Jazz at Helmholzplatz

‘Jazz am Helmholtzplatz e.V.’ stands for lively, creative, international jazz for all music lovers, builds on the jazz scene of the post-reunification period, aims to represent jazz in all its diversity, strives for gender equality, performs at various locations and works on a non-profit basis with internationally renowned musicians and undiscovered talents.

One of the programme focuses of Jazz am Helmholtzplatz e.V. is thematically oriented, curated series that shed light on historical, socio-political and aesthetic topics. They are accompanied by research into the sheet music, programme booklets or readers, as well as discourse events, and are implemented within the framework of funding. Jazz am Helmholtzplatz e.V. is also involved in jazz concerts in the rural Kleeblatt region in Brandenburg (Ostprignitz-Ruppin), where it has already realised several editions of the ‘Kleeblatt Contemporary Jazz’ series. The ‘Brazil&Jazz’ series, which has been running since 2019, is another focus.

The professionalism and breathtaking creativity of jazz musicians does not correspond at all to their share of the ‘commercial market’. The initiative has therefore been working on a voluntary basis since 2018 to promote jazz musicians and jazz. Jazz am Helmholtzplatz e.V. aims to help musicians get more live gigs, re-establish jazz in Pankow (and elsewhere), where it was heard in many places until the 1990s, reach a larger audience and make the local scene more visible. Since April 2021, Jazz am Helmholtzplatz has been a registered association and receives selective project funding from various institutions. Our commitment is also driven by our enthusiasm for jazz and our amazement at the incredible creativity, diversity and energy of jazz musicians.

The term ‘jazz’ refers to a stylistically complex musical genre of the 20th century that emerged in the USA from the blues, but at the same time absorbed Afro-Caribbean rhythms and European sound patterns and can therefore be described as transcultural. It is inevitably linked to the history of slavery in the USA and its socio-political consequences, and its historical development has given rise to different movements that now coexist on an equal footing. These include Dixie, swing, bebop, but also contemporary experimental and improvised music, as well as various forms in an international context. It is a music that is ‘handmade’ and in which electronics are used more as a supplement or extension of the respective instrument. The individual development of the individual musicians is an essential part of jazz, and the democratic structure within a band is not only an artistic but also a political concept. A decisive feature of jazz is improvisation and the exploration of it.

Jazz am Helmholtzplatz e.V. does not want to shut itself off from any of the various trends and regional developments within jazz: from Jelly Roll Morton to experimental music. The English verb ‘to jazz’ is a term that is used beyond music and refers to situations that can be experienced, which are spiced up or enlivened, giving them more energy and momentum. Jazz is ultimately an expression of 20th-century ‘new music’ – its development has seen numerous aesthetic overlaps with ‘classical’ music, which were reflected in the performance and composition practices of musicians and continue to this day.

March programme:

Friday, 6 March 2026, 8 p.m.
ENIVRANCE

Angèle Tremsal – sax, comp., vocals
Peer Neumann – piano
Oz Rosenfeld – bass
Liliana Zieniawa – drums


Saturday, 7 March 2026, 8 p.m.
JESSICA KANDELER & THE MEGA NICE BAND

Jessica Kandeler – vocals
Fedro Heger – guitar
Daigo Nakai – bass
Andrei Mileia – drums/percussion
Helge Ebinger – piano/organ
Peter Zastrow – trumpet/flugelhorn/cornet
Julian Gretschel – trombone
Leonie Freudenberger – alto saxophone
Patrick Braun – tenor saxophone
Nikolaus Leistle – baritone saxophone

Both at
Kubiz Raoul Wallenberg
Bernkasteler Str 78
Admission £15/£12


Friday, 13 March 2026, 8 p.m.
EXOPLANET - Christian Korthals Quintet

Christian Korthals - sax, piano
Urte Reich - cello
Daniel Meyer - guitar
Daigo Nakai - bass
Tom Dayan - drums

at Brotfabrik, Caligariplatz 1, 13086 Berlin
Admission €18/€12
Advance tickets Eventbrite


Saturday, 14 March 2026, 8 p.m.
LÌVA STRAZDINA - UNSPOKEN

Līva Strazdiņa - trumpet, flugelhorn, cmop.
Max Hacker – ts, fl
Florian Schultz – git
Laurie Rich – p
Christian Cuevas-Müller – b
Bastian Menz – dr

at the Raumerweiterungshalle,
Kopenhagener Str 17, 10437 Berlin
Admission €15/€12