"Miles Davis - John Coltrane Centennial“

The trumpeter Miles Davis and the saxophonist John Coltrane were exceptional and innovative soloists and bandleaders in the history of jazz.

From 1955 to 1960, Coltrane was a member of Miles Davis’s quintet/sextet, a period during which numerous classic jazz albums were released, notably *Kind of Blue*and *Round About Midnight*. In 1960, they parted ways but continued to enjoy success with their respective ensembles: Miles Davis in a variety of line-ups and styles, and John Coltrane primarily with his famous quartet comprising McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones, which produced groundbreaking recordings such as *A Love Supreme*.

Their compositions form an integral part of the jazz repertoire; tracks such as ‘So What’ (Miles Davis) and ‘Giant Steps’ (John Coltrane) are well known to all musicians and enthusiasts. These two jazz icons would have celebrated their centenaries in 2026 – reason enough to dedicate a special evening to them, featuring renowned experts in the field.

Dr Alexander Norris, a trumpeter, is an accomplished musician, composer, arranger and teacher based in New York. As well as performing with the Mingus Big Band, the Mingus Dynasty and the Mingus Orchestra, he collaborates with Ron Carter, Pat Martino, Maria Schneider, Helen Sung, Amina Figarova, Kyle Eastwood and other jazz and Latin jazz artists. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Miami, he teaches at the City College of New York, the University of Arkansas and the Peabody Conservatory of Music.

Kirk MacDonald, who has established a reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, has received numerous accolades throughout his career. He has appeared on more than fifty CDs as both a bandleader and sideman, has taken part in numerous recordings for national radio, and has worked all over the world with jazz greats such as Sam Noto, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Harold Mabern, Tom Harrell, Peter Bernstein, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, James Moody and many others.

This international quintet is rounded off by three exceptional accompanists: Martin Sasse, originally from Cologne, is one of Europe’s leading pianists and has collaborated with soloists such as Jimmy Cobb, Dusko Goykovich and many others. Bassist Aldo Zunino, for his part, has worked with Jimmy Cobb, Tommy Flanagan, Steve Grossman and many others. The Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, winner of the Hans Koller Prize in 2006 and now living part-time in New York, has played with many great jazz musicians, including Don Menza, Charles Davis, Harold Mabern, Cyrus Chestnut, Kirk Lightsey, Mundell Lowe, Steve Grossman, Claudio Roditi and many others.

This exceptional ensemble, comprising musicians from the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy and Austria, is a veritable who’s who of stars and guarantees you a top-class evening under the banner ‘Swinging Jazz at its Best’!

Admission: €17 (all ages)

              €15 (students)

No booking required for the concerts!