General Info

"Showcases" are the 30- to 45-minute short concerts at jazzahead! which are open to the general public and at the same time part of the trade fair. The 38 showcase bands have previously applied and are selected by international expert juries.

38 jazz highlights and current formations from Germany, Europe, Overseas/Africa as well as from three former partner countries: Spain (2012), France (2015) and Switzerland (2016), being part of the next year's first RECONNECT edition, can be experienced on three days and nights on the stages of Hall 7 and the Kulturzentrum Schlachthof.

 

 

 

What to know?

Showcases

The showcase application phase for jazzahead! 2025 has ended on Oct 1st 2024!
and the jazzahead! showcases 2025 have been selected!
Of course, you still have the opportunity to attend jazzahead! 2025 and make use of the great networking possibilities the event offers.
To register as a (co-)exhibitor or as a professional participant of jazzahead! 2025 see here information page.

The selection of bands performing have been chosen by international expert juries, one for each showcase module. More info about the jury criteria you will find in the section “Selection Process”.


If you have questions, you can contact Insa Stanke.

EUROPEAN SHOWCASES


Antonis Zouganelis
Athens Jazz (GR)

Artistic Director of the Athens Jazz, Antonis Zouganelis is currently the music and events consultant of Technopolis – City of Athens and the Owner of the music consulting agency TheCluster.

Michael Stückl
Jazzclub Unterfahrt (DE)

Artistic and managing director of Jazzclub Unterfahrt (Munich / Germany).

Enzo Favata
Musica Sulle Bocche (IT)

One of the most active Italian musicians on the international music scene, his music is an original fusion of contemporary jazz and world cultures. He is Director of Musica sulle Bocche (Sardinia) Festival, famous for its programme and wonderfull locations.

Grace Pitkin
Serious (GB)

She is part of Serious – one of the UK’s leading producers and promoters of jazz as programming and talent development manager. As well as managing their talent development programme Take Five, she contributes to their artistic programming including for the EFG London Jazz Festival.


Simona Giura
Jazz Banat Cultural Foundation (RO)

Since 2015 she has been a senior manager at Gărâna Jazz Festival and in 2024 she became the festival's director. In 2018, Simona founded the ORA Jazz Festival in the city of Oradea. In addition to managing the festivals, Simona consistently contributes to several other cultural and artistic programs.

Judita Bartoseviciene
Vilnius Mama Jazz (LT)

Judita organises jazz concerts and tours in Lithuania for more than forty years and is the initiator and implementer of cultural events. For nearly 10 years she organised jazz shows at different venues and run Jazz club. Since 2002 she has been organising the annual "Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival".

Tanja Douglas
Radio Helsinki; G Livelab (FI)
Teshome Wondimu
Addis Jazz Festival (ET)

Paul Zauner
INNtöne (AT)


RECONNECT SHOWCASES


Tiphanie Moreau
Jazz sous les pommiers (FR)

Tiphanie Moreau is jazz project manager for Jazz sous les Pommiers festival in Normandy (France), and board member for the French national network AJC. She has been working in the jazz field since 2008, first as a booking agent, then in in charge of Jazz Migration, a French scheme for emerging creative jazz musicians led by AJC.

Martyna van Nieuwland
Independent Curator (PL/NL)

Curator and researcher. From 2013 to 2022 she directed Katowice JazzArt Festival. Between 2022-2024 she served as artistic director of the Music Meeting Festival (NL). She is the winner of the Music and Community 2022 award broadcast by EJN.

Friederike Darius
Metropol Orkest (NL)

Friederike is an experienced manager/producer and musician. She was director of the booking agency Jazz Impuls, artistic director of the Jazz Academy of the Academy of Music Codarts Rotterdam. She now works at the Metropole Orkest as artistic producer and in talent development.

Corrado Beldi
Novara Jazz (IT)

Founder and artistic director of NovaraJazz, now also WeStart Music Production Centre, former president of I-Jazz, host the 2019 EJN Conference in Novara, Italy. He writes about music and cocktails on various Italian newspapers.


Dani Escolano
Festival de Jazz Zaragoza (ES)

Dani Escolano is a musician, teacher and organizer of festivals such as Festival Castillo de Aínsa or Huesca es Jazz. He directs the Jazz for Kids project, a reference jazz school for children in jazz music in Spain. Great defender of life in the countryside, all his projects are carried out in cities and small towns in Aragon.

Ragnhild Menes
Kongsberg Jazz (NO)

Ragnhild Menes is the director of Kongsberg Jazzfestival, one of the leading jazz festivals in Norway. She is also involved in the Norwegian jazz community through her role as chairman of the board in Norsk Jazzforum (the Norwegian Jazz Federation).

Sébastien Vida
Duc des Lombards – TSF (FR)

Sébastien Vidal is a major figure in French jazz, directing Le Duc des Lombards and TSFJAZZ. He promotes jazz globally, founding the French Quarter festival in NYC and events like "You and The Night and The Music" and Nice Jazz Festival. His expertise spans programming, media, event production, and international jazz promotion.

Jair Tchong
Ha Concerts (BE)

Gilles Dupuis
La Spriale, Fribourg, JazzONZE+ (CH)
Javier Estrella Ruiz
Plataforma Jazz España, JAZZ EÑE, SGAE Foundation (ES)


GERMAN JAZZ EXPO


Helene Mullor
Jazz I Helsingborg (SE)

Board member of Jazz in Helsingborg, a small jazz club perfectly situated between Copenhagen, Malmö, and Gothenburg. We elevate Helsingborg’s music scene by offering a chance to experience both current stars and the cutting-edge talents of tomorrow.

Špela Cvetko
Gala Hala (SI)

Freelance events and PR professional (ia. MENT, Sajeta, Jazz Cerkno), SI coordinator of the international exchange Jazzchange and a sharp and analytical music journalist, which earned her the role of (first woman) head music editor of Radio Študent.

Lana Janjanin
JazzHR Festival (HR)

Lana Janjanin is a composer, arranger, bandleader, pianist, and singer from Croatia, with a degree in Composition from the University for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Since 2021, she is the artistic director of the JazzHR Festival in Zagreb.

Jez Nelson
Jazz One (GB)

Jez has worked around the music professionally for 40 years. In 2024 he and long-time colleague Chris Philips founded the world’s first 24/7, global jazz radio station - One Jazz. Jez also promotes and hosts many jazz gigs including the long-running Jazz In The Round night.


Roel Vanhoeck
BOZAR (BE)

Roel Vanhoeck is Deputy Director Music of the Center of Fine Arts Brussels (Bozar). He is responsible for the jazz, electronic & cross-over program. Bozar is the largest arts center of Belgium. Before joining BOZAR, he was managing director of Jeunesses Musicales of Flanders.

Xavier Barceló
Fira B!; Balearic Islands Government (ES)
Gail Boyd
Artist Management Gail W. Boyd, P.C.; Pan African Center for Empowerment; The International Society of Jazz Composers and Arrangers; The Cape May Jazz Festival Foundation (US)
Fimmer Engel
DR Koncerthuset (DK)

Brigita Gračner
Zavod Sploh (SI)


OVERSEAS & JAZZ FROM AFRICA SHOWCASES


Hughes Kieffer
Marseille Jazz Des Cinq Continents (FR)

Director/programmer of Marseille Jazz des cinq continents since 2016, Hugues Kieffer works on the contact between artists and the public with a conception of jazz, creative, mixed, globalized and modern. "Jazz imposed itself to me as an evidence".

Jung Hun Lee
Seoul Music Week (KR)

Founder and General Director of Seoul Music Week which is international showcase festival and conference in Korea. And also Ulsan Jazz Festival is the most oldest jazz festival in Korea since 2000. I was a professor in YoungSan University of cinema during ten years before involved in the music fields.

Jason Olaine
Jazz at Lincoln Center (US)

13 years Head of Programming at JALC, 9 years Artistic Director at Yoshi's, 5 years Director of A&R at Verve, 4 years GM of Monterey Jazz Festival Records, 25 years Grammy-winning producer, 8 years teaching, 1-year jazzahead! Jury member!

Gavin Poonoosamy
MAMA JAZ festival (MU)

Adorer of Art, Music Producer & Communications Strategist. Proud founder and general manager of MAMA JAZ* (mamajaz.org), a unique month-long demonstration for music creation, improvisation & performance on planet Earth, based in Mauritius and harmonised with April since 2016; 10th edition in 2025!


Frank van Berkel
Bimhuis (NL)

Frank working as program director at the BIMHUIS Amsterdam, The Netherlands since January 2018. Before he was as a freelance music program manager in Rotterdam for Concertgebouw De Doelen, Jazz International Rotterdam, LantarenVenster and LUX in Nijme.

Natalie Greffel
XJAZZ (DE)

Natalie Greffel is a composer, singer, bassist, and booker for Xjazz Festival Berlin. Founder of New Past, she fuses music and heritage to envision alternative futures. Her debut album "Para Todos" (2020) blends Afro-Brazilian sounds, earning the 2023 German Jazz Award.

Brenda Sisane
Jazz Presenter Kaya FM; Journey to Jazz Festival CD (ZA)

Brenda joined the media and arts sector over 30 years ago as a radio and television broadcaster. Further, Brenda serves as Producer and Creative Director for concerts and art festivals, currently being the Creative Director for the Prince Albert Journey to Jazz Festival in the Western Cape Province.

Peter Fisher
Radio Presenter; PF Music (NG)

Peter Fisher is the CEO of PF Music., and owns the brands, Jazz and Conversations & Jazz and Conversations:Live. He is aka The BassMan, the creator & host of Jazz and Conversations, the #1 African jazz radio Show on the continent. PF Music’s mission is the promotion of African Jazz.


Philip Küppers
Goethe Institute Rabat (MO)

All information about the jury and the respective selection criteria

Before the jury process, a screening of all showcase applications, will be carried out by jazzahead!. The selection is based on a general checklist that has been included into the application form. All bands, which are not passing in the first screening, will be informed directly after this initial process. All other bands will be presented to the jury teams and the process will take its course as in previous years.

The selection of jazzahead! showcase bands are held by annually changing expert juries. Each of the four showcase modules has its own jury team with at least seven jury members, festival and program directors from the international jazz scene.


Criteria

The selection process consists of three phases: Firstly, the individual listening of all applications by the jury members and their online voting. This results in a short list of bands/artists. These arists/bands are then evaluated by different criteria via a points system. The third voting session will be hold with all jury members via online conference where the final program of the showcases will be discussed and decided.

Criteria for the first voting session
What counts: the main criteria for selection are musical quality and whether the band/artists is/are able to perform on an international level. Age, gender and origin are of no importance. The criteria for the second voting session will be communicated to the jury members with the short list of the bands - the result of this first voting session.

Second voting session
As for the first voting session now, for the second voting session, other criteria should be taken into account. :

  • Instrumentation
  • Country of origin (does not apply for GJE and the night of the partner country)
  • Gender

Also considered is the probability that the band will present exactly the line-up stated in the application and that the final program should present a wide stylistic range.

Preconditions for showcase applications (they need to be accepted during the application process)

You want to experience the showcase concerts live?

For registered participants of jazzahead! 2025 access to the showcase concerts is included in the registration for the trade fair.

We are happy to announce that concert tickets for the showcases are also available for non-registered visitors now!

Showcases

The showcase application phase for jazzahead! 2025 has ended on Oct 1st 2024!
and the jazzahead! showcases 2025 have been selected!
Of course, you still have the opportunity to attend jazzahead! 2025 and make use of the great networking possibilities the event offers.
To register as a (co-)exhibitor or as a professional participant of jazzahead! 2025 see here information page.

The selection of bands performing have been chosen by international expert juries, one for each showcase module. More info about the jury criteria you will find in the section “Selection Process”.


If you have questions, you can contact Insa Stanke.
Below you find the jury teams of jazzahead! 2025.
Jury RECONNECT Showcases
Jair Tchong / Ha Concerts (BE)
Tiphanie Moreau / Jazz sous les pommiers (FR)
Sébastien Vidal / Duc des Lombards – TSF (FR)
Gilles Dupuis / La Spirale, Fribourg; JazzOnze+ (CH)
Javier Estrella Ruiz / Plataforma Jazz España; JAZZ EÑE; SGAE Foundation (ES)
Dani Escolano / Festival de Jazz de Zaragoza (ES)
Martyna van Nieuwland / Independent curator (PL/NL)
Ragnhild Menes / Kongsberg Jazz (NO)
Friederike Darius / Metropol Orkest (NL)
Corrado Beldi / Novarra Jazz (IT)
Jury European Showcases
Judita Bartoseviciene / Vilnius Mama Jazz (LT)
Tanja Douglas / Radio Helsinki; G Livelab (FI)
Enzo Favata / Musica Sulle Bocche (IT)
Simona Giura / Jazz Banat Cultural Foundation (RO)
Grace Pitkin / Serious (UK)
Michael Stückl / Jazzclub Unterfahrt (DE)
Teshome Wondimu / Addis Jazz Festival (ET)
Paul Zauner / INNtöne (AT)
Antonis Zouganelis / Athens Jazz (GR)
Jury German Jazz Expo
Xavier Barceló / Fira B!; Balearic Islands Government (ES)
Gail Boyd / Artist Management Gail W. Boyd, P.C.; Pan African Center for Empowerment; The International Society of Jazz Composers and Arrangers; The Cape May Jazz Festival Foundation (US)
Špela Cvetko / Gala Hala (SI)
Fimmer Engel / DR Koncerthuset (DK)
Brigita Gračner / Zavod Sploh (SI)
Lana Janjanin / JazzHR Festival (HR)
Helene Mullor / Jazz i Helsingborg (SE)
Jez Nelson / One Jazz (UK)
Roel Vanhoeck / BOZAR (BE)
Jury Overseas & Jazz from Africa Showcases
Peter Fisher / Radio Presenter; PF Music (NG)
Natalie Greffel / XJAZZ (DE)
Hughes Kieffer / Marseille Jazz Des Cinq Continents (FR)
Philip Küppers / Goethe-Institut Rabat (MO)
Jung Hun Lee / Seoul Music Week (KR)
Jason Olaine / Jazz at Lincoln Center (US)
Gavin Poonoosamy / MAMA JAZ festival (MU)
Brenda Sisane / Jazz Presenter Kaya FM; Journey to Jazz Festival CD (ZA)
Frank van Berkel / Bimhuis (NL)

All information about the jury and the respective selection criteria

Before the jury process, a screening of all showcase applications, will be carried out by jazzahead!. The selection is based on a general checklist that has been included into the application form. All bands, which are not passing in the first screening, will be informed directly after this initial process. All other bands will be presented to the jury teams and the process will take its course as in previous years.

The selection of jazzahead! showcase bands are held by annually changing expert juries. Each of the four showcase modules has its own jury team with at least seven jury members, festival and program directors from the international jazz scene.


Criteria

The selection process consists of three phases: Firstly, the individual listening of all applications by the jury members and their online voting. This results in a short list of bands/artists. These arists/bands are then evaluated by different criteria via a points system. The third voting session will be hold with all jury members via online conference where the final program of the showcases will be discussed and decided.

Criteria for the first voting session
What counts: the main criteria for selection are musical quality and whether the band/artists is/are able to perform on an international level. Age, gender and origin are of no importance. The criteria for the second voting session will be communicated to the jury members with the short list of the bands - the result of this first voting session.

Second voting session
As for the first voting session now, for the second voting session, other criteria should be taken into account. :

  • Instrumentation
  • Country of origin (does not apply for GJE and the night of the partner country)
  • Gender

Also considered is the probability that the band will present exactly the line-up stated in the application and that the final program should present a wide stylistic range.

Preconditions for showcase applications (they need to be accepted during the application process)

You want to experience the showcase concerts live?

For registered participants of jazzahead! 2025 access to the showcase concerts is included in the registration for the trade fair.

We are happy to announce that concert tickets for the showcases are also available for non-registered visitors now!

Showcases

The showcase application phase for jazzahead! 2025 has ended on Oct 1st 2024!
and the jazzahead! showcases 2025 have been selected!
Of course, you still have the opportunity to attend jazzahead! 2025 and make use of the great networking possibilities the event offers.
To register as a (co-)exhibitor or as a professional participant of jazzahead! 2025 see here information page.

The selection of bands performing have been chosen by international expert juries, one for each showcase module. More info about the jury criteria you will find in the section “Selection Process”.


If you have questions, you can contact Insa Stanke.
Below you find the jury teams of jazzahead! 2025.
Jury RECONNECT Showcases
Jair Tchong / Ha Concerts (BE)
Tiphanie Moreau / Jazz sous les pommiers (FR)
Sébastien Vidal / Duc des Lombards – TSF (FR)
Gilles Dupuis / La Spirale, Fribourg; JazzOnze+ (CH)
Javier Estrella Ruiz / Plataforma Jazz España; JAZZ EÑE; SGAE Foundation (ES)
Dani Escolano / Festival de Jazz de Zaragoza (ES)
Martyna van Nieuwland / Independent curator (PL/NL)
Ragnhild Menes / Kongsberg Jazz (NO)
Friederike Darius / Metropol Orkest (NL)
Corrado Beldi / Novarra Jazz (IT)
Jury European Showcases
Judita Bartoseviciene / Vilnius Mama Jazz (LT)
Tanja Douglas / Radio Helsinki; G Livelab (FI)
Enzo Favata / Musica Sulle Bocche (IT)
Simona Giura / Jazz Banat Cultural Foundation (RO)
Grace Pitkin / Serious (UK)
Michael Stückl / Jazzclub Unterfahrt (DE)
Teshome Wondimu / Addis Jazz Festival (ET)
Paul Zauner / INNtöne (AT)
Antonis Zouganelis / Athens Jazz (GR)
Jury German Jazz Expo
Xavier Barceló / Fira B!; Balearic Islands Government (ES)
Gail Boyd / Artist Management Gail W. Boyd, P.C.; Pan African Center for Empowerment; The International Society of Jazz Composers and Arrangers; The Cape May Jazz Festival Foundation (US)
Špela Cvetko / Gala Hala (SI)
Fimmer Engel / DR Koncerthuset (DK)
Brigita Gračner / Zavod Sploh (SI)
Lana Janjanin / JazzHR Festival (HR)
Helene Mullor / Jazz i Helsingborg (SE)
Jez Nelson / One Jazz (UK)
Roel Vanhoeck / BOZAR (BE)
Jury Overseas & Jazz from Africa Showcases
Peter Fisher / Radio Presenter; PF Music (NG)
Natalie Greffel / XJAZZ (DE)
Hughes Kieffer / Marseille Jazz Des Cinq Continents (FR)
Philip Küppers / Goethe-Institut Rabat (MO)
Jung Hun Lee / Seoul Music Week (KR)
Jason Olaine / Jazz at Lincoln Center (US)
Gavin Poonoosamy / MAMA JAZ festival (MU)
Brenda Sisane / Jazz Presenter Kaya FM; Journey to Jazz Festival CD (ZA)
Frank van Berkel / Bimhuis (NL)

All information about the jury and the respective selection criteria

Before the jury process, a screening of all showcase applications, will be carried out by jazzahead!. The selection is based on a general checklist that has been included into the application form. All bands, which are not passing in the first screening, will be informed directly after this initial process. All other bands will be presented to the jury teams and the process will take its course as in previous years.

The selection of jazzahead! showcase bands are held by annually changing expert juries. Each of the four showcase modules has its own jury team with at least seven jury members, festival and program directors from the international jazz scene.


Criteria

The selection process consists of three phases: Firstly, the individual listening of all applications by the jury members and their online voting. This results in a short list of bands/artists. These arists/bands are then evaluated by different criteria via a points system. The third voting session will be hold with all jury members via online conference where the final program of the showcases will be discussed and decided.

Criteria for the first voting session
What counts: the main criteria for selection are musical quality and whether the band/artists is/are able to perform on an international level. Age, gender and origin are of no importance. The criteria for the second voting session will be communicated to the jury members with the short list of the bands - the result of this first voting session.

Second voting session
As for the first voting session now, for the second voting session, other criteria should be taken into account. :

  • Instrumentation
  • Country of origin (does not apply for GJE and the night of the partner country)
  • Gender

Also considered is the probability that the band will present exactly the line-up stated in the application and that the final program should present a wide stylistic range.

Preconditions for showcase applications (they need to be accepted during the application process)

You want to experience the showcase concerts live?

For registered participants of jazzahead! 2025 access to the showcase concerts is included in the registration for the trade fair.

We are happy to announce that concert tickets for the showcases are also available for non-registered visitors now!

Showcase Moments

RECONNECT Showcases
Adèle Viret Quartet (FR)
Irene Reig quartet (ES)
Louis Matute Large Ensemble (CH)
Manon Mullener 5tet (CH)
Marco Mezquida Trio (ES)
Momi Maiga (ES)
Monsieur Mâlâ (FR)
Robinson Khoury (FR)
Yilian Cañizares (CH)
European Showcases
Andreas Polyzogopoulos Trio (GR)
Carlos Bica 11:11 (PT)
Harald Lassen (NO)
Henry Spencer (UK)
Ilaria Capalbo (SE/IT)
Korhan Futaci (TR)
Maridalen (NO)
Norman&Corrie (UK) (Scotland)
Sam Newbould Quintet (NL)
Schubert NOW! (HU)
Smag På Dig Selv (DK)
Svante Söderqvist - THE ROCKET (SE/EE)
Unleashed Cooperation (PL)
German Jazz Expo
Besson - Sternal - Burgwinkel Trio (DE)
Carl Wittigs Aurora Oktett (DE)
Enji (DE)
Eva Klesse Quartett – Stimmen (DE)
hilde (DE)
Maik Krahl - The Magic of Consistency (DE)
Nils Kugelmann Trio (DE)
´Oumuamua Orchestra (DE)
Overseas & Jazz from Africa Showcases
Benjamin Jephta Sextet presents 'Born Coloured, not Born-Free' (ZA)
Hervé Samb & Teranga Band (SN/FR)
Juanjo Corbalán Quartet (PY)
Kasiva Mutua (KE)
Lucía (MX)
Roger Corrêa Quartet (BR)
Rolando Luna (CU)
Shalosh (IL)

Showcases Program