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candomblé is more than a concert—it is an invitation for reflection and dialogue. saxophonist lucas santana wrote the music for a brand new band, and his point of departure was the african diaspora in south america. stories are conveyed through music on the basis of four pillars: remember, reflect, acknowledge and celebrate. in this way the performance creates room for conversations about culture, history and identity, themes that often remain undiscussed. lucas figueiredo santana, a versatile brazilian saxophone, clarinet and flute player, has been based in amsterdam since 2015. his music combines influences of brazilian styles such as samba and bossa nova with the expressive qualities of jazz. lucas has previously won the keep an eye the records award. the project candomblé has been made possible by joc productions, a new talent program initiated by jazz orchestra of the concertgebouw to offer young musicians the opportunity to realise large-scale productions.

with his new quartet, saxophone legend david murray breathes new life into his music, reinforced by a group of leading musicians from the new york jazz scene. pianist marta sanchez, bassist luke stewart and drummer russell carter form a dynamic ensemble that perfectly matches murray's playful ferocity and passion. murray himself describes the quartet as a group of young, creative musicians looking to reach the top - an outstanding band that takes his adventurous sounds to new heights. since his new york debut in 1975, murray has been known for his powerful, quirky playing style and unique way of improvising. with deep roots in african-american music history - from swing and gospel to avant-garde jazz and rhythm 'n' blues - he has made his mark on the jazz world. he has collaborated with icons such as the world saxophone quartet, mccoy tyner and henry threadgill.

pianist and composer avishai darash mixes north african traditional music and middle eastern folk with american jazz and western classical music. known for his previous work with mamoucha orchestra, he combines these influences en fuses them together. his band features top players from dutch jazz: antonio moreno glazkov, tuur moens and jeroen vierdag. on the occasion of his recent album between hope and despair, the amsterdam-based pianist presents an adventurous show in which he takes you on a journey. the music explores the emotions ‘hope’ and ‘despair’ as a reaction to recent events in the middle east. the album has received rave reviews: ‘avishai speaks not only for himself and his own but for all; his music is universal’ (paris move).

tuesday night means it is time for a new tuesday jam! still led by saxophonist and winner of the boy edgar prize 2019 jasper blom, tuesday jam is the place where musicians of all ages and levels meet and inspire each other. with the celebrated jazz department of the conservatory of amsterdam only a couple of hundred meters away from our bimhuis, there is no lack of impressive talent on stage at anytime. add some spontanious visits of world-class musicians like esperanza spalding, seamus blake and dick oatts, and you got the perfect mix. in short, this is the session where every jazzmusician and jazzlover should be. entrance is free, reservations are not necessary.jam session with international, young and acclaimed talent at the cafe.

for oene van geel it feels like a absolute necessity to lead this new, extended formation. the renowned violin and viola player will introduce you to eight musicians of the new generation, who will all be given the room to shine. from oriental jazz to cinematic metal, from ambient soundscapes to lyrical chamber music: everything is possible. oene himself feels like a fish in water among these exceptional players. he offers them his compositions, but they will also bring in their own works. expect close-knit ensemble playing by a wonderful palette of personalities: chaerin im, antonio moreno glazkov and alkistis misouli are strong young jazz musicians. christoph teuschel and fred jacobsson are well-versed in the metal genre. and modar salama and pouriya jaberi form a groove tandem with a deep drive as well as a subtle touch.

the brand-new quartet ehbo brings together four generations of improvisational stars, formed during the han bennink vierdaagse at the roode bioscoop. the quartet consists of han bennink (drums), ernst glerum (bass), benjamin herman (saxophone) and oscar jan hoogland (piano). all four have long earned their own spurs within jazz and improvisation and are now joining forces for a limited number of concerts. han bennink, known for his collaborations with big names like dexter gordon and sonny rollins, and as co-founder of icp (instant composers pool), forms the core of the quartet together with bassist ernst glerum, also a member of this group. saxophonist benjamin herman, known from new cool collective, and pianist oscar jan hoogland, prominent in the amsterdam improv scene, complete the ensemble.

jazzfest amsterdam, ‘undoubtedly the best jazz festival in amsterdam’ (het parool) is known for its remarkable new combinations of young talents and established names from various directions in music. looking ahead to a new fully-fledged edition of jazzfest on 22 march 2025, we present an exciting mini-version with three performances on one evening:  mn3mosyne, anja gottberg & reinier baas and fakrut:u dakar edition mn3mosyne drummer/composer ilia rayskin presents his upcoming album “beauty in complexity” on boomslang records with his trio “mn3mosyne. this adventurous project uses music by 20th-century contemporary composers such as sofia gubaidulina & witold lutosławski as the basis for the compositions, mixing live electronics with sophisticated through-composed material. ilia rayskin drums/live electronics/compositions, chaerin im piano/midi-keyboard, hristo goleminov tenor sax/midi-trigger anja gottberg & reinier baas groundbreaker on guitar, reinier baas, duets with anja gottberg. the swedish double bass player lives in amsterdam and is an active part of the current jazz scene. in september, for example, she played our venue in the trio of (for this time pianist) ernst glerum. as the 'uncrowned king of contemporary jazz' (jazzism), reinier baas is an essential part of the dutch jazz and improvisation scene. reinier baas guitar, anja gottberg double bass fakrutu: dakar edition the trio of sean fasciani, stefan kruger and mark tuinstra - or fakrutu - draws inspiration from the angularity of thelonious monk, the wringing harmonies of igor stravinsky, contemporary electronics and african rhythms. for some time now, the trio has been crossing musical swords with unusual colleagues from senegal in their project fakrutu: dakar edition, featuring kora player bao sissoko, percussionist oké sène and vocalist mola sylla. mark tuinstra guitar, sean fasciani bass, stefan kruger drums, mola sylla vocals, bao sissoko kora, oke sene percussion.