German Jazz Meeting
The German Jazz Meeting (GJM) is a “showroom” concert event that took place every two years for the first time in 2006 and has a selection of German jazz bands determined by the jurors. Twelve ensembles with touring projects can present their work to an international specialist audience.
history
Behind the concept of the “German Jazz Meeting” is an association of the same name, which was founded in summer 2005 at the meeting of the Federal Jazz Conference at the Darmstadt Jazz Institute . One expressed concern about the observed "insufficient representation of German jazz musicians at the major international festivals". According to the founding protocol put online, the GJM should be an “international showcase for German jazz musicians”. The Goethe-Institut signaled support. Following the example of the Scandinavians and the "Dutch Jazz Meeting", which also takes place every two years in Amsterdam, about 100-120 international organizers, journalists and multipliers were invited. The sole purpose of the association should be the "content implementation" of the GJM, i.e. the selection of the jury, the creation of the program, the scheduling and organization, as well as ensuring the continuity of the project.
aims
According to the statutes, the association aims to "promote art and culture by strengthening the reputation of jazz and contemporary improvised music in Germany as well as musicians living in Germany from these fields worldwide".
Structures
Arndt Weidler from the Jazz Institute, Reiner Michalke , managing director of the “Stadtgarten” in Cologne and artistic director of the Moers Festival and Peter Schulze , then artistic director of the JazzFest Berlin , were elected to the first board of the association.
A total of eighteen jurors were chosen. In 2007 there were: five program managers from renowned jazz clubs and initiatives, five print journalists from national newspapers or specialist magazines, five jazz editors from German radio stations and three experts from the music advisory board of the Goethe Institute.
Each of the jurors can make up to twenty band suggestions. He then awards up to 20 points to each proposal. The musicians who achieved the highest total score will be invited to the next GJM. For the GJM 2008 150 proposals were counted and twelve ensembles were selected.
program
On a weekend in April, the “German Jazz Meeting” takes place in two halls of the Bremen Exhibition and Congress Center. Around 400 listeners fit into the Borgward Hall and the Focke-Wolff Hall. In addition to the approximately 100 to 120 invited national and international guests, festival directors and journalists, the concerts are open to visitors to the jazzahead trade fair . Each of the invited jazz projects has the opportunity to present themselves to an international (professional) audience with a 20-minute performance.
Band selection 2008
Cyminology , " Carsten Daerr Trio", " Silke Eberhard Quartet", " Enders Room ", Laia Gencs "LiaisonTonique", " Sebastian Gramss Underkarl", " Anke Helfrich Trio", " Hyperactive Kid ", " Johnny La Marama ", " Florian Ross 8Ball "," Matthias Schriefl 's Shreefpunk "," Florian Weber Trio plays Minsarah "
Band selection 2006
" Aki Takase Project plays Fats Waller", The Red Area , " Erdmann 3000 ", " Julia Hülsmann Trio with Roger Cicero ", " Lisa Bassenge & Band", Lychee Lassi , " Michael Schiefel's jazzIndeed", " Thärichens Tentett ", " [ em] Wollny / Kruse / Schaefer "," Angelika Niesciers sublim "," Christopher Dells DRA "," Florian Ross Trio "," Nils Wogram & Root 70 "," Turbo Pascale "
Web links
- Official website of the GJM
- Website of the Goethe Institute on the GJM
- Background interview with board member Peter Schulze about GJM and Jazzahead