Jazz 2024
New leaders, new liberties

Diverse, international, underpaid and endlessly creative – jazz in Germany showcased its vibrant spectrum again in 2024, while the anniversary edition of Jazzfest Berlin highlighted this genre’s deep American roots.

By Ulrich Habersetzer

“Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaningfulness. Everybody needs to love and be loved (…) In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these,” wrote American civil rights activist Martin Luther King in his opening address at the first Berliner Jazztage in 1964. Sixty years on, jazz continues to be a stepping stone that helps foster a democratic, equal and even compassionate community. In 2024, “community” emerged as a defining buzzword within the jazz scene. And this community in Germany is becoming increasingly international and diverse.

Still underpaid

Despite its cultural significance, the economic situation for jazz performers and event organisers in Germany remains precarious. A jazz musician earns an average of just 21,000 euros a year, with many earning even less and few earning more. For most musicians, making ends meet would be impossible without extra income from teaching, part-time jobs and external funding. This is emphasised in the Bericht zur Situation des Jazz in Deutschland 2024 (Report on the Situation of Jazz in Germany in 2024) by the Bundeskonferenz Jazz (BK) in November. It is the first comprehensive report to be published since 2014. BK Jazz, the national advocacy group for jazz professionals in the federal government, represented by its current spokespersons Bettina Bohle, Kornelia Vossebein and Janning Trumann, has also put forward detailed proposals for changes to funding structures, actively engaging with such organisations as Initiative Musik.

Two women take on prominent jazz roles

One of the most notable developments in the jazz world in 2024 was the appointment of a new director at the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. For over three decades, its first director, Wolfram Knauer steered the institute, shaping it into a unique institution not only in Germany but arguably worldwide since its foundation in September 1990. In its elegant headquarters on Darmstadt’s Bessunger Strasse, the institute houses thousands of records, sound storage media, countless articles, books, films and other jazz documents. Beyond its impressive archival work, the Jazzinstitut has also been a trailblazer in jazz education and jazz research. One anecdote perfectly encapsulates its reputation: during a visit to New York, a former Darmstadt mayor casually mentioned his hometown to his host. Her immediate response: “Darmstadt? Of course I know it! That’s the home of the famous jazz institute!” In March 2024, Bettina Bohle succeeded Wolfram Knauer as director. A passionate advocate of jazz and dedicated educator herself, she now holds one of the most important management roles in the German jazz landscape, and is a worthy successor to Knauer.

The Deutsche Jazz Union (DJU), Germany’s largest and most influential lobby group for jazz professionals, also saw a change of leadership in 2024. Double bass player and cultural manager Urs Johnen stepped down after eight years at the helm of the DJU. He is succeeded by Camille Buscot, who served as managing director of I.G. Jazz Berlin from 2022 to 2024.

German jazz: an international language

Stylistically, the German jazz scene might not have seen any radical innovations in 2024, but outstanding work was produced at many levels, with some exciting new sounds emerging. The boundaries between new music, electronic club music and the singer-songwriter genre continue to blur. Indeed, many artists from the broader jazz spectrum have started distancing themselves from the “jazz” label. They see themselves as “improvisers”, and the term “improvised music” is increasingly replacing “jazz”. More and more musicians in Germany are also drawing attention to the problematic origins of the term “jazz”. Something that is particularly striking is the internationality of musicians: most standout bands rely on a multicultural lineup. One example is the trio led by Russian-born, Leipzig-based pianist Olga Reznichenko, who consistently develops a classically-inspired, edgily groovy sound language. Or Mongolian-born pianist Shuteen Erdenebataar, now based in Munich, who came to jazz and to Germany through the Goethe-Institut. Her debut album was even shortlisted for the 2024 Grammy Awards. Countless other examples could be added to the list.

Limited funds, greater freedom

The contributions of independent jazz labels were also noteworthy in 2024. Streaming services no longer generate significant sales or revenue for these labels, but they make international distribution much easier. For smaller labels, this development seems to be driving bolder, more unconventional and artistically liberated output. Their principle: if we’re barely making money anyway, we want to create music without having to compromise for the sake of the market.
In 2024, labels like Wismar-based WismART gained attention with standout releases, including the exceptional duo album Sending a Phoenix by saxophonist Birgitta Flick and pianist Antje Rößeler. And there’s also the Bremen-based Berthold Records, which made a mark, for example, with the sensuous Folksmusik by trumpeter Benny Troschel.
The Munich label Squama is equally committed to forging its own path with a portfolio spanning a wide range of genres, from avant-garde jazz – such as Threads to Knot by the duo TRAINING featuring bassist Ruth Goller – to danceable club beats and intricate, awkwardly artificial sound structures. Squama has also ventured into more “exotic” territory, releasing recordings of contemporary music for solo concert guitar. The freedom of individual labels to release artistically ambitious albums without having to consider genre or market conventions has injected fresh energy into the jazz scene in Germany.
 

Young German jazz talent in the Allgäu

This past year also saw a premiere in terms of jazz youth development, when eight youth jazz orchestras came together for the first time. Formed in the 1980s and 1990s, these ensembles have become key training grounds for jazz in Germany, offering talented musicians aged 10 to 25 the opportunity to take their first steps into the jazz world. In various lineups, from small combos to concert big bands, they practice programmes in intensive working phases and perform concerts. These youth orchestras are present in many German states, and at the end of September, after months of preparation and extensive organisation, eight of them gathered in Markt Oberdorf in the Allgäu region. It was a major event for the young jazz musicians and a unique opportunity for exchange between these vital jazz education institutions.

Cause for celebration, cause for concern

Several major jazz festivals celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2024, including 60 years of Jazzfest Berlin and 40 years of Ingolstadt Jazztage. The Ingolstadt festival in Upper Bavaria was curated for the first time in 2024 by drummer Wolfgang Haffner. Meanwhile, the Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt and the Leverkusener Jazztage also celebrated notable anniversaries – 55 and 45 years respectively. The Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt holds the distinction of being the oldest jazz festival in the world. Founded in 1953, it took place biennially from the 1960s to the 1980s – hence the smaller number of editions compared to festivals like Jazzfest Berlin.

The outlook for the upcoming festival year, however, looks somewhat bleak. In October, it was announced that the Hamburg Elbjazz Festival will take a break in 2025. The festival underwent a stylistic shift in 2024, extending its portfolio to attract a larger, younger audience with a cross-genre mix of pop and jazz acts. However, this artistic direction did not receive the desired response. Unable to book prominent jazz headliners for the following year, according to the organisers in October 2024, the festival has been forced to take a break, although a return date has already been announced for 2026. The future of other major jazz festivals in 2025 remains uncertain. Berlin’s A L’ARME festival for experimental music and avant-garde jazz has already been called off, and funding for both the Cologne Jazzweek and Berlin’s XJAZZ! Festival is far from certain. Individual clubs and venues have also failed to secure funding, with local authorities under increasing pressure to cut costs.

Jazzfest Berlin, however, is set to take place as scheduled. In its seventh year under the artistic direction of Nadin Deventer, the groundbreaking festival made a strong impact in 2024 with a series of highly accomplished performances and a flawlessly cohesive concept. Many ensembles drew on jazz’s African-American roots at the festival’s anniversary edition, with exceptional American contributions from saxophonist Joe Lovano, pianist Kris Davis and drummer John Hollenbeck.

The festival also paid tribute to German jazz legend, pianist Joachim Kühn, who turned 80 in March 2024. At the start of the year, Kuhn released a duo album with fellow pianist Michael Wollny, who is two generations his junior. This was followed in late September by another album with his newly formed French Trio featuring two French jazz musicians young enough to be Kühn’s grandsons. These two captivating albums provide a fitting musical framework for 2024: an old master deeply rooted in the jazz tradition yet continuously exploring and drawing inspiration from the younger generation. Joachim Kühn stands as a symbol of jazz in Germany in 2024: a genre grounded in rich traditions, constantly evolving with fresh influences and creative collaborations.