Anna Frey & Vera Kappeler

The pianist and harmonium player Vera Kappeler and the rapper and lyricist Anna Frey got to know each other in a so-called men&#x27;s pub, where they sat together at the bar until the early hours of the morning. That was many years ago. Now they are performing together again. As a duo, with undivided attention for each other&#x27;s playing. Vera Kappeler has long had an affinity for texts and their musicality, while Anna Frey has devoted herself increasingly to the musical-improvisational reading of her texts over the past few years. We can look forward to the interplay between these two musicians and the interweaving of sound and language. The concert is also the vernissage of Anna Frey&#x27;s second book FEST, which will be published by &quot;verlag die brotsuppe&quot;. Especially for this evening a book table will be provided by the Buchhandlung Volkshaus.

Flo Stoffner, Chris Corsano, John Butcher

&quot;Quiet Is The New Loud&quot; was a Kings of Convenience album from 2001 and also reflected the feeling for music of at least parts of this generation. It also works as a motto for the trio of John Butcher, Chris Corsano and Florian Stoffner. Their music differs from boisterous, powerful free jazz in that they refrain from playing their instruments very loudly. In fact, this is music for concentrated listening rather than for rocking along or even headbanging. It is more about precise musicality, crystal-clear interjections and a certain gentle thoughtfulness, but of course also about sound exploration and design. This results in tectonic sound worlds that press against each other. At their concerts, you sometimes get the feeling of standing in a machine room with a birdhouse full of exotic birds at its center. Butcher, Corsano and Stoffner don&#x27;t need excessive volume or solos to entice you into a standing ovation to get their message across. Their message is written in elegant lowercase letters and rarely used acoustic fonts.

Spoken Word

Piano

Michael Wollny Trio

«Living Ghosts 2025»

For pianist Michael Wollny, the trio with bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Eric Schaefer is the constant in his otherwise constantly changing cosmos of collaborations. The three musicians share an almost inexhaustible musical vocabulary, an outstanding sensitivity when playing together and the ability to constantly create new music of tremendous tension and dynamism from the moment. The band is a unity of three unmistakable characters: Michael Wollny is regarded as one of the most important European pianists of his generation. His playing blends influences from jazz, classical music, indie pop, new and early music to create an unmistakable personal style. Wollny has been playing together with drummer Eric Schaefer for more than 20 years. They share a deep intimacy and at the same time the ability to surprise and challenge each other time and again. American Tim Lefebvre forms the foundation of the trio, with a weighty tone, rock-solid groove and a fine sense of dramaturgy. Together, Wollny, Schaefer and Lefebvre create music of exuberant dynamics, boundless variety and maximum urgency. With reference to the origins of the piano trio format, the British Jazzwise Magazine writes: The Michael Wollny Trio makes it clear that we are living in the 21st century and not in the 1960s!

Bass

Drum Kit

LAYENA

«Arcades»

Formed in 2021, the band developed its early musical identity through long jam sessions playing around repetitive loops, vocal styles influenced by Nigerian Afrobeat and EDM, as well as long improvised interludes. Three years of playing and touring together propelled the music to what it is today: a modern and generous soundscape, intimately connected to the harmonic language of Jazz, spreading its wings through the tradition of Italian chanson.    LAYENA operates as a true collective, where responsibilities spanning composition, booking, IT, management, and finances are shared and organized amongst all its members. In December 2023, the band recorded its debut album, &quot;Arcades&quot; at Relief Studio in Belfaux (CH), which was officially released in September 2024. Of course, playing music remains a priority and LAYENA will share their music with us in May 2025.

J'Peux Tim

Warm-Up & Afterparty

J&#x27;peux Tim, originally from Kosovo, is the co-founder and was co-owner of Kasheme Zürich and the founder of the Spirit Music Society music label. He has been spinning records in Switzerland and abroad for nearly a decade. Dance music, Jazz Fusion and Spiritual Jazz make his heart beat a tick faster.

Saxophon

Trombone

Guitar

Vocals

Synthesizer

Percussion

Pachyman

Puerto Rico native Pachy García started playing guitar at a young age but his developing interest for early Jamaican music made him switch to piano &amp; bass instead. It wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles that he began self teaching himself drums. Around that time he formed the band Prettiest Eyes and started collecting inexpensive recording equipment that he found at thrift stores and second hand music shops. After having enough gear to make his own recordings out of his basement, Pachy began recording music to pay homage to the early reggae pioneers he grew up listening to. He named the studio &quot;333 House&quot; and started learning techniques used by the engineers responsible for shaping the sound of early dub reggae, particularly Scientist and King Tubby. The recording process of the music was documented on his Instagram account with videos that showed him playing every instrument and ultimately mixing the end result in one live dub take.

Buzz (Boss Hi-Fi)

Warm Up & Afterparty

BUZZ needs no introduction. 16 Tons: fantastic records, beautiful furniture. Boss Hi-Fi: best reggae DJs. Just the right person for the warm-up and the afterparty!

Keyboards

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio—or simply DLO3—burst onto the scene with their 2016 debut Close But No Cigar, quickly topping the U.S. jazz charts. To best prepare for the live concert in Zurich, we recommend checking out their live album Live at KEXP!. This recording overflows with frenetic joy and features a mix of DLO3 originals alongside timeless classics like Curtis Mayfield’s masterpiece, “Move On Up.” Since their beginnings in Seattle, the band has been delivering rhythmic soul with organ solos that feel like Lamarr’s fingers are chasing each other across the keys. Their compositions often evolve from his nimble touch, with the rest of the trio weaving their own intricate patterns around it. While comparisons to Booker T. &amp; the M.G.’s are inevitable, DLO3 carves out their own sound. As Lamarr himself describes it, the band plays “soul music with strong jazz influences”—making them the perfect fit for a night at Moods! While Lamarr while take on the Hammond Organ duties, he will be joined by Josh Perdue on guitar and Ehsaan Karimi on drums.

Hollabackshroom

Exclusively vinyl - funk, disco, jazz, country, rock and everything in between. Hollabackshroom is from Zurich and works in Zurich&#x27;s nightlife.

Hammond organ

JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam

SOFIA @ JazzBaragge 

The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam offers an important platform for the Swiss jazz jam scene. After the musical opening of the jam band, lively and exciting sound conversations begin between musicians who spontaneously meet on stage, reflecting the diversity of jazz in all its facets. The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam is supported by the non-profit association JazzBaragge. There is no presale for JazzBaragge, only box office.

Quinteto Astor Piazzolla

The music of Astor Piazzolla lives on! For over twenty years, the Quinteto Astor Piazzolla has been dedicated to the artistic legacy of the Argentinian composer and bandoneon virtuoso. Both classics and lesser-known pieces introduce us to the sonic kaleidoscope and intoxicating rhythms of tango nuevo. The Piazzolla Quinteto is the only project authorised by Piazzolla&#x27;s widow that has access to the huge estate of the old master. Having already won two Latin Grammy Awards for their albums, their latest album &#x27;Oblivion&#x27; is due for release in 2025.

Bandoneon

Violin

Greg Foat

He is a jazz pianist, composer, music producer - and a fixture on the London jazz scene: Greg Foat. In his pieces, Foat mixes jazz and ambient with electronic influences, creating unique soundscapes that invite immersion and exploration. Greg Foat is an innovator, always pushing the boundaries of his music. He recently collaborated with Venetian electro legend Gigi Masin on the critically acclaimed «Dolphin». His creativity knows no bounds. His live releases are proof of this. On «Live at Can Rudayla, Ibiza», for example, he fuses analogue synthesizers with ambient house and space jazz, while on «Live at Villa Maximus, Mykonos», he combines more cosmic jazz sounds with psychedelic elements. Foat will perform at Moods with the living groove machine Moses Boyd. The young jazz drummer, who turns 34 this year, has been described by the Guardian as the poster boy of London&#x27;s jazz revival.

Melike Şahin

jazzhane & Moods present

Singer, songwriter, and composer Melike Şahin is Istanbul&#x27;s latest shining star. Known to be the modern «Turkish Diva», Melike is an unconventional modern pop icon. Aficionados of psychedelia will remember her voice from the legendary Turkish psychedelic band BaBa Zula, and indeed Melike&#x27;s music draws from her earlier artistic journey. Signature and euphoric guitar riffs, organs, and synthesizers seamlessly blend with her modern interpretation of Anatolian pop, a style she calls «Mediterranean Arabesque». Her bittersweet and poignant lyrics are a continuation of the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean. A passionate storyteller, Melike powerfully sings about womanhood, equality, and resilience. In «Bedelini Ödedim» («I paid the price») she sings «I deserve every inch of this proud smile» and «No way I&#x27;d break down, see I got back on my feet again». Her songs have become feminist anthems at women&#x27;s rallies in Turkey.  Having collaborated with award-winning musicians around the globe, Melike will release her second studio album Akkor in late 2024 and perform in Switzerland for the first time in May 2025!

Anıl

Warm Up & Afterparty 

Co-founder of jazzhane, Anıl believes that his search for melancholy in music and the perception of home (or the lack thereof) is a search for belonging: a feeling that can be fictitious. Believing that stories are told through music, Anıl blends melodramatic tunes from Anatolia and the Levant with the Andalusian cadence, Rumba, or Cumbia, accompanied by deep basslines. Depending on the night and setting, the stories can be dark, joyful, ecstatic, or humorous, oftentimes energetic and with explosive energy.

Composition

Cello

E-Gitarre

E-Bass

FORQ

Yeah! FORQ is back! Originally formed by pianist Henry Hey (who played in the bands of David Bowie, Rod Stewart...) and Michael League, the all-star band from New York has just released their sixth album &quot;Big Party&quot; last year. Instead of League Eli Menezes now plays bass, who has shared the stage with Richard Bona and Lauryn Hill, but otherwise everything remains the same with Chris MqQueen (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté) and Jason &quot;JT&quot; Thomas (Snarky Pully, Roy Hargrove, D&#x27;Angelo) on drums.

Ms. Hyde

From researched obscurities to disco-funky grooves and hits with format. Exclusively vinyl.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Thomas Gansch

Album Release «Neat Little Songs»

The long and very fruitful artistic relationship between Thomas Gansch and the ZJO has now been immortalized on a studio recording. This new CD will be presented on May 22nd at Moods. The program consists exclusively of compositions by Thomas Gansch, arranged by Ed Partyka. In addition to Thomas, the soloists of the ZJO can also be heard extensively. The music is profound and humorous at the same time and combines elements of jazz, classical and folk music with unexpected detours into the world of film music and 20th century pop culture. Almost exactly eleven years have passed since Thomas Gansch&#x27;s first performance with the ZJO. Today he is a good friend of the band and a favorite of the ZJO audience. The basic concept therefore remains the same for the joint CD: musical fireworks, fun, unconventional, crazy. Gansch and the ZJO have already performed everything imaginable together: Gil Evans, Don Ellis, their own music. And Thomas Gansch&#x27;s own music can now be heard on the new CD. Thomas Gansch and Ed Partyka have known each other for half an eternity. They met in 1999 at the Vienna Art Orchestra, and later Ed Partyka also played in Thomas Gansch&#x27;s band Gansch &amp; Roses. We have known each other for so long, but until now I have never had the opportunity to arrange his music for a jazz orchestra. I am very pleased that this has finally become possible and that we can present this special program with new arrangements with the ZJO on a joint disc, says Ed Partyka. Thomas Gansch not only has a keen awareness of the history of popular music and jazz, his roots also extend to Alpine folk music and the entire history of European classical music. All this profound knowledge is wrapped up in Viennese humor and presented with a great stage show and virtuoso trumpet playing. Listening to him, you get the impression that playing the trumpet is very easy.

Leitung

Trumpet

Altsaxophon

Tenorsaxophon

Baritone Saxophone

Bassposaune

Tuba

Sélène Saint-Aimé String Trio

Sélène Saint-Aimé only appeared on the music scene a few years ago and has already developed a strong, independent voice. With a father from Martinique and a Franco-Ivorian mother, she describes herself as an “Afro-descendant”. Accordingly, her musical identity is clearly cosmopolitan, as she is influenced by both her roots and her travels. In this exclusive concert series, she will reinterpret songs from Louisiana, the Antilles and La Réunion and get to the bottom of her Creole identity. She will be accompanied by French violinist Thèo Ceccaldi, who has already won a Victoire du Jazz as “Revelation of the Year” and demonstrated his versatility with the French-Ethiopian project “Kutu”; and Guillaume Latil, one of the most sought-after jazz cellists.

Nduduzo Makhathini

Since making his international debut for Blue Note in 2020 with Modes of Communication: Letters From the Underworlds, Makhathini has earned widespread acclaim for the genuinely spiritual transcendence of his music. For Makhathini, a Zulu healer and educator who has delved deeply into the histories and traditions of his ancestors, improvised music has never been merely about aesthetics or idioms. As the New York Times put it when naming Modes of Communication one of the Best Jazz Albums of 2020: “In a moment when spiritual jazz has become a dangerously buzzy concept, trust a musician who has truly devoted his life to divination practices.” Makhathini&#x27;s third release on Blue Note, uNomkhubulwane travels beyond any existing notion of music-making to offer his most profound vision of creative mysticism yet. Here the pianist seeks inspiration on a wholly metaphysical plane — using sound as a way to commune with, as he puts it, “supernatural voices.” Makhathini’s three-movement suite takes its title from the Zulu name of “God’s only daughter and a manifestation of God’s very creation purpose,” the pianist explains. “She is also believed to be a mythical rain goddess, a regulator of nature, light and fertility.” A shapeshifting force, uNomkhubulwane can manifest in the form of an animal, or a hurricane or a rainbow — the lattermost of which, Makhathini says, symbolizes her “kindness and regulation of balance.” As always, Makhathini’s message is ultimately one of perpetual optimism for his people, and for all people. “Essentially, this offering is an invitation to humanity to cultivate ways of being that yearn for freedom and balance,” he says. “Here I invite you to a new mode of humanism that is oriented towards singing the songs of uNomkhubulwane.” What a delight and honour to welcome Nduduzo Makhathni to moods for the third time for an evening of shared music, spirituality and philosophy.

The Next Movement

More Cowbell Tour

The boundless energy and lush groove delivered here is simply impressive. The Next Movement surprises again and again with their endless artistic output and groovy sound. This is also the case on their latest release «Never Coming Down»: explosive neo-soul funk! In terms of numbers, they are a trio, but their well-rehearsed, tight sound fills the room as if it were a quintet or even sextet. Absolutely legitimately, they have earned the title of «Europe&#x27;smust-watch-funk-band with their deep groove and pocket»! This time with a little twist – more cowbell!

Cavaliere Spruzzi (Monorecords)

Disk Jockey

The man for funk in Zurich for 4 decades. Who doesn&#x27;t remember the legendary Cool Mondays? Smoky afternoons in THE record store in Zurich on Froschaugasse? Or the Real Funk for Real People series at Moods? Cavaliere Spruzzi is back! You better put on your dancing shoes!

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Streaming

Over 700 video-on-demand and 40 live streams per year from jazz, global, blues, funk, soul and rap await you. Curated with playlists and recommendations from our program team. In addition, 70% of the subscription revenue goes directly to the musicians. With a subscription you support the artists and this project.