Jazzfest Berlin concluded its 2026 edition in early November with a climactic performance by the 15-piece big band Globe Unity, bringing a forward-leaning avant-garde focus to the historic German capital.
As reported by DownBeat, the six-decade-old festival traces its roots to the divided city of 1964 and Joachim-Ernst Berendt’s early stewardship. For its inaugural run, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. penned an enduring dedication declaring that jazz speaks for life and translates the hardest realities into new hope.
Under artistic director Nadin Deventer, serving her ninth year in a historically transient post, the festival partnered on programming with Chicago-born Berlin resident Peter Margasak. Together, they charted an uncompromising aesthetic course blending youth engagement with historical continuity.
The centerpiece of the Oct. 29–Nov. 1 festival was composer Anthony Braxton. Opening the event, the 81-year-old avant-garde figurehead led a rhythm section-less septet, as part of his appearance that marshaled large musical forces.
Artistic director Nadin Deventer called Anthony Braxton “a true bridge builder, between generations, styles and gender blending way ahead of his time.”
Later in the program, the Jazz Institute Berlin edition of Braxton’s Creative Music Orchestra tackled his complex 1980s-era maze, Composition 151. Large ensembles defined much of the adventurous musical agenda across Berlin venues.
Drummer Christian Lillinger debuted Open Form for Society II alongside five keyboardists, including Kaja Draksler and Corey Smythe. Meanwhile, Berlin-based Argentinian saxophonist Camilla Nebbia premiered an 11-piece ensemble merging jazz instrumentation with chamber music.
British pianist Alexander Hawkins led a newly formed octet, while Matthias Muche directed the 12-piece trombone ensemble Bonecrusher through a sanctuary performance of Densities at the Kaiser Wilhelm Church. Compact groups also made an impact across town.
Cellist Tomeka Reid showcased her quartet featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, and the Otomo Yoshihide Jazz Quartet drew inspiration from 1960s Ornette Coleman models. Intimate club venues hosted European debuts and Nordic-infused art-pop sets.
At Quasimodo, Norwegian vocalist Karoline Wallace and bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten’s band Exit Knarr explored rock-infused free-jazz.
The festival culminated at the closing night gala with the Globe Unity Orchestra, led by pianist Alexander Schlippenbach in a 60th-anniversary set. The performance featured solos from trumpeter Axel Dörner, saxophonist Evan Parker, trombonist George Lewis, and pianist Aki Takase.
| Ensemble / Project | Leader / Director | Instrumentation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Globe Unity Orchestra | Alexander Schlippenbach | 15-piece free-jazz big band |
| Creative Music Orchestra (JIB) | Anthony Braxton | Avant-garde large ensemble |
| Open Form for Society II | Christian Lillinger | Ensemble featuring five keyboardists |
| Bonecrusher | Matthias Muche | 12-piece trombone group |
Schlippenbach explained prior to the final concert that the band’s name represents two straightforward words carrying massive conceptual weight. As the first woman in the band's six-decade history, Takase joined the ensemble for a civil yet adventurous finale.
