Newly added to the program are the May concerts of pianist Nikol Bóková with her trio, double bassist Klára Pudláková with the MAOMAH formation, and guitarist David Dorůžka, who will be launching a new collaborative album with the Piotr Wyleżoł Quartet, titled When the Child Was a Child.
From early February to May, the festival will feature thirteen concerts showcasing world-class jazz stars, along with intimate performances from the Club Life series in the stylish setting of Cabaret des Péchés. Among the festival's highlights, Brno will welcome five-time Grammy-winning singer Dianne Reeves, one of the most respected figures in orchestral jazz—nine-time Grammy winner Maria Schneider—who will perform with the Oslo Jazz Ensemble big band, as well as Grammy-winning jazz pianists Kris Davis and Sullivan Fortner. Italian virtuoso guitarist Matteo Mancuso, who blends jazz, rock, and funk, will also take the stage, alongside Kamasi Washington, a cult figure in the contemporary jazz scene and one of America's leading saxophonists.
Jojo Mayer, ranked among the fifty greatest drummers of all time, will present his unique ME/MACHINE project—an improvisational duet between man and machine. Other notable performances include Israeli jazz bass innovator Adam Ben Ezra, guitarist Dominic Miller, who has been a key collaborator with Sting for over thirty years, and the brilliant double bassist Joe Sanders, as well as avant-garde saxophonist James Brandon Lewis with their respective formations.
On International Jazz Day, April 30, guitarist Milan Kašuba—one of the oldest still-active Czech musicians and a legend of the Brno jazz scene—will celebrate his 85th birthday. The full program, additional information, and advance ticket sales are available at www.jazzfestbrno.cz/en/home-2024-en/
JazzFestBrno 2025 – Program:
- Tuesday, 18.02.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Sullivan Fortner Trio
- Thursday, 06.03.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Maria Schneider & Oslo Jazz Ensemble
- Thursday, 13.03.2025 / Sono: Matteo Mancuso
- Sunday, 16.03.2025 / Sono: Dianne Reeves
- Tuesday, 18.03.2025 / Sono: Kamasi Washington
- Wednesday, 19.03.2025 / CED: Jojo Mayer ME/MACHINE
- Tuesday, 08.04.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Adam Ben Ezra – Heavy Drops
- Tuesday, 15.04.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Dominic Miller
- Monday, 28.04.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Joe Sanders' Parallels + James Brandon Lewis Trio
- Wednesday, 30.04.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: International Jazz Day – Milan Kašuba 85
- Monday, 12.05.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Kris Davis Trio
- Wednesday, 14.05.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Klára Pudláková & MAOMAH + Nikol Bóková Trio
- Wednesday, 21.05.2025 / Cabaret des Péchés: Helicopets + David Dorůžka / Piotr Wyleżoł Quartet
Photo: Kris Davis trio (c) Ssirus Pakzad
