Driftwood Quartet

Saxophon

Guitar

Bass

Drum Kit

The Driftwood Quartet moves with playful ease between contemporary jazz and alternative rock. In their music, delicate passages build into powerful sounds, contrasted by edgy riffs. Catchy melodies blend with experimental structures. Throughout, the band remains curious, dynamic and full of surprises.

Espuma Antigua

Flute

Vocals

Cello

The Espuma Antigua quartet blends past and present into music that lifts you up. Their aim is to bring old and new into dialogue within a gentle, electronic mix, thereby retelling melodies in a fresh way. Their sound is poetic, intimate and full of quiet magic – like stories told on a balmy summer’s night.

Ulysse Loup Large Ensemble

Trumpet

Flugelhorn

Trombone

Kontrabass

E-Bass

Composition

At once stormy and serene, bassist and composer Ulysse Loup blends contemporary jazz with poetic depth. His ten-piece ensemble guides the listener through organic and mechanical soundscapes: two drum kits pulse, basses rumble, wind instruments call out, and a voice narrates. Music that feels like a journey between longing, vastness and an inner awakening.

Rufus D

Sampler

Electronics

Rhythm, loops and morphing patterns: this is the world of Rufus D. Their constantly driving sound unfolds somewhere between post-rock and experimental music. Slowly building structures give way to unexpected breaks, at times lyrically soaring, at others powerful and raw. Beats, loops and guitars merge into a mix that thickens, becomes overdriven and finally fades away into the room.

Elina Duni & Rob Luft

Percussion

Album Release «Reaching for the Moon»

The charismatic Albanian-Swiss singer Elina Duni and the London-based guitarist Rob Luft first met at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2017, which marked the beginning of their unique collaboration. Since then, they have toured the world and released two critically acclaimed albums as a quartet on ECM Records. Their upcoming album, Reaching for the Moon, due for release in 2026, sees them return to the essence of their first encounter with a stripped-down duo production. Together, they navigate a universe of jazz, chanson, and Balkan traditions, weaving a tapestry of songs that evoke the mystery and joy of night-time, the moon, and the magic within us all. Duni&#x27;s voice combines with Luft&#x27;s crystal-clear tones to create a mesmerising duet. This evening promises to be a musical journey offering hope in the darkness and reminding us of the comfort of home. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Korhan Futacı

Baritone Saxophone

Korhan Futacı is one of the leading figures in Turkey&#x27;s alternative music scene. When he puts his lips to the mouthpiece of his saxophone, a transcendent ritual begins. His concerts transport audiences from the chaos of the big city to a realm of unknown vitality and darkness. It is a place where traditional Turkish music and free improvisation converge. The boundary between the historical avant-garde and the Mediterranean avant-garde becomes blurred. A look at his collaborations also reveals that Korhan Futacı is a true great. Through his versatile artistic expression, he has collaborated with renowned musicians from diverse genres, including avant-garde icons such as Peter Brötzmann, Marshall Allen, Thurston Moore, Ken Vandermark, and William Parker.

Yumi Ito

Piano

Critics consider the Swiss-Polish-Japanese singer to be one of the most exciting voices in contemporary jazz. It&#x27;s no wonder that she regularly sells out shows at festivals such as the JazzArt Festival and the Veneto Jazz Festival. Yumi Ito creates her own boundless worlds with her voice. A master of vocal improvisation, she moves effortlessly between genres and her roles as a singer, pianist, and composer. Her own music is correspondingly diverse, an ocean of art pop, jazz, and neoclassical. On stage, Ito acts like a Zen master: clear, reflective, and with a uniquely powerful energy. She is backed by her band: &quot;drum poet&quot; Iago Fernández on drums, Nadav Erlich on double bass, and Alessio Cazzetta on guitar. Together, they focus solely on creating musical worlds in the spirit of boundlessness. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Thomas Gansch

Regie

Bass Clarinet

Bassoon

Bassposaune

Tuba

Harp

100 Jahre Miles Davis

To celebrate the centenary of Miles Davis&#x27; birth, the Zurich Jazz Orchestra performs a selection of pieces written by Gil Evans for Miles Davis and found on the legendary albums Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead, Porgy &amp; Bess and Quiet Nights. The program is a true best of program, with highlights from each album performed by the original line-up and featuring the incomparable Thomas Gansch as soloist. The program will also include the final part of Ed Partyka&#x27;s composition for the ZJO&#x27;s 30th anniversary, orchestrated for the expanded line-up by Gil Evans and rarely heard in traditional big band music. This concert will end our 2025-2026 Mood Concerts on a high, showcasing yet another facet of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra&#x27;s stylistic breadth and depth.

Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters

Tenorsaxophon

Altsaxophon

Stéphane Galland &amp; The Rhythm Hunters was born to transmit Stéphane Gallands musical journey with other musicians. The goal is to integrate rhythmic principles from his travels to different parts of the world into a personal musical language. It’s a sequel to Stéphane’s previous project “(the mystery of) Kem”. The objective is to explore different approaches to rhythm, that seem unusual and complex at first and to integrate them into a fluid musical discourse. This process requires extensive collective work, so that the whole group becomes familiar with these new rhythmic concepts and challenges. The group consists of Shoko Igarashi on tenor saxophone (Japan), Sylvain Debaisieux on alto saxophone who already played in “(the mystery of) Kem” (2018), trumpet player Pierre-Antoine Savoyat (France), Wajdi Riahi on piano (Tunisia) and Louise van den Heuvel on electric bass (the Netherlands). Drummer Stéphane Galland composed the pieces as different musical territories where rhythm hunting is highly recommended.

Skyjack

Horn

Sopransaxophon

Album Release «Let The Sky Open Under Your Feet»

The award-winning jazz collective Skyjack, consisting of some of the most sought-after jazz musicians from South Africa and Switzerland, is currently on tour to promote their latest album, “Let The Sky Open Under Your Feet”. Their fourth record is set to be released in April 2026 on the legendary South African label As-Shams/The Sun Records and will further explore contemporary grooves and a modern understanding of jazz. The band consists of three members from South Africa and two from Switzerland. All are highly acclaimed critics in their own right, but Skyjack as a whole is as great as its individual parts. Shane Cooper and Kyle Shepherd have each won the coveted Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz Award. Swiss musicians Marc Stucki and Andreas Tschopp are two of Switzerland&#x27;s most sought-after horn players, who have achieved dizzying creative and professional heights over the years. Jonno Sweetman joined the band in 2022 and is one of South Africa&#x27;s most sought-after drummers. Their sound is an absolute powerhouse, with all members bringing compositions written for the group. From deep African grooves, to heavy-hitting jazz rides and beautiful soundscapes, it’s all part of the incredible journey that is Skyjack.

Vali Mayers Gypsy Dynasty

As the last surviving ensemble of their generation, Gypsy Dynasty embodies the authentic and unique aura of German Sinti music in its original form. Welcome to Gypsy Dynasty, the last living heirs of the Hot Club de France and German gypsy jazz. The musicians are directly descended from their former bandmates who shaped this famous musical tradition – the legends Stephane Grappelli, Schnuckenack Reinhardt, Häns&#x27;che Weiss, Martin Weiss and Titi Winterstein. Gypsy Dynasty are musicians of exceptional rarity. They play what they live: more than just a classical repertoire of timeless and popular melodies, this music celebrates their lifestyle – authentic, rousing and poetic. Three is the magic number that unites this trio of Gigi Reinhardt, Holzmanno Winterstein and Vali Mayer.

Bixiga 70

Keyboards

Adalu & Moods present

The ten-piece band from the vibrant district of Bixiga in São Paulo has caused a sensation with spectacular live shows since its formation in 2010 (Roskilde, WOMAD, Montreal Jazz Festival, Glastonbury, Sziget, North Sea Jazz Festival, Le Guess Who? and many more). Bixiga 70 is inspired by the Afro-Brazilian soundscape and fuses samba rhythms with the free spirit of jazz and infectious funk grooves. Their music breathes new life into Brazil&#x27;s musical heritage. Brazilian authenticity fuses with a global perspective, creating a sound that is both rooted in tradition and looking to the future. With powerful horn arrangements, hypnotic percussion and soulful melodies, they have created a unique sonic identity that is both timeless and forward-thinking.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Song Yi Jeon

Leitung

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Song Yi Jeon 

Female Composers Series

An evening dedicated to female composers and arrangers: The first part of the concert features music by Claudia Döffinger, Niki Illes, Cinzia Catania, Carla Köllner, and Ursula Reicher. The second part focuses on a composer and vocalist collaborating with the Zurich Jazz Orchestra for the very first time: South Korean artist Song Yi Jeon. Song Yi Jeon is not only the new vocal instructor at ZHdK, but is also renowned for her hypnotic voice—often compared to a malleable, wordless instrument—and for her incomparable improvisations. Her compositions will be performed with a jazz orchestra for the first time, presented in arrangements by Ed Partyka. This collaboration has the potential to become one of the artistic highlights of the season.

Nik Bärtschs RONIN & Simone Felbers iheimisch – «Wätterglüüt»

Kontrabassklarinette

Accordion

Nik Bärtschs RONIN & Simone Felbers iheimisch – «Wätterglüüt»

Exil und Moods präsentieren Montags 1115

Live Ambient Guitar Support: Joel Gilardini Nik Bärtsch and Simone Felber were commissioned to compose a piece for the Alpentöne 2025 festival and decided to pursue a project together. This is how RONIN meets iheimisch with «Wätterglüüt». Customs and tradition become music and music becomes customs. Which came first, the custom or the music? Stories interweave with reality, grooves with rhymes. «Wätterglüüt» oscillates between archaic, contemporary and political influences, balancing the enduring and the new. The program pays tribute to important aspects and people of our tradition and at the same time puts new customs in front of them. With this composition, Nik Bärtsch&#x27;s RONIN and Simone Felber&#x27;s iheimisch move forward to the roots and thus back to the future. After performing at Moods in October 2025, the artists continued working and developing the program and in turn, will return for another performance.

Anupama Bhagwat & Manish Madankar

Sitar

Tabla

Indian Music Circle & Moods present

Widely celebrated for her profound artistry, Anupama Bhagwat is one of the foremost exponents of the Imdadkhani gharana. Her musical journey began at a young age, shaped by early training on violin and vocals before the sitar became her lifelong companion. A distinguished disciple of the legendary Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee, she has mastered the nuanced gayaki style—bringing to the sitar a lyrical expressiveness modeled on the human voice. With a performance career spanning continents since 1995, Anupama has graced leading festivals, collaborated with eminent musicians, and received critical acclaim for her emotive depth, scintillating taans, and meditative alaaps. Her playing is often described as a seamless blend of technical brilliance and spiritual sensitivity, drawing listeners into a rich world of melody, introspection, and artistic finesse. She will be accompanied by Manish Madankar, an accomplished tabla player who has performed across India, Europe, China, Singapore, and Russia. A versatile artist, he is equally at home as a soloist and as an accompanist for instrumental, vocal, kathak, and fusion performances. Trained under eminent maestros such as Pandit Sandesh Popatkar and Pandit Yogesh Samsi, he currently teaches tabla in Italy. Together, this duo promises an immersive musical journey through the rich tapestry of Hindustani classical tradition—an evening of melody, rhythm, and artistic dialogue. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Stella & The Longos

«Amour Propre»

Following the acclaimed 2022 release &quot;Détends-Toi&quot;, the first electrifying collaboration between lead singer Stella Zekri and producer Ed Longo, &quot;Amour Propre&quot; crowns two years of relentless touring, growth, and evolution. On the road, the duo forged a powerful live ensemble of Berlin’s finest musicians. That synergy now explodes onto record, expanding Stella &amp; The Longos’ sound into something more organic, daring, and deeply alive. On &quot;Amour Propre&quot;, Stella’s sultry, magnetic voice weaves through lush layers of live drums and percussion, funky guitar riffs, shimmering keyboards, intricate brass lines, and the unmistakable hi-fi production flair of Ed Longo. The rhythms oscillate in a melting pot of musical styles, where Afro-Caribbean influences overlap with vintage boogie beats and quelching synths flirt with smoky Parisian midnight moods. Stella’s voice remains the heart of it all, sensual, husky, and brimming with raw emotion. Her lyrics explore love, longing, and reflection, while also capturing moments of dancefloor euphoria and universal connection. With The Longos as her powerhouse backing band, every track radiates the energy of a live performance: intimate, enchanting, and unforgettable. Not only does Stella lead this band as vocalist, she can also be found behind the DJ decks spinning vinyl as Stella Zekri. For fans of Asha Puthli, Nu Genea and Kassav. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra feat. Yasek Manzano Silva

Latin Night – Rompiendo La Rutina

We were very much looking forward to embarking on a musical journey to the Caribbean at the upcoming concert alongside Juan Munguía, the Cuban trumpet legend who lives in Spain. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, he is unable to come to Moods. Nevertheless, you don’t have to miss out on an exciting concert evening at Moods. Yasek Manzano Silva will be stepping in for the evening. Daniel Schenker met the Cuban trumpeter and composer in New York in 2002. He was introduced to the New York jazz audience there during a concert by his mentor, Roy Hargrove. As luck would have it, the Havana-born musician has been in Switzerland for a little over two weeks and, fortunately, agreed to join right away. Yasek Manzano Silva began his musical studies at the Alejandro García Caturla Conservatory in Marianao, where he played along to the music he heard on his parents’ LPs. In 1995, Manzano enrolled at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana, where he developed an interest in jazz music. He later attended the Havana School of Arts and Music. In 1997, American jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove gave him his first trumpet, and Silva began playing at various jam sessions around town. He later traveled to New York and received a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied under jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and played in the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. Since returning to Cuba in 2003, he has performed alongside Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Irakere, Bobby Carcassés, and the British bands Manic Street Preachers and Simply Red. So you can look forward to a thrilling program: it’s quite possible that you’ll find it hard to sit still this evening. In addition to lively salsa numbers, you’re sure to hear a few Latin American-influenced arrangements by Ed Partyka.

20 Jahre Heidi Happy – die Jubiläumsshow

Mandolin

mit Büne Huber, Wallis Bird, Rebekka Lindauer und Handsome Hank

To celebrate her anniversary, Heidi Happy has written a song with each of her twenty most inspiring encounters from the past twenty years. And at Moods Heidi Happy will be presenting her resulting album “20”, which will be released on February 6, 2026, with some illustrious guests! Büne Huber, Wallis Bird, Rebekka Lindauer, and Handsome Hank will join Heidi to take a look back onto her musical career to date. Folky singer-songwriter ballads, spherically dreamy hippie worlds and synth-pop with French charm - it&#x27;s all there. Sometimes very calm and unagitated, sometimes so moving that it&#x27;s hard not to dance along or howl with emotion. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Sc'ööf

Sc&#x27;ööf are tipped to be the next big thing in Europe. The experimental band has already won the Zenith Award from the European Jazz Network, among other accolades, and has developed its own radical sound that is refreshingly adventurous and provocative. With their fascination for strange grooves and exuberant live energy, Sc&#x27;ööf are an exciting surprise. The Swiss-based quartet consists of drums, a laptop, an electric guitar and two saxophones with electronics and sound design. They create acoustic glitch music using advanced instrumental techniques, weaving atonal melodies into dense, complex rhythms and blending a variety of musical ideas into a single piece. Their sound uniquely combines elements of jazz, rock, metal, punk and experimental music. Their technically impressive performances are based on strong individual musicality and years of collaboration. Thanks to their long, repetitive, highly rhythmic structures, their performances are hypnotic, and thanks to their physical energy, they are intense.

Antistatic

The Danish instrumental trio Antistatic creates complex soundscapes with just two guitars and drums. Their instruments intertwine effortlessly, combining percussive guitar lines and intricate polyrhythms to create hypnotic grooves that lie somewhere between post-punk and math rock. Their debut album, Relics, was released in 2024 on the renowned US label Cuneiform Records and received rave reviews worldwide. This year, the band will follow up with a new release. Antistatic is an experience, especially live. They build dynamics between controlled precision and cathartic outbursts. With their repetitive, driving rhythms, they put you in a trance, only to create new tension time and again with surprising twists.

Elina Duni Trio feat. Rabih Abou-Khalil

Jurykonzert

Born in 1981 as the daughter of a writer and a director in the Albanian capital Tirana, Elina Duni first appeared on stage at the age of just five. A lot has happened since her first musical steps on radio and television: today, Elina Duni is an ECM artist and, since 2017, a laureate of the Swiss Music Prize. In this ZKB Jazz Prize Special, the oud virtuoso Rabih Abou-Khalil meets the Elina Duni Trio with Marc Méan and Matthieu Michel. A unique constellation that will probably bring some golden moments. The concert took place as part of the ZKB Jazz Prize.

Director

The long-standing and very fruitful partnership between Thomas Gansch and the Zurich Jazz Orchestra will continue this year. In addition to repertoire from the past, there will also be new arrangements written by Ed Partyka especially for this concert, presenting Thomas Gansch as a composer and multi-instrumental soloist, but also as an amiable &#x27;enfant terrible&#x27;. One thing is certain: the wonderful musicians of the ZJO will provide some musical surprises. It is also certain that the band and the audience will experience an unforgettable evening.

Zurich Jazz Orchestra Funk Night

Joseph Bowie’s Big Band Funk - The Legendary Music of Defunkt

Joseph Bowie is the brother of the big band musician Byron Bowie and the co-founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie. Joe himself founded the punk-funk-jazz group Defunkt in 1978. The band released several genre-bending albums in the 1980s, and their music has been called one of the most adventurous sounds of the last quarter of the 20th century. Over the past 20 years, Joe Bowie has also worked to adapt this music for big band. One of the arrangers Joe has worked with since 2011 is Ed Partyka. The ZJO is looking forward to an energetic evening of danceable hits from the long history of Defunkt.

Orchestra Baobab

Timbales

Congas

Moods Summer Special

Last year, Orchestra Baobab, one of Africa&#x27;s greatest bands, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Its story begins in the heart of Dakar&#x27;s medina in Senegal in the late 1960s and stretches around the world and into the 21st century. The group of singers and musicians from all over the continent play a mixture of Afro and Latin American styles, international pop and traditional griot music. After last year&#x27;s sold-out concert, the band returns to Moods this August. Before and after the concert, DJs Afreekaya &amp; Voilà Tim will be spinning some tunes.

Schmidi Schmidhauser & The Hasta Luegos

Abschiedskonzert

What luck: Mrs. Schmidhauser buys a guitar but doesn&#x27;t find enough time to practice. So she gives the instrument to her boys. Beat and Jürg don&#x27;t waste much time and start rocking. Some time later Beat, meanwhile matured to Schmidi, plays his first gig at the age of 14. Today, about 1500 concerts and 46 years later, Schmidi delights us for the last time live on stage, because – and to our regret – &quot;it&#x27;s enough of a good thing.&quot; From now on, he wants to devote himself to things that have came up short in all these years. Schmidi has experienced indescribable things on a thousand and one stages, on the road with &quot;Stop the Shoppers&quot;, &quot;HOT DC&quot;, &quot;Los Hobos&quot;, &quot;Chica Torpedo&quot;, &quot;Traktorkestar&quot;, &quot;Oso loco&quot;, with Polo, Kuno, Endo, Büne, Sina, Lo &amp; Leduc - and again and again with Jürg/Jiri, the beloved brother. So then: clear the stage!

Evelinn Trouble Orchestra

Violin

Viola

Evelinn Trouble

One year after her fifth studio album &quot;Longing Fever&quot; won the &#x27;Indie Suisse Album Of The Year Award&#x27;, Evelinn Trouble is back on tour with her band. Evelinn Trouble, known for her creative restlessness, her virtuoso voice and her idiosyncratic songwriting has added an exciting pop work to her discography with &quot;Longing Fever&quot; - a break with her psychedelic era but still unmistakably Trouble. It&#x27;s an exciting album that traverses highs and lows with fervour, ranging from Beatlesque love songs to euphoric melodies buoyed by distorted hip-hop. Unexpectedly, new sounds of string instruments join the otherwise dark sound universe of the singer: a string trio expands the band to the &quot;Evelinn Trouble Orchestra&quot;. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Alina Amuri + Special Guests

Synthesizer

Sousaphon

Album Release im Moods

Alina Amuri&#x27;s record launch will take place as part of the Schiffbaufest. The concert is free of charge, but we ask our guests to reserve a ticket via the link in order to have guaranteed admission. With different cultural influences and a lively and bold message, Alina Amuri manages to create magical musical moments. Born in DR Congo Kinshasa and raised in Switzerland, the singer and multi-instrumentalist has developed her own homemade style between Afro, Neo Soul and Trip Hop in the last ten years. An unforgettable voice meets Congolese percussion joy and surprising flute interludes, releasing forces where optimism returns and dancing becomes inevitable. A sound that creates a new sense of togetherness and the promise that everything will be alright. Alina Amuri&#x27;s music combines influences from Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone and Alicia Keys with a fresh, lively twist. Alina has already been selected for SRF 3 Best Talent, has been nominated for the most important Swiss music award (Swiss Music Awards) and won the Swiss Live Talent Award with her last album (Chasing Traces). At this concert Alina Amuri will present her next studio album Back To You. It is the most personal record so far and tells about her journey back to her birthplace Kinshasa, back to her family roots.

Yarima Blanco Y Son Latino

Tres

Yarima Blanco is an outstanding Tres Cubano player and one of the few outside of Cuba to master this unique three-stringed instrument. With her own septet, Son Latino, she combines various Cuban styles with Latin American influences. Her electrifying performances showcase not only her impressive technique on the tres, but also her powerful voice and charisma. Blanco perfected her skills during several years of study in Cuba and quickly became a sought-after artist, also making waves on the international jazz scene with the orchestra ANACAONA. Pancho Amat, international master of the tres cubanos, describes Blanco&#x27;s talent as exceptional. This concert recording was made with the support of Migros Culture Percentage.

Dominique Fils-Aimé

Dominique Fils-Aimé is back with a new album and after several attempts finally plays the Moods stage for the first time. Following her successful trilogy of albums that traced the history of African-American culture and history and even earned her a JUNO for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2020, comes her latest record, &quot;Our Roots Run Deep,&quot; which will be released in September 2023 on Ensoul Records. Inspired by soul icons such as Billie Holiday, Etta James and Nina Simone, the Canadian with Haitian roots tells of the wellspring of her soul and holds the audience with her voice in a soothing sonic embrace.

Rap / R'n'B / Brass

Experimental

Jazz Experimental

Jazz

Soul / Blues / Funk

Rap / R'n'B

Pop / Rock / Singer / Songwriter

Jazz Modern Creative

Global Sounds

Electronic / Party

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.

Driftwood Quartet

further links

More streams