Jazz & Experimental in Berlin 2025 ~ The Free Jazz Collective

Hosted by label runners and Berlin based musicians, trombonist Gerhard Gschlößl and guitarist Alberto Cavenati, the festival brought together groups with current releases on the label and some label affiliates’ active projects. Spread over two weekends in October, the compact but lively schedule offered a rich variety of imaginative music. I am only able to offer a first hand report of the second weekend, but this second weekend of concerts has provided plenty to discuss (and I trust my eye-and-ear witnesses attestations to the superb quality of the first one.)

Peepholes

The festival’s second weekend began with the quartet Peepholes, which provided an vivacious lift-off. Vocalist and electronicist Mat Pogo and trumpeter Liz Allbee interlocked in a spritely and energetic conversation from the opening moments, while drummer Steve Heather and bassist Antonio Borghini provided a solid, flowing pulse. Pogo seemed animated and in a excited conversation with cartoonish word-like sounds and gestures, while Allbee was just as visually engaging with her extended techniques that included the technique of extending her trumpet with a woodwind mouthpiece or pitch-pipe tuner, sometimes sounding like a burping bassoon in the process. The combination of instruments and voice was surprising, the rhythmic mayhem arresting, and overall a mesmerizing set. The group has a recent release on the label called Temporal Relief Keepers.

Antii Virtaranta

 Following the programming pattern, the second set was a solo, this time from bassist Antii Virtaranta. Seated in the middle of the stage with the electronic devices arrayed by his feet and  double bass in hand, Virtaranta employed a percussive approach, bouncing his bow off the strings of the highly amplified bass. Slight electronic sounds percolated through the syncopated drone, live sampling the bass and remixing them in real-time. Tapping out the notes and harmonics, overtones emerged from the acoustic instrument and merged with the electronic ones. 

Brad Henkel Quartet

The final set of the night was the adventurous and flowing music of the Brad Henkel Quartet. Comprised of trumpeter Henkel, pianist Rieko Okuda, bassist Isabel Roessler and drummer Samuel Hall, the quartet engaged in quickly passing hour of complex, syncopated and melodic compositions. Starting with Okuda’s quite ‘jazzy’ introduction, the group joined in an accessible, uptempo manner before splitting up into a searching passage. Then, sliding into an easy, but by no means simple, groove, the group seemed to fold time upon itself as the groove grew uneasy and the playing clenched and intense. It was a truly rich set, the moments of exploratory sound segueing effortlessly into meticulously crafted melodies, laced with inspired improvisation. The group was celebrating the release of their record Overstory, which on first listen is as excellent as the live set.

Dead Leaf Butterfly

The following night found the age average climbing a bit – no Danes this time – but nevertheless, there were still faces in the crowd providing an encouraging hint of future audiences. The evening began with the wonderful flutterings of Dead Leaf Butterfly, a group featuring the expertise of trumpeter Lina Allemano, vibraphonist Els Vandeweyer, bassist Maike Hilbig and drummer Lucia Martinez. Playing a set of recent compositions, Vandeweyer’s vibes seemed to ring loudest – she kicked off the set with a long vibrating drone with Hilbig’s bass right beside her offering a long staccato note. A tinkle of percussion and a slow build of tension from Allemano then set the group going. Attention pivoted back to the vibraphone as an uptempo and vibrant solo passage ensued. Lithe and accessible, the tune set the stage for the rest of the zesty set. The second tune began with a deceptively melodic head that suddenly scattered into a polyrhythmic playing field. At times explorative, and quite often thrilling, the vibes often lent an air of mystery to their sound and a sense of enjoyment was carried in their music.

Dan Peter Sundland

The second set of the evening was another solo bass, though this time with the electric bass work of Dan Peter Sundland. Playing a well worn Gretsch, Sundland has extended the instrument with a contact mic that picks up percussive sounds from his hands and overtones from the strings. Using a bow, he played a repetitive figure for the duration, slowly moving up and down the instruments neck. The result was a minimalist techno, meditative but demanding.

Gordoa, Dörner and Pöschl

The final set was a mind-blower. The trio with drummer Sunk Pöschl, trumpeter Axel Dörner and vibraphonist Emlio Gordoa started with what was possibly a soundtrack to an alien abduction. Dörner’s trumpet had an electronic controller attached and a laptop open before him, from which he seemed to be wirelessly communicating directly with the musical minds of his bandmates. Together they created a a tense, agitated atmosphere, pulling tighter and tighter until the sky cracked open. Dörner then dropped the electronics and broke out the slide-trumpet. Gordoa launched into an animated assault and Poeschl gave it a thriving pulse, but it was the trumpeter who seemed to be be pushing the energy the most. The success of the rest was a given – even through a long, exploratory section, they never lost the seething edginess of the opening moments. The trio has an album called Native Acts that seems to be coming out on soon.