Condensed understatement meets timeless magic and mystical intuition.

Pianist Julia Hülsmann’s latest ECM release, “Under The Surface”, could not have been more aptly titled. From the very first note, her music slips beneath the skin and straight into the listener’s heart. The quartet reflects the essence of melody with striking simplicity and crystalline authenticity. The intimate atmosphere is deepened by the goat horn and trumpet of Norwegian musician Hildegunn Øiseth. With fascinating calm, she breathes a gentle intensity and wistful melancholy into each tone—absorbed and enriched by Hülsmann’s full, embracing touch.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.juliahuelsmann.com

A curious, yearning blend of jazz, new wave, and tropicalismo.

Guitarist Dimitri Howald captivates from the very first note with this refreshingly new fusion: Brazilian tropicalismo influences flow gently into delicate jazz guitar figures, while harmonies infused with a deep sense of longing spread out like a lush emotional carpet. A wave drum machine keeps the music earthbound, even as it hovers on the edge of flight. Howald experiments, sings, and warms—only to break the idyll with analog synth sounds. His music exists in a state of suspension, delicately guiding the listener toward unexpected and unreachable places.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.dimitrihowald.ch

Album Launch between Jazz, Art-Pop and Neo-Classical

With “Lonely Island”, singer and pianist Yumi Ito presents her most personal work to date. With her voice she creates worlds beyond boundaries. The Swiss-Polish-Japanese artist is regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in vocal improvisation. Effortlessly, she moves between genres, drawing inspiration from Tori Amos, Norah Jones and Ólafur Arnalds. True soundscapes full of intuition and depth unfold, radiating a captivating energy. Music of touching boundlessness, yet always deeply rooted.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.yumiito.ch

A Light and Melodic Search for New Soundscapes

The quintet of vibraphonist Lenni Torgue weaves the percussive, resonant character of the vibraphone in a delicate, flowing way with the warmth and airiness of the flute (Arthur Tanguy) and the playfulness of the clarinet (Benjamin Fryde). Bassist Antoine Brochot grounds the music with a sonorous bass, while drummer Noé Tavelli supports with subtle precision, enhancing the intricate intertwinings and overlapping, immersive sound patterns. Lyrical jazz with a contemporary flair.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.lennitorgue.com

Unfortunately, Han Bennink had to cancel for health reasons.

Joris Roelofs will probably perform with another duo. Further information will follow as soon as it is available.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.jorisroelofs.com

A Fascinating Sound Weave of Bass, Voice, Keys and Subtle Effects

Bassist Christoph Utzinger and singer Sylvie Klijn move with lightness and ease between gentle, swaying vocal lines, deep, dancing notes, and carefully placed effects. Like colourful threads, melody-driven stories run through their sonic fabric, telling of lost, unreturning time. Their music as “Ton sur Ton” unfolds like a flowing cloth with a soft shimmer, in smooth transitions and quiet folds. The duo embraces delicate nuances, and their sound is honest and attentive. Together, they search for harmony within imbalance and fragility — a play between revealing and concealing, tentative, breathing, awake.

• Th, 21:45 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.sylvieklijn.nl/ton-sur-ton_en

A Touch of Blues and Jazz from Bygone Times — with the Urgency and Presence of Today

Piano, horn and voice: the recipe of the early dance music that arose in the 1930s townships of South Africa, shaped by American jazz, ragtime and African traditions. With “Echoes of Marabi”, pianist Yonela Mnana and saxophonist Benedikt Reising pay tribute to this past. At the same time, the project reflects the current challenges of South Africa, while turning its gaze toward hope and resilience. The Soultee Sisters from Katlehong, a harmony trio, enrich the compositions with additional colours, moods and atmospheric depth.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.zasb.unibas.ch

Virtuosic yet lyrical modern jazz with a fresh touch.

Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, the music of pianist Bob Degen — a true veteran of American jazz — reaches elegantly into the contemporary. Degen’s compositions captivate with lush harmonies and an affinity for simple yet richly textured melodies. With crystal-clear runs alternating with dense sound clusters, the three musicians take us on a subtle journey through wistful dreams, sorrow, and beauty. Markus Schieferdecker and Peter Perfido add their own confident accents, further intensifying the vibrant magic of old and new.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.bobdegen.de

A delicate sphere of sounds and moods.

Weave4 subtly creates a wisely organized, interwoven sound that transforms fluidly and organically. The pieces follow no predetermined structure but arise from malleable, flexible material. “Unfinished” elements unfold in space, evoking an atmosphere of openness and attentive listening. Alongside the acoustic instruments, electronic impulses add further depth and a touch of mysticism to the layered textures. An otherworldly weave of shimmering harmonies and gentle, beautiful ideas that linger in the silence.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.francescodiodati.com

A fascinating world of rhythmic tension, free improvisation, and dreamlike sounds.

In his new quartet, Florian Arbenz brings together an unusual and captivating instrumentation featuring Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma, Portuguese accordion virtuoso Joāo Barradas, and Australian-Swiss bassist Rafael Jerjen. Saxophone and accordion engage in a playful back-and-forth, creating a wonderfully intricate and vibrant web of melodies and contrapuntal responses. This dialogue is masterfully supported and amplified by Jerjen’s sonorous bass and Arbenz’s driving beats and deft fill-ins.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.florianarbenz.com
  www.tinekepostma.com
  www.joaobarradas.net
  www.rafaeljerjen.ch

A brilliant blend of soul jazz, rock, folk, and contemporary classical music.

This outstanding trio moves fluidly between genres, captivating the audience from the very first note. With an impressive sensitivity to dynamics and tension, they craft a unique and fascinating syntax from individual musical phrases. Through eruptive, simmering energy as well as quieter moments, the three musicians carve out their own paths: evoking the spirit of soul jazz, shifting into the rustic folk traditions of Great Britain, diving into noisy rock, and finally bringing certain compositional principles of contemporary classical music into focus. Their infectious groove and joy of playing remain constant throughout.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.deadeye333.com

A daring, self-ironic blend of jazz, contemporary, and new music.

The Bottom Orchestra is a collective organism of fourteen musical personalities who live and breathe different musical styles — or all of them at once. Here, orchestral sound and sophisticated polyrhythms meet deliberately provocative, politically charged texts, a finely calibrated balance of dissonance and harmony, and ample space for free improvisation. With no regard for boundaries, this audacious large ensemble led by Kaspar von Grünigen forges its own path away from well-trodden roads — always united in the search for musically fertile ground.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.kasparvongruenigen.com

Unpretentious magicians of the moment.

Without formal extravagance or elaborate arrangements, this seasoned trio continues the tradition of improvising on standards in a versatile and elegant way, guided by intuition and spontaneity. The three musicians transform old melodies and familiar harmonies into breathtaking, multilayered music that draws its charm from the coexistence of old and new, with a swing feel that oscillates between gentle grace and daring velocity. A sublime synthesis of musicality and originality, where urgent sensuality and intellectual precision strike a perfect balance.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.norbertpfammatter.com

The BJO brings Christmas spirit to the bird’s eye.

Just like last year, the Basel Jazz Orchestra celebrates Christmas with us — full of heart, charm, and verve. Whether it’s internationally famous Christmas songs newly arranged and gently “jazzed up” with a deft balance between nostalgia and kitsch, or lesser-known gems from various cultures wrapped in lush harmonies — after this concert, we’ll surely find ourselves dreaming of a White Christmas and a Silent Night.

• Mo, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.baseljazzorchestra.com

Melodic, intricate contemporary jazz with a touch of folk music.

Inspired by the untamed power of the insect world, MaxMantis weaves a finely crafted web of heroic soundscapes and captivating improvisation, traveling the globe with melodies from a fascinating microcosm. What buzzes here is unstoppable jazz — precise, powerful, and full of drive. The concerts of MaxMantis move, touch, fascinate, and surprise, whisking listeners away — with a wink — into a world brimming with energy, adrenaline, and musical adventure.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.maxmantis.com

Hypnotic piano drones and rocking beats.

Pianist Lucca Fries presents his most personal project to date with FRI3SER — a trio where his resonant, rhythmically intense piano style meets distorted bass riffs and powerful drum beats. Elements from club culture, such as continuously morphing rhythms and tension-filled breaks, along with subtle piano preparations, give the sound an almost electronic aura. Together with Sarah Zaugg and Luca Ramella, Fries creates meditative yet powerful music that moves fluidly between jazz, rock, ambient, and club sounds.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.luccafries.com

Poetic, atmospheric jazz with an ’80s aesthetic.

Quiet Tree creates, in a fascinating and subtle way, a space for awareness and emotion: Simon Spiess’s gentle, at times smoky tone floats above the repetitive, beautiful harmonies and synth textures of Marc Méan’s piano, while Jonas Ruther provides structure with precise, delicate rhythmic impulses. With hypnotic, grooving sound clusters that invite dreaming and smiling, the trio weaves memories and moods into an intense, weightless yet deeply moving musical universe — capturing the longing of the moment in melody. A magical evening and a fitting finale to our 2025 bird’s eye program.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.quiettree.band

We warmly thank all our guests, sponsors, patrons, and friends for their loyalty, joy, and support. May 2026 bring many wonderful and moving jazz concerts and moments. The bird’s eye team wishes you happy, cozy holidays and a joyful, fulfilling New Year. We look forward to seeing you again in 2026!