# Across Europe in the Language of Jazz and Blues at EU Jazz & Blues Festival 2026 · Autumn – Winter Jazz Blues Season: Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2026/10/24/576577/
- Published: 2026-10-24T04:00:01+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**An expansive musical journey through Europe’s concert halls, intimate jazz clubs,
historic theatres and great stages of rock and blues — celebrating artistic imagination,
international collaboration and the enduring power of live music.**

The 2026 Autumn – Winter Jazz – Blues Season of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival unfolds
as a portrait of a continent connected by music. From Denmark’s intimate jazz rooms
to Finland’s vibrant educational and artistic communities, from the historic concert
architecture of Barcelona to the electric blues clubs of Belgium and Germany, the
programme brings together musicians whose individual voices represent the extraordinary
diversity of contemporary European and international music.

![](https://i0.wp.com/jazzblues.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Jazz-Blues-e1790582659167.
jpg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

### Jazz is a language of freedom, conversation and discovery.

### Blues is a language of memory, resilience and emotional truth.

Big-band swing carries the elegance of another era into the present, while contemporary
fusion, flamenco-jazz, funk, hard bop and progressive rock continually redraw the
boundaries between musical traditions. Together, these performances suggest a festival
season not defined by a single style, but by a shared belief that music remains 
one of the most compelling ways to bring cultures, generations and audiences together.

At the heart of this vision is **Olivia Peevas**, director and organiser of the 
EU Jazz & Blues Festival’s 2026 Autumn – Winter Jazz – Blues Season. Her role in
bringing together an international programme of artists, venues and musical traditions
provides the organising thread for a season that moves across national borders while
maintaining a clear artistic identity.

The concert descriptions below are written as an editorial overview based on the
programme information supplied. Where a performance date, complete personnel list
or independent concert report could not be established, the text focuses on the 
artist’s musical language, the character of the venue and the artistic significance
of the proposed programme rather than inventing eyewitness details.

### Scandinavia: Intimacy, virtuosity and the restless spirit of jazz

![Baptiste Herbin – Henri SELMER Paris](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/0oCb5gq8YVVW7QNqt8s-
BK_0MzdA3MuGdJ9JGnKOmo22QW43fGhXPgd3Cl2fsmg57uZk9Bgng2WjJEUa_-vq4XjltrtYfZM5E7Hf5N6dhhxiQOA-
6hJ5XH43CGeLMDBxsVNKJE4sDVikd6sH87SK302HFtCJuBFnh_NrA1duAHY?purpose=inline)

### Aarhus, Denmark — Baptiste Herbin at Erlings Jazz- & Ølbar

Aarhus, a city whose cultural identity embraces experimentation, youthful energy
and a strong Scandinavian jazz tradition, offers an ideal setting for the expressive
artistry of French saxophonist Baptiste Herbin. At Erlings Jazz- & Ølbar, an intimate
club environment invites listeners to experience jazz not as a distant spectacle,
but as a conversation unfolding within arm’s reach.

Herbin’s saxophone vocabulary is distinguished by its agility, melodic imagination
and remarkable rhythmic flexibility. The meeting of modern gypsy-jazz influences
and Brazilian musical elements suggests a programme in which European harmonic sophistication
encounters the buoyancy of Latin rhythms. One can imagine phrases accelerating into
intricate runs, melodies unfolding with a singing quality, and rhythmic accents 
shifting between swing, syncopation and dance-like propulsion.

The performance listing identifies Herbin alongside Danish guitarist Casper Christensen
and bassist Lasse Mørck, a particularly interesting cross-border combination. The
guitar can provide both harmonic colour and rhythmic lift, while the bass anchors
the music with a supple pulse. Together, the musicians embody the spirit of European
jazz as an open conversation rather than a collection of national styles.

![Konzert: Glenn Miller Orchestra - Wien](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/
SvZ6EBAKPZombMYc77zkjFHoK_aOZNhaOEJFbaxKPJoWQLWPVFNA_-oxDQi2OdjJ9toeUhie7qwRp9pv011DFWGtslZdYDtl0enURLyt44zil8TNUI610tF6YHRjl1FeuGqEfTJ8dZHKKNpjdvuoszOiEsev2xf_KAvIVLUstOM?
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### Echternach, Luxembourg — Glenn Miller Orchestra at TRIFOLION

In Echternach, a historic Luxembourgish town whose old streets and cultural landmarks
lend themselves naturally to an evening of musical nostalgia, the TRIFOLION cultural
centre provides a fitting home for the unmistakable sound of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

The orchestra’s Swing Forever programme celebrates the repertoire and distinctive
sonority associated with the golden age of American big-band jazz. Its musical identity
rests on the precise relationship between saxophones and brass, the rhythmic certainty
of the drums, the buoyancy of the bass and the elegant phrasing of its arrangements.

The famous Miller sound is not simply loud or exuberant; it is carefully balanced,
with reed textures and brass responses creating a recognisable orchestral voice.

The programme also gives an important place to singing. The orchestra’s vocalist
and the five-part Moonlight Serenaders evoke the polished vocal harmonies of the
swing era, adding warmth and theatrical character to the instrumental arrangements.

The result is a musical bridge between generations: familiar melodies become living
performances rather than museum pieces, preserving the charm of classic swing while
allowing its rhythmic vitality to speak directly to a contemporary audience.

![Karima incanta Busca con “Karima Xmas” e chiude in bellezza la rassegna "Musicaè"-
Targatocn.it](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/0Fnyqyet4cttDGJUV9Eiyq1-7wE_DSM49-
OanwqbFbyznZgELjGW6u8KsyIQcuBwP-lwnfltMf10q9aV1ft_ojbw5VQEGc1k7WT-FrhaSeLYNq-blePXyxd2j4cDznfhhKtW0HKM8Cual16zGoDjWgp3vI38Lgnn3ZgOPZcl0N8?
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### Helsinki, Finland — European Jazz’s Cool 2026 at Arabiasali

Helsinki’s Arabiasali becomes a meeting point for musical education, international
cooperation and contemporary performance, a project bringing experienced Italian
artists together with young musicians from across Europe.

The event features virtuoso bassist Federico Malaman and vocalist Karima, supported
by international student ensembles. Malaman’s formidable electric-bass technique
and experience across jazz, fusion and progressive music offer a foundation for 
arrangements that move between intricate rhythmic patterns, melodic bass lines and
expansive harmonic colours. His programme draws on modern jazz, tango, Latin and
Afro-Cuban influences, creating a space in which rhythmic sophistication can coexist
with immediacy and groove.

Karima introduces a different but complementary musical dimension. Her expressive
voice moves between swing, pop, neo-soul and the Italian singer-songwriter tradition,
with the repertoire also acknowledging the songwriting legacy of Burt Bacharach.
Here, jazz is not confined to instrumental virtuosity: it becomes a means of reimagining
memorable songs through phrasing, harmony, vocal colour and improvisational freedom.

Particularly valuable is the involvement of young performers from Finland, Italy,
Belgium, Denmark and Latvia. This is not merely a showcase for established names;
it is an encounter between generations in which professional artistry and emerging
talent share the same stage. Arabiasali thus represents the festival’s European 
ideal at its most tangible: collaboration as a musical practice and as an investment
in the future of the art form.

![KONSERT: Legendariska basisten Dave Holland med sin trio 3 februari 2026 - Jazzradion
| Sveriges Radio](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/vroGj50Ob5rWp5FpEUitl8hXp3_eg3NgX4AsY8dH1kjJg9NJhY6fm7Mz3ryfOqxutHco67JCuU0snLnhjN8zAOf8F5OT6EGR5NchrdXFwKW_RUZhAS-
brkwTY7H7h4yuj1V100amsi5ZXoRSDueaHCi42aWabaCuvJq5YiY4Xqw?purpose=inline)

### Umeå, Sweden — Umeå Jazz Festival at Folkets Hus

In northern Sweden, the Umeå Jazz Festival brings an expansive view of jazz to a
city known for its cultural energy and northern European atmosphere. The transforming
Umeå Folkets Hus and its multiple performance spaces into a meeting place for traditional
jazz, contemporary experimentation and music from beyond conventional genre boundaries.

The strength of such a festival lies in the dialogue between contrasting artistic
languages. A melodic, swinging ensemble may be followed by musicians exploring free
improvisation, unusual instrumental combinations or the relationship between jazz
and world music. The listener is invited to move beyond familiar expectations and
experience jazz as a living, evolving form.

The published programme illustrates this breadth through artists and ensembles including
Elifantree, saxophonist Karin Krog’s musical circle, the pairing of Mats Gustafsson
and Kimmo Pohjonen, and the celebrated guitarist Bill Frisell. Their different approaches
reveal the richness of the Nordic and international improvising scene, from lyrical
restraint to exploratory intensity.

Rather than one isolated concert, Umeå represents a festival within the festival
season: a concentrated celebration of musical curiosity, where several stages and
generations of performers contribute to a larger cultural conversation.

![Iiro Rantala – Pianisti — Raitala](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/3PzxjXJbKFh72dnunnFQl9JyKtepf0J8CNK49IoiJvdVoP1lNlH2bv1QhNprrbnlohDHBqltl5Wso_KmGvOUY4C5snOlm6gPNK07fpnb0sgI7MuF5p4RtsU9m6fEJvd1Z6CWkks8pmBYbvkkgUnhOI1EZQvn8RtuHqgnMKg4Psc?
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### Biel/Bienne, Switzerland — Iiro Rantala at Le Singe

At Le Singe, a celebrated intimate venue in Biel/Bienne, Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala
brings the imaginative range of a musician equally at home in jazz, classical music
and playful musical experimentation. His TRINITY project provides the setting for
a performance in which technical brilliance serves a larger expressive purpose.

Rantala’s playing can move from crystalline passages and intricate contrapuntal 
lines to expansive chords, sudden rhythmic turns and passages of disarming tenderness.
His musical personality is distinguished by the ability to combine seriousness with
wit: a highly developed technique never becomes an end in itself, but a means of
illuminating the unexpected possibilities within a melody or harmonic idea.

A close-up club environment is particularly suited to such an artist. Without the
distance of a large concert hall, listeners can appreciate the physicality of piano
playing, the smallest changes in touch, the relationship between silence and sound,
and the spontaneity that makes improvisation feel alive.

The result is an artistic encounter with the piano as both a virtuoso instrument
and a source of storytelling. Biel offers a reminder that some of the most compelling
concert experiences emerge when a musician’s individual imagination is allowed room
to breathe.

### The electric blues: Voices of experience, freedom and resilience

![Sari Schorr live beim Crossroads Festival - Events - Rockpalast - Fernsehen](https://
images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/JjvrEAQAVlTUpVlrFZvplOPXW9qOpzcI-UEmD5Hmr_Du-97ihcpJ0utn1DXlFzkIqCJ_WXJ0VhhY39ze3PJYPsF2aeLQ4_4pffnDvJOXEOTwnDPVrsb5T8cRe3t3rmKaDEBDnxsw-
tLvIDt_R1O7XCzHBRndSbXUuYpqAgmn3X0?purpose=inline)

### **Fürth, Germany — Sari Schorr at Kofferfabrik**

The Kofferfabrik in Fürth, a venue whose intimate atmosphere suits the directness
of blues-rock, welcomes American singer-songwriter Sari Schorr and her Running Wild
European tour. The programme introduces music rooted in classic rock, blues and 
soul.

Schorr’s artistic strength lies in a voice capable of moving from vulnerable intimacy
to commanding power. Rather than smoothing away the rough edges of emotion, she 
uses vocal grain, dynamic contrast and sustained intensity to give a song the feeling
of lived experience. Her guitar-driven band setting offers the perfect counterpart:
electric guitar can answer the vocal line, expand its emotional pressure and transform
a lyrical statement into a forceful instrumental climax.

The Running Wild concept evokes independence, resistance and the courage to move
forward. In a compact club, the impact of such music is immediate. The rhythm section
can establish a muscular groove, the guitar can introduce tension and release, and
Schorr’s voice can carry a melody from reflective storytelling to an almost physical
declaration of freedom.

Fürth’s contribution to the festival season is therefore a celebration of blues-
rock as a contemporary expressive art — a tradition that remains powerful precisely
because it speaks honestly about vulnerability, desire and endurance.

![FRANCE-MUSIC-FESTIVAL-COGNAC](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/M9wTz7bvyK3HavJVkv-
7OJRSnmTau6VyqLjCHSBJnTbzTNhfdAd4l_7lbPpKrISxpw9J2tt_edZCGuqX4zZ6o_XhxwneeqsLZGZJzvMbRVxA5-
rUpxnjCQaWHn4DWWwo66esQTK44RgN9LIC0jTnOHNqsZPKElc485xecNA05UpWlt8XxVF6Dz-MKW5XGWd2?
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### Verviers, Belgium — Manu Lanvin & The Devil Blues at Spirit of 66

At Spirit of 66, a club associated with the close connection between performers 
and audiences, French blues musician Manu Lanvin brings the electric intensity of
The Devil Blues to the Belgian stage.

Lanvin’s musical world belongs to the muscular side of contemporary blues: distorted
guitar textures, powerful rhythmic accents and vocal delivery shaped by the expressive
urgency of the blues-rock tradition. Its energy depends on more than volume. The
most effective electric blues balances instrumental force with the tension of a 
vocal phrase, the looseness of a groove and the sudden release of a guitar solo.

In this setting, the club itself becomes part of the musical experience. The proximity
of the audience makes every rhythmic shift more immediate, every guitar response
more conversational and every vocal inflection more personal. The performance format
encourages a direct relationship between band and listener — the kind of exchange
in which a familiar blues structure can become unpredictable through improvisation.

Verviers thus represents the festival’s commitment to blues as a living stage tradition.
It is music built upon history, yet continually renewed through the personality 
of the performer, the interaction of the musicians and the response of the room.

![Shanna Waterstown - Running To My Roots...](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-
4/jM8I94oTe8GhdTtuQAuhOmdachsch4eecBL7iUXBCrCtodaWIgAMRttzeLUkU1BAs-CWSap8xVNUGvCSBrpwAP7e3apwR0Ms9GdpP3ShiCfewIQICmWRrALpOKtAzxc5q7awMU24cfhrF6PVpd2ZwDWWp-
3Mx0tYKWCTVzOrRps?purpose=inline)

### Gdynia, Poland — Shanna Waterstown at Blues Club

In the port city of Gdynia, Shanna Waterstown brings a deeply soulful blues sensibility
to Blues Club Gdynia. The club’s dedicated musical atmosphere is especially appropriate
for a performer whose style draws upon traditional blues while embracing the expressive
possibilities of soul and contemporary stage performance.

The heart of Waterstown’s artistry is the human voice: its capacity to bend a note,
deepen a phrase, carry a narrative and transform personal feeling into a shared 
emotional experience. Traditional blues structures provide a framework for this 
expression, but the interpretation is shaped by timing, phrasing, vocal intensity
and the relationship between singer and accompanying musicians.

A successful blues performance does not depend on complexity for its own sake. Its
power often comes from a single repeated figure, a measured pause, a response from
the guitar or a vocal line that seems to emerge directly from lived experience. 
The music can be intimate without losing its strength, and passionate without abandoning
restraint.

Gdynia’s place in the European season reinforces the international reach of the 
blues. A tradition with deep American roots continues to find new listeners and 
new meanings across Europe, connecting audiences through a musical language that
remains immediately recognisable and emotionally open.

![Ardèche. Keziah Jones à Crussol festival : « J’ai toujours un lien fort avec la
France »](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/NR2hWiWrqGkJLj_YCZFFbJvnuH__d-u83bx8wM6SPD4gZDrwIgLqwksgpffjmJ5iAKEu4aPPi_bxjGMnoir3biYk7nYixwRUix7iSMG0Oqi2SW33dz59duHMRwGm1M1NyCmqq969R4uhmBYR35SaPOpXuHcRQpXplQ9v55ON_Uk?
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### Nîmes, France — Keziah Jones and J-Silk at SMAC Paloma

At SMAC Paloma in Nîmes, Nigerian-born guitarist, singer and songwriter Keziah Jones
brings his distinctive Blufunk aesthetic into dialogue with the group J-Silk.

His style fuses the raw emotional vocabulary of blues with the syncopated propulsion
of funk, producing a sound that is both rhythmically sophisticated and physically
immediate.

Jones’s guitar playing is central to this identity. Sharp attacks, percussive string
work, interlocking rhythmic patterns and clipped accents allow the instrument to
function almost like a drum kit, while his vocal lines provide a melodic counterweight.
The result is music in which guitar, voice and rhythm are tightly integrated rather
than arranged as separate layers.

The encounter with J-Silk creates the potential for a wider sonic palette, allowing
the stage to become a meeting point between individual virtuosity and collective
groove. In a contemporary venue such as Paloma, the music’s kinetic energy and experimental
edge find a natural home.

Nîmes adds another dimension to the season’s blues narrative: a reminder that the
blues is not a fixed style, but a source of inspiration that can be transformed 
through African rhythmic sensibilities, funk, soul and modern urban expression.

![Peter Karp](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/3Nw3JDbYs-xm9MnC3Lrn5DPPIvKhX2AT1oktIIjoSZkua-
8BrSWrKmijijbc1BNxu_vhWqiIyYJAbodW0vVQ2DrdzWky-IQcvippwiyK9y-UmyiSSOrgJo9V0HCw3fV8H8pllWFRC5VXQotAy1To_pr-
e05t4ESFHbt_KbhGP1M?purpose=inline)

### Milan, Italy — Peter Karp at Nidaba Theatre

Milan’s Nidaba Theatre offers a welcoming home for the American blues singer, songwriter,
guitarist and keyboardist Peter Karp. The venue’s intimate character, associated
with blues, roots music and live performance, makes it an apt setting for an artist
whose work combines songwriting with instrumental versatility.

Karp’s musical language reaches across blues, Americana and roots-oriented rock.
His approach places the song at the centre: the melody carries the narrative, the
guitar shapes the emotional contours, and the keyboard can add harmonic depth or
a contrasting colour. The combination offers a broader palette than a guitar-led
blues set alone, while preserving the earthy character of the tradition.

In a small theatre, this repertoire can be appreciated for its storytelling as much
as its instrumental work. A lyric may unfold with the directness of a personal confession;
a guitar passage may extend the emotion of the verse; a keyboard figure may subtly
alter the atmosphere without overwhelming the song.

Milan’s contribution is an example of blues as a songwriter’s art — grounded in 
tradition, but open to the varied experiences and musical influences that make every
performance distinct.

## European jazz encounters: From hard bop to flamenco-inflected improvisation

![Eric Alexander](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/SWz0yePNqMtMo6eGlOA5rHzK6Xf-
NxHjNRn8QdMotF0wvE8I5cRG1vtvwQQCaLNieB8qNNeUncq5JXoiJdWgkw7ivxe_4fK5Pl49rouhEED2yCkp_8eRmUPKozF6wlWYVqwHHFesNv3XubmI8br6EeorbgVh9tXefjlx3bE4tG0?
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### Milan and Padua, Italy — Eric Alexander and Delfeayo Marsalis

The collaboration between American tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and trombonist
Delfeayo Marsalis brings two distinctive voices from the hard-bop tradition into
a shared musical space. Their pairing offers a compelling dialogue between the tenor
saxophone’s broad, resonant lines and the trombone’s rich, rounded sonority.

Hard bop is a tradition built on rhythmic authority, blues-inflected harmony and
the ability of a soloist to develop a musical idea through sustained improvisation.
Alexander’s saxophone playing is well suited to this language: a firm, projecting
tone, a strong sense of swing and an approach to phrasing that balances harmonic
sophistication with direct melodic expression.

Marsalis brings a different kind of articulation to the encounter. The trombone 
can answer the saxophone with bold declarations, more relaxed melodic contours or
harmonically rich counterlines. When the two instruments trade phrases, the result
can feel like a conversation between contrasting personalities — sometimes competitive,
sometimes playful, always grounded in the shared vocabulary of jazz.

The Hall of the Giants, or Sala dei Giganti al Liviano, in Padua provides a particularly
evocative architectural setting for such a meeting. The broader itinerary across
Milan and Padua places this American jazz collaboration within Italy’s rich tradition
of concert-going and musical exchange. The programme’s value lies in the way an 
established jazz language can remain fresh through the encounter of exceptional 
individual voices.

![Time in Jazz 2026 - Radio Monte Carlo](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/
GEVx9xUzlrAra28_cXs4gBXrMBxhBRICI0l8H-lQP91XzgJj5GqQC3LeNLYbDS4jAtY4d7yThiM7ewPIigzf-
zJen9zUUT67CMecpvIz2JSG4v7mFj3mNJ66p2s65WP7yi9PEQC-3h35WNnv1dFZDpPyRraDcXUuPs5xF7Wh-
Ho?purpose=inline)

### Milan, Italy — Fabrizio Bosso Quartet at Blue Note Milano

At Blue Note Milano, one of Italy’s most recognisable jazz venues, trumpeter Fabrizio
Bosso brings the brilliance of his playing to an environment designed for close 
listening and immediate musical communication.

Bosso’s trumpet is celebrated for its technical command, clear articulation and 
ability to move between high-energy virtuosity and lyrical delicacy. The trumpet’s
natural brilliance gives his music an unmistakable presence, but the deeper appeal
lies in the shaping of phrases: the rise and fall of a melody, the placement of 
a note against the beat, and the transition from a compact motif to a wide-ranging
improvisation.

The quartet format allows each musical element to remain distinct while contributing
to a unified sound. Piano can supply harmonic movement and melodic counterpoint;
double bass can support the swing while creating its own melodic path; drums can
shape the music’s intensity through subtle changes in touch, accents and momentum.

Blue Note Milano’s club atmosphere is particularly suited to this interplay. The
audience can follow the musicians’ exchanges at close range, hearing how a single
idea travels between instruments and changes through improvisation. Bosso’s performance
represents Italian jazz at its most compelling: internationally conversant, technically
refined and deeply committed to the expressive possibilities of the trumpet.

![27. Jazz am See, Andreas Schaerer & Daniel Garcia Diego in Allensbach | Concert](
https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/2-djy5ELOq66rdjij3unWlLE-eOEr3ilfT27BKsr41xEV8z_8UFqB1Mva70lWT_Qbw37-
IqsyUZqvFgaai9Vm9mW2BuJbl_TDVH84z1TeNWOJum_fH1Tev6LxXUljsIP5F70UIwRpzuhiwz4hzshrN3myRXtPnjKqk6FLh7t_ts?
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### Belgrade, Serbia — Andreas Schaerer and Daniel García Diego

In Belgrade, Swiss vocalist Andreas Schaerer meets Spanish pianist Daniel García
Diego in a collaboration that brings together two highly individual approaches to
musical expression.

Schaerer is known for treating the human voice as an instrument with an extraordinary
range of possibilities. Through changes in timbre, articulation, rhythmic placement
and vocal colour, a singer can suggest multiple instrumental roles without losing
the expressive intimacy of the human voice. This approach opens a space in which
jazz improvisation becomes both physical and theatrical.

García Diego’s piano playing, meanwhile, draws upon the harmonic language of jazz
while engaging with the rhythmic and expressive character of flamenco. Spanish musical
traditions can bring a distinctive sense of tension, rhythmic emphasis and emotional
intensity to the piano, creating a compelling counterpoint to Schaerer’s fluid vocal
imagination.

In a duo setting, there is little room for musical complacency. Every phrase must
be heard, answered and transformed. The piano may provide a harmonic foundation,
interrupt the expected rhythmic flow or initiate a new direction; the voice can 
respond with melody, colour or percussive gestures.

Their encounter in Belgrade symbolises the spirit of cross-border artistic collaboration
at the heart of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival: a meeting not simply of two performers,
but of two musical imaginations prepared to explore what lies beyond familiar categories.

![Francesca Tandoi Trio (I) at Porgy & Bess - Jazz & Music Club](https://images.
openai.com/static-rsc-4/S20HwJtxt81NsPKAolH9e9s-IPFrL66pDqS-MOpjJGgeaXYGPK9gLKj-
FeaNO8DexAKh41F-GA4aRpDiUdFoAfkmMO28BdUTnJxTXg6OKDi4u5cww1ZC_dgHWiQkMDtEsz70ZT3sX-
ObM3u0sLphqXYj_9iWEaSJq1kQn6MBuPs?purpose=inline)

### Hamburg, Germany — Francesca Tandoi at Nica Jazz Club

Italian pianist and vocalist Francesca Tandoi brings a combination of elegance, 
swing and musical fluency to Hamburg’s Nica Jazz Club. Her dual identity as pianist
and singer gives her performances a special balance: the instrumentalist’s awareness
of harmony and rhythm informs the singer’s phrasing, while her vocal interpretation
lends the piano playing a strong sense of melody.

Swing is central to this musical language. Its character emerges not only from tempo,
but from the subtle placement of notes, the relationship between the rhythmic pulse
and melodic phrasing, and the way a musical line seems to move forward without becoming
rigid. Tandoi’s artistic appeal lies in her ability to make this tradition sound
polished without losing its spontaneity.

At the piano, a clear melodic idea can grow into a solo through rhythmic variation,
harmonic development and a carefully controlled sense of momentum. As a vocalist,
she can bring the listener closer to the emotional centre of a song, allowing familiar
standards to feel newly interpreted rather than simply reproduced.

The Nica Jazz Club setting provides an ideal context for this combination of intimacy
and refinement. Hamburg’s concert audience encounters a performer who respects jazz
tradition while bringing a contemporary sensibility to its vocabulary — a graceful
expression of the continuing vitality of European jazz.

![SHALOSH (IL) - PaRaDoX](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/l4C1uMqGfaIy6GSGzEfvYX2itHaB1iz33O8XbrcF1tTefqjIjLPXzX_9nJKphtke-
Ytb1v3RatFIaP0WPubY7QFqgWXzum7JlQo1ipNHuod70_qTGfA43I8qzkHHNnvgLe08hfVqIUkiaZFykTY3iqeYcjsbczv21ccB2FhmqGU?
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### Tübingen, Germany — Shalosh at Sparkassen Carré

Israeli trio Shalosh represents a generation of jazz musicians for whom stylistic
boundaries are starting points rather than restrictions. At Sparkassen Carré in 
Tübingen, the ensemble’s fusion of jazz, rock and electronic sensibilities offers
a contrasting perspective to the season’s more traditional swing and hard-bop performances.

The piano trio format has a long history in jazz, but Shalosh approaches it with
an expansive sense of sound and structure. Piano, bass and drums can move from finely
balanced acoustic interplay into powerful, rock-influenced passages, while rhythmic
repetition and electronic-minded textures introduce a contemporary, almost cinematic
atmosphere.

The trio’s most interesting artistic territory lies in the tension between discipline
and unpredictability. A repeating figure can create the foundation for a gradual
build; a sudden rhythmic shift can alter the character of the music; a lyrical piano
line can emerge from a dense instrumental texture and briefly create a moment of
stillness.

This is jazz that embraces the energy of modern popular music without abandoning
improvisation. Its appeal rests on the musicians’ ability to shape large-scale musical
arcs while remaining alert to the spontaneous decisions that make a live performance
unique. Tübingen’s contribution highlights the festival’s willingness to welcome
adventurous sounds and the continuing evolution of the piano trio.

## Iberian grandeur and the orchestral imagination

![BARCELONA JAZZ ORQUESTRA](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/wWfJgzdgaeFW9hIdhMuz9tDcLTohffrMKn0Y3SB-
UOH86SMzM_dhrJbDwDF6FcDy4aYmL6ZfGvOwAmY2cXZjfdXO8HbnGG8Yh2lyZmaJTgFvnbvHkmGCB33BuJJr3zwDZ1WxRSifDd570-
7--Kaf047qDjRoGfGs3XLgzHBwRb0?purpose=inline)

### Barcelona, Spain — Barcelona Jazz Orquestra at Palau de la Música Catalana

Few venues offer a more visually and acoustically distinctive setting for orchestral
jazz than Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana. Its richly decorated modernist
architecture, expressive ornamentation and celebrated concert hall transform a musical
performance into an encounter between sound, design and cultural memory.

The Barcelona Jazz Orquestra, under the musical direction of Dani Alonso, brings
the scale and colour of big-band jazz to this extraordinary environment. A large
jazz orchestra depends upon the precise coordination of its instrumental sections:
saxophones establish the warmth and fluidity of the reed sound, trumpets add brilliance
and projection, and trombones contribute depth, weight and powerful rhythmic punctuation.

The piano, double bass and drums form the rhythmic and harmonic foundation upon 
which the orchestral arrangements can expand. When the sections exchange motifs,
answer one another or build toward a collective climax, the music acquires an architectural
quality of its own — distinct layers combining into a coherent, moving whole.

The Palau’s published programme presents the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra in Recordando
a Satchmo, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, with special guest trumpeter Leroy Jones.
This focus on Armstrong connects the orchestra’s performance to the roots of jazz
itself: the New Orleans tradition, the expressive authority of the soloist and the
enduring relationship between individual personality and ensemble sound.

Barcelona therefore offers a particularly fitting image for the wider festival season.
Here, jazz becomes a meeting of historical memory and present-day musicianship, 
with the grandeur of the venue enhancing rather than overshadowing the music.

## England: Acoustic roots and the art of musical storytelling

![PHIL BEER](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/ux_ReCJhyGKRI2kS0aQsKr08krh7QPL6tivj0SPhWmMHhQzdp-
ejGihxaKylEK4VVxhSGEeSgd97Z9zCrjsSiXayREuqNiO50Y-qnnsHsMqqUzu-kht4Zm89CHn7LGQoxBNB8TmdIRYEdmHTFMyUqBfl-
3x_o8CgnSA0vnBLqmM?purpose=inline)

### Worcester, England — Phil Beer Trio at Huntingdon Hall

At Huntingdon Hall in Worcester, multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer and his trio bring
an acoustic-rooted musical tradition into the intimate setting of a concert hall
known for close audience engagement. The programme’s connections to blues and traditional
acoustic music provide a gentle counterbalance to the season’s louder electric performances
and large orchestral settings.

The richness of acoustic roots music lies in its ability to communicate through 
small gestures. A guitar’s rhythmic pattern, a melodic instrumental response, the
warmth of a vocal phrase or the exchange between two players can create a musical
world without elaborate production. Such music rewards attention to detail: the 
texture of the strings, the natural resonance of the instruments and the subtle 
shifts in tempo and dynamics.

Beer’s reputation as a multi-instrumentalist makes this musical setting particularly
appealing. A change of instrument or instrumental role can alter the colour of a
familiar tune, opening new possibilities for melody and arrangement. In a trio, 
this flexibility can support a conversational form of performance in which musical
roles evolve naturally from one passage to the next.

Worcester’s place in the festival season reminds us that jazz and blues do not exist
in isolation from the wider traditions of folk, acoustic roots and song. They share
an emphasis on phrasing, personal interpretation and the capacity of music to tell
stories. Huntingdon Hall offers an appropriate environment for that quieter, deeply
human side of the season.

## Paris: The monumental power of rock and rhythm

![We Want Jazz 2026; al G. H. Billia torna la rassegna, apertura con Fabrizio Bosso
Quartet - La Prima Linea](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/W1f9lVbEci-3mT66_91eeoXWQsVwZ7Sk4UEW0qVzIAhjDmygQCT9yMtZH52UzmXYpz0_xvROWmPnkNBtylmm8kbyqBUyZSzm-
RqRRetvPNAf52K8osNcbK4GY2IOGs0wOn09Xto_2ZAdGlCg3GE7jMcBoWQPB_JIehm7qCyZrP0?purpose
=inline)

### Paris, France — Deep Purple at Adidas Arena

The appearance of Deep Purple introduces a different scale of musical expression
into the Autumn – Winter season. At Paris’s Adidas Arena, the legendary British 
rock band represents the meeting of blues-derived musical traditions, hard rock 
and the proto-metal sound that helped shape the development of modern heavy music.

Deep Purple’s historical importance is inseparable from its instrumental identity.
The electric guitar and Hammond organ can engage in extended musical dialogue, moving
between riff-based intensity, harmonic exploration and improvisational passages.
The rhythm section provides a powerful foundation, while the vocals bring melodic
and dramatic focus to the band’s expansive sound.

The connection to blues is especially significant. Much of rock’s expressive vocabulary—
its bent notes, repeated riffs, call-and-response gestures and tension between restraint
and release — emerged from the blues tradition. Deep Purple transformed this inheritance
through amplification, virtuosic instrumental playing and a more forceful rhythmic
architecture.

![Barcelona Jazz Orquestra & Tricia Boutté, swing a raudales (★★★✩✩)](https://images.
openai.com/static-rsc-4/ptxfEerqnG746out2L1fZKr9Va2i3TAYDWcRkJ20w4vkX_ABZBZe5k4a0ZkDd6RWoDOhAsYA28pWsj3cM9CpcSXWZDAXH4LiCDVb1Xi9N3oZJY3smI4ehrF-
6xrxhn_o9j4p2SGwvFo1Wobnn_0ea5s8OY9RUBiDGEdRrbS6wsU?purpose=inline)

A large arena setting magnifies those characteristics. Guitar and organ textures
can fill the space, rhythmic figures can unite thousands of listeners, and the contrast
between tightly structured songs and extended instrumental passages creates a sense
of scale that differs fundamentally from the intimacy of a jazz club.

Within the EU Jazz & Blues Festival’s wider artistic narrative, Deep Purple serves
as a reminder that the blues has travelled far beyond its original settings. Its
influence continues to resonate through rock, metal and contemporary popular music,
linking generations of musicians through a shared vocabulary of rhythm, improvisation
and emotional intensity.

## Olivia Peevas and the artistic vision behind the season

The 2026 Autumn – Winter Jazz – Blues Season is united by a central idea: European
musical life is strongest when artists, traditions and audiences are brought into
meaningful contact with one another.

The programme’s range — from acoustic roots to electric blues, from the precision
of the big band to the exploratory freedom of contemporary jazz — gives that idea
a tangible form.

![](https://i0.wp.com/jazzblues.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Olivia-Peevas-JazzBlues.
EU_-e1793819746792.jpg?resize=640%2C429&ssl=1)

As director and organiser, **Olivia Peevas** stands at the centre of this undertaking.
Her contribution can be understood through the artistic and organisational responsibilities
involved in assembling an international season of this scope: developing a coherent
programme, bringing together performers from different musical backgrounds, coordinating
with venues and local partners, and creating opportunities for audiences to encounter
music beyond their usual cultural and geographical boundaries.

A season spanning countries such as Denmark, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Germany,
Belgium, Poland, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Switzerland, France and England requires 
a clear sense of direction. Its artistic identity depends not simply on the presence
of famous names, but on the relationships established between performances. A young
international ensemble in Helsinki, an expressive blues singer in Gdynia, a hard-
bop collaboration in Italy and a large orchestral tribute in Barcelona can all contribute
to the same larger story when they are presented as complementary expressions of
musical creativity.

Peevas’s festival vision, as represented by this programme, places diversity at 
the heart of the experience. It acknowledges the historic importance of jazz and
blues while welcoming the evolution of those traditions through new generations,
international partnerships and contemporary musical influences.

![](https://i0.wp.com/jazzblues.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cropped-Europe-Jazz-
Blues-Festivals-e1722000968346-1024x362.jpg?resize=640%2C226&ssl=1)

The season also highlights the importance of venues themselves. An intimate club
creates one kind of relationship between artist and audience; a grand concert hall
offers another; a major arena gives music a different physical and emotional scale.
Bringing such contrasting spaces into a shared programme requires attention to the
individual character of each performance and an understanding of how live music 
shapes cultural life in different cities.

It is worth recognising, too, the collaborative nature of festival organisation.
A director’s vision becomes reality through the work of musicians, venue teams, 
technical professionals, promoters, cultural partners and audiences. The achievement
of an international season lies in bringing these contributions together while preserving
the integrity of each artist’s work.

![“I guess kidnapped is the word I’m looking for.” Blues star Sari Schorr About 
Talks Life on the Road. | chrishighreviews.com](https://images.openai.com/static-
rsc-4/Q5BX246xl4sRhFOKqnRnuPF-CYJX2hh8oSgOz5DG1zYPxIhWkjCfxbapKGTaqTnctQd6MdTDsvnYavYj24O2OBQPWSfj3LeXWYVwMe2H63INy0AllLl5eaLMzL9Sn3C4QT9NKGZH7W_snilUd3iJM6S8I11CEsYrB60TlreSugQ?
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For **Olivia Peevas**, the 2026 Autumn–Winter Jazz – Blues Season can therefore 
be presented as an ambitious celebration of musical exchange and European cultural
connection.

Its most compelling aspiration is not simply to bring concerts to different cities,
but to create a continuing conversation among musical traditions — one in which 
swing, blues, improvisation, acoustic roots and modern fusion all have a place.

A festival’s lasting value is measured not only by the number of performances it
presents, but by the curiosity it awakens, the connections it creates and the memories
it leaves with its audiences. Through its international scope and stylistic breadth,
this season offers a strong platform for that kind of cultural experience.

![Ernst und Entertainment: Iiro Rantala mit seinem aktuellen Programm in Trier -
JazzZeitung](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/kFP6d5NgJTzD6hxFkvlWzzl9_otbIVESzowu8vI5Ui69WSwrm0ZyUMj0u9dOx1Ig9j4dtjcaIvr30vfhJ03fgWoVJt48K1Yf6wwCv7cjM0r2CQtwkOltkukeo87F-
IfOTrq4176-L5dEKoF3apR4cR7zFMcpl8lVS_pjoZ_QtHI?purpose=inline)

## Closing reflection: One continent, many musical voices

From the intimate jazz atmosphere of Aarhus to the resonant architecture of Barcelona,
from the soulful directness of Gdynia’s blues scene to the monumental energy of 
Parisian rock, the 2026 Autumn–Winter Jazz – Blues Season brings together very different
forms of musical expression under one artistic vision.

Its significance lies in the variety of its encounters. Jazz can be a conversation
between two soloists, a collective adventure involving young musicians from several
countries, or the carefully balanced power of a large ensemble.

Blues can be intimate and reflective, electrifying and defiant, or transformed into
a new rhythmic language through funk and contemporary songwriting. Rock, too, carries
the historical imprint of blues while extending its energy to enormous audiences.

Under the direction and organisation of **Olivia Peevas**, the season presents a
compelling opportunity to celebrate these connections and the artists who sustain
them. Its message is ultimately one of openness: music grows through encounters,
traditions survive through reinvention, and the cultural life of Europe becomes 
richer when its many voices are heard together.

That is the enduring promise of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival: a Europe brought closer
not by uniformity, but by the extraordinary diversity of the music it shares.

**By Lauren Wulff, Akrile Betrricean, Katrin Woods, Daniella Bushler**

![“best of …” GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/zRpwKW_fNBDpJK4EPQchJH96kcRapobAj3FGeoqJyq-
VLk2SWcZSKmAcbyj4fZ5NMAbdqiYFWfJgsFSXqdoBSGF_m-bH7V2QU7kO6fe_iPAV0010TBq6O-tQ7KqmmtGT9CS07_Ew_rIm64YwZv5-
f1IWu8U8CgzuVcPLMVqrjSc?purpose=inline)

![Eurockéennes de Belfort. Ofenbach, Yodélice, Keziah Jones, Silmarils et 20 autres
artistes complètent l’affiche](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/MyquQqZpBNp9noLQcVHADEPNVwAflj7YHffN16asTLpVHnJQ9LFM0D3QoCEqP32SbA_F1P3CltAVDGVrHiGMfPPtvgmIoH192HMfhac5GwH31nztWQz17Lu2dBo5p78ag6z4qy5_H58F1et1kYWA_fsjTsr3GywG8nCmloKC8Bo?
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