Evi Filippou | Photo: Markus Lackinger

Jam Session PLUS

New series of events of the Department of New Music and Jazz with renowned guests at the Mascha

The Department of New Music and Jazz at the University of FRANZ LISZT Music Weimar is coming up with a novelty: On the initiative of saxophonist and clarinettist Peter Ehwald from the jazz department, the new series "Jam Session PLUS" will take place in the summer semester. Once a month, renowned soloists from the German jazz scene will be invited for workshops and concerts with the jazz students. Admission is always free!

The jam session starts on Friday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. at "Mascha" (Schützengasse 2, Weimar). There, bassist Phil Donkin and the Weimar students will present as a "session opener" some pieces by Donkin, which were worked on in the previous master class with the invited soloist.

After this first concert set, the evening will move into a session led by Phil Donkin. Afterwards, students can continue to get to know each other, play together and improvise on the open stage. 

"The students can learn a lot and directly by playing with experienced artists* and also network in the German music scene," explains Peter Ehwald from the Department of New Music and Jazz. "This format also creates a practical and regular workshop from which all participants benefit and which at the same time enhances the cultural scene in Weimar."

The sessions are always intended to be a place for students from different departments to get to know each other, especially. 

The "Jam Sessions PLUS" are musically diverse and varied, which is also expressed in the selection of guests, who come from different genres. Invited for the other dates are drummer Evi Filippou (June 26), guitarist Keisuke Matsuno (July 14) and singer Efrat Alony (August 11). 

Phil Donkin is one of the most sought-after bassists working in jazz today in Europe. He has been praised by "The Guardian" as a musician with "a thunderous sound and impeccable beat" and by "Jazzwise" as an instrumentalist with "an assertive rhythm and a bold sonic presence." Donkin recently released his first solo album, "Walk Alone" (2023), which followed two quartet albums, "The Gate" (2015) and "Value" (2019).

Donkin has performed with some of the most important current artists* in American and European jazz, including Marc Copland, John Abercrombie, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Monder, Kevin Hays, Shai Maestro, Dhafer Youssef, Tigran Hamasyan, Nir Felder, Jonathan Kreisberg, Ralph Alessi, Gwilym Simcock, Nils Wogram, Ronny Graupe, Kalle Kalima, Bastian Stein and Lucia Cadotsch.

[8 May 2023]