The Berlin Jazz Festival

Alexander Humboldt, the German Darwin, had a knack for making strange discoveries in far away places. Finding ecological niches was one of his many specialties. And as fate would have it, a few of his compatriot descendants, though not natural scientists by any means, have also proven themselves to be quite talented at discovering ecological niches of their own. Musical ones, in this case. Jazz niches.

The Berlin Jazz Festival prides itself in the preservation of exotic jazz culture and will be highlighting a few of its most extraordinary discoveries this year. The Festival has basically been broken down into the three following categories.

The first musical expedition takes us to Turkey - to Istanbul, to be more specific. Mozaik, an unknown ensemble from Beyoglu, the oldest area on the European side of the Bosporus, will be getting its first chance to shine at a major international jazz festival this year. Another insider phenomenon, Hüsnü Senlendirici and The World Ensemble, will also have the opportunity to give several performances. Famed guitarist Erkan Obur will also be enjoying the spotlight here for the first time. On the sidelines, an interesting documentary presentation called Crossing the Bridge by Faith Akins brings the exotic oriental jazz world of Istanbul a little closer to European eyes and ears.

Italy will be the next focus of attention. Not the Italy of established jazzmen or of those surrounded with "the aura of those who have arrived", but an Italian jazz music scene where the only thing of interest is anything but mainstream. The young piano sensation Stefano Bollani will be sure to cause a bit of a stir here. Another "Randerscheinung" (an appearance from the fringe), Bollani's exquisitely trained fingers will be aiming to perform improvisations which should take us to his fringe and back. He promises to create wonderfully "new" music, openly unsuited for "the geriatric ward Jazz now finds itself in", as one commentator has put it.

At first glance, the next and final focus seems a bit out of place: Big ensembles. Big names and big bands might fit under a lot of rubrics, but "ecological niche" certainly doesn't seem like it could be one of them. The Festival's direction has nonetheless succeeded in putting together the appropriate, non-mainstream and highly exotic mix. Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, with Carla Bley onstage, will be performing the controversial Not in Our Name. The popular Maria Schneider Bigband will also be seen on stage as will the fascinating invention of guitarist Bill Frisell and his trio - with violinist Jenny Scheinmann at his side.

Additionally, the eccentric Brazilian jazzman Hermeto Pascoal will also be giving several special performances this year - his first performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival after over a thirty year absence. A duo performance along with Holland's famous drummer Han Bennink is scheduled, as is a performance with Pascoal's legendary formation O Grupo.

The Berlin Jazz Festival will be taking place between the 2nd and 6th of November this year and all of you exotic types are more than welcome to attend. The rest of you are welcome, too, of course. A background in natural science is preferred but not mandatory.

www.berlinerfestspiele.de

www.hermann.blog.com