Route 4
Blue Route

Undercurrent Orchestra, Iman Spaargaren’s sextet, performed at the new Maarhuizen barn last year. And now, the reedist returns to the ZJFT. The compact line-up of Pelican Three provides the cinematic qualities of his compositions with a cartoon approach. The drumless trio’s repertoire varies from lyrical chamber music to punk. He is joined by all-round guitarist Mark Tuinstra, who is well-known in ZJFT country for performances with African grooves (with Zou Diarra), Indian cross-over (The Nordanians) and heavy funk jazz (Bernie’s Lounge).

Berlin drummer Max Andrzjewski arrived at the scene with his band Hütte. In 2019 he released a beautiful Robert Wyatt homage on the WhyPlayJazz label. The inventive drummer joins the ZJFT programme with an international trio featuring some new names from the improv scene. The Argentinean tenorist Camila Nebbia and the British bassist James Banner are drummer Andrzjewski’s partners in the trio Presencia, which takes its music from an unusual barrel full of jazz, improv, rock, noise and contemporary new sounds.

With his band Sofaya , the South African band leader and trumpeter James McClure goes back to the rich musical traditions from the townships, like kwela and mbaqanga. The eight piece band is also inspired by contemporary dance music. Sofaya is one of the outfits that grew from the hotbed of the Amsterdam Space Impro series. Marta Warelis is featured on piano, here. Another familiar face is saxophonist John Dikeman, who will probably steal the show with his huge tenor sound.

Damien Mehldau (16) grew up in New York in a musical family where no one played the drums... Now residing in the Netherlands, he was praised by the jury last year as one of the finalists of the Prinses Christina Concours for his energetic dynamic swing, echoing influences of Billy Higgins and Art Taylor. He was one of the finalists in the PC Concours 2023 and won the PCJC Academy Prize and the City Proms Concert Prize. As the icing on the cake, he will showcase his drumming skills at this year‘s ZJFT. And we are looking forward to enjoying it!

139 Strings is an exciting and innovative jazz trio. The combination of harp, double bass, and piano reflects the total number of strings across these instruments. Aistis Kondratas, hailing from Lithuania, has broad musical interests ranging from indie-funk to avant-garde jazz, adding an eclectic touch to the trio’s performances. Dimitris Karkoulias, originally from Athens, transitioned from classical piano, violin, and electric bass to jazz piano and organ. Sorcha McCague, an award-winning harpist from Dublin, aims to integrate the harp into as many music genres as possible, actively contributing to this endeavor.

Azúmbara is formed by five friends from different parts of the world: Spain, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. Inspired by Latin American music, salsa, Brazilian music, jazz, pop, and Spanish folklore, they strive to nurture and cultivate their own essence. Their shows get everyone dancing while simultaneously honoring the value, richness, and tradition of Latin American music and its complexity. Enjoy the present moment with Azúmbara and escape reality. The only concern is which dance step will come next.

Kuhn Fu is summoned to the stage for the final party in Garnwerd. Here, they show up as a sextet, once again. Like no other, Christian Kühn manages to enthral the audience with his energetic stage act. With Kuhn Fu’s reputation as an exciting live band, they will easily raise the roof of the Garnwerd tent.