dialogue where every voice counts. The music seeks not effect but necessity in each note. That is its strength: experience is lived, not displayed. Line-up: Mike Stern – E-Guitar Leni Stern – E-Guitar, N’goni, Vocals Bob Franceschini – Saxophone Gary Grainger – E-Bass Dennis Chambers – Drums KURT ROSENWINKEL ALLSTAR QUINTET «The Remedy 2026» Kurt Peter Rosenwinkel (* October 28, 1970, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is one of the great guitarists of our time. Growing up in a musical family, Rosenwinkel received piano lessons from the age of nine. At twelve, he switched to jazz guitar; at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, his classmates included Christian McBride, Joey DeFrancesco, and Questlove. After studying at Berklee College of Music, he toured with Gary Burton in 1992. He then moved to New York City, where he played with the Electric Bebop Band of Paul Motian (from 1992), Joe Henderson, the Brian Blade Fellowship, Tim Hagans, Seamus Blake, Perico Sambeat, and Jochen Rückert.[3] His own group features musicians like Mark Turner, Brad Mehldau, and Joshua Redman. In 2013, he performed a solo concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival; he 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 as a guest to perform "Cocaine" and "Before You Accuse Me" at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. His work can also be heard on Joe Farnsworth’s "In What Direction Are You Headed?" (2023). Rosenwinkel, who was last heard in Basel with the Chopin Project (J. P. Brodbeck), now comes with his super talented band to Basel. Line-up: Kurt Rosenwinkel (Guitar) Mark Turner (Sax) Jeff Tain Watts (Drums) Aaron Goldberg (Keys) Joe Martin (Bass) Participants: Jazzfestival Basel