Jazzfest Berlin 2025: The Young Mothers (NO, US)

Each musician brought different interests to the fold, and their collective commitment and musicality allowed them to transcend any sense of stylistic whiplash with a palpable sense of joy and passion. The band played a searing concert at Jazzfest Berlin in 2019, right before the pandemic upended the world, sending Håker Flaten back to Norway.


Geographic distance, with Rosaly already living in Amsterdam, put the band on hold, but not its commitment. They finally reconvened a few years ago and last year the group released its third and best album “Better If You Let It”, where the writing and programming talents of trumpeter and rapper Jawwaad Taylor fully emerged. From a root base of deeply soulful post-bop the band veers into hip-hop here or touches on extreme metal through the howling of drummer Stefan González there. The elastic guitarist Jonathan F. Horne can shred or swing, while the fiery saxophonist Jason Jackson brings it all back to that jazz foundation. But the band’s sense of collective purpose seals the deal.


Line-up

• Jawwaad Taylor – trumpet, rhymes, electronics, programming 
  
• Jason Jackson – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone 
  
• Stefan González – vibraphone, drums, percussion, voice 
  
• Jonathan F. Horne – guitar 
  
• Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass, electric bass 
  
• Frank Rosaly – drums, electronics, programming
  

23:30

Jam-Session

After the concert by The Young Mothers, a jam session at Quasimodo will once again revive an old tradition of the Jazzfest Berlin. Musicians from the festival programme will be invited to improvise together in entirely new constellations in a relaxed atmosphere until late at night.