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Forget Old Europe: 15 European Jazz Musicians You Need To Know About

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By Enrico Bettinello
August 16, 2017
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Since the first half of the 20th century, the Old Continent has played a pivotal role both in welcoming and supporting jazz artists from the United States. Over the following decades it has expressed generations of passionate musicians with increasingly original languages and ever greater improvisatory skills.

In the 21st century there are countless excellent, professionally trained, jazz musicians all over Europe (as everywhere else in the world), ranging from the more mainstream boppers to the most radical sonic explorers. They infuse their music with interesting aspects from their cultural and geographical upbringing, while, at the same time, yearning for a global, cross-cutting, generational recognition.

Here I present 15 artists or bands that probably are not among the best known outside of Europe but are worthy of your attention (more information, including bios, discographies, and videos, can be found by clicking on the musician's name and browsing their profile).

They come from different countries and traditions, mostly from recent generations of artists who are bringing refreshing new talent to the genre. The choices could have been broader (regretfully, not all the Countries can be covered in the limited space here, but we'll talk in more detail about other scenes soon; in the meanwhile you can also read the article about the 15 Italian Jazz musicians you need to know about) and someone else would have probably selected different names here and there -I tend to prefer artists with an original language than virtuoso stylists -but this article has the humble ambition to sketch an alluring path to encourage you to enter the world of new European jazz and start an exploration of its riches.

Reinier Baas

guitar
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Reinier Baas (The Netherlands)

From a country of irreverent and provocative jazzmen like Holland (homeland of fanciful "giants" as

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink,

Misha Mengelberg

piano
1935 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Misha Mengelberg or

Willem Breuker

saxophone
1944 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Willem Breuker) comes the passionate talent of young guitar wizard Reinier Baas. His electric creativity can be admired in different settings, from solo to full orchestras. His record Smooth Jazz Apocalypse has impressed critics and listeners and his latest effort, the complex Vs. Princess Discombobulatrix, is an ambitious, mostly instrumental, opera, for a group of 14 classical and jazz musicians and it features the contribution of the famous Dutch illustrator Typex.

Suggested listening:

Reinier Baas, Vs. Princess Discombobulatrix (Painted Dog, 2016)
Reinier Baas, Smooth Jazz Apocalypse (Mainland Records, 2014)

Other musicians from The Netherlands you should keep an eye on and may like:

Ben van Gelder
saxophone, alto
b.1988
" data-original-title="" title="">Ben van Gelder
Joris Roelofs
woodwinds
" data-original-title="" title="">Joris Roelofs

Tomasz Dabrowski
trumpet
b.1984
" data-original-title="" title="">Tomasz Dabrowski (Poland)

Polish (but now living in Copenhagen) trumpet player Tomasz Dabrowski's unique approach blends avant-jazz languages with Eastern European folk music. He collaborates with European and US musicians (he plays with

Tyshawn Sorey

drums
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Tyshawn Sorey and

Kris Davis

piano
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Kris Davis) also using a vintage "Balkan horn" and he is a and member of the Barefoot Collective. His projects range from the intimate and zen-like solo to his unpredictable trio with

Nils Bo Davidsen

" data-original-title="" title="">Nils Bo Davidsen on double bass and

Anders Mogensen

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Anders Mogensen on drums, up to Free4Arts Quartet with Danish colleagues like

Jacob Anderskov

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacob Anderskov.

Suggested listening:

Tomasz Dabrowski S-O-L-O, 30th Birthday / 30 Concerts / 30 Cities (Barefoot, 2016)
Tomasz Dabrowski, TOM Trio (Ilk Records, 2012)

Other musicians from Poland you should keep an eye on and may like:

Marcin Masecki
piano
" data-original-title="" title="">Marcin Masecki
Nikola Kolodziejczyk
piano
b.1986
" data-original-title="" title="">Nikola Kolodziejczyk

De Beren Gieren
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2009
" data-original-title="" title="">De Beren Gieren (Belgium)

This brilliant piano trio moves between post-jazz textures, minimalist spells, electro-acoustic distorting mirrors and humorous jumps into the tradition.

Fulco Ottervanger

piano
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Fulco Ottervanger (piano),

Lieven Van Pee

" data-original-title="" title="">Lieven Van Pee (bass) and

Simon Segers

" data-original-title="" title="">Simon Segers (drums) have a unique approach to this classic format, drawing the listener into unexpected, quirky, polyrhythmic landscapes. They often play with other refined European improvisers (Joachim Badenhorst, Susana Santos Silva,

Louis Sclavis

woodwinds
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Sclavis) and will publish their new record, Dug Out Skyscrapers (SDBAN Records), in the fall of 2017 .

Suggested listening:

De Beren Gieren, One Mirrors Many (Clean Feed, 2015)
De Beren Gieren (feat. Susana Santos Silva), The Detour Fish (Clean Feed, 2013)

Other musicians from Belgium you should keep an eye on and may like:

Joachim Badenhorst
clarinet
b.1981
" data-original-title="" title="">Joachim Badenhorst
Teun Verbruggen
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Teun Verbruggen

Kaja Draksler
piano
b.1987
" data-original-title="" title="">Kaja Draksler (Slovenia)

Slovenia is a tiny country (its area is smaller than New Hampshire) with a great attention for jazz. Also thanks to the supportive role played by one of the best festivals in Europe, the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, a growing number of Slovenian artists are expressing fresh ideas and engaging projects. Pianist Kaja Draksler is one of them. Her solo music has been defined by Down Beat as "a wealth of sturdy ideas and nonchalant technique," but this young artist also leads a multifaceted octet with voices, reeds and strings and challenges herself in adventurous duets with colleagues like

Onno Govaert

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Onno Govaert, Susana Santos Silva, Eve Risser or

Matiss Cudars

guitar
b.1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Matiss Cudars. Impulsive and organized at the same time, her piano playing revives some New Thing intuitions (her master thesis was a study of Cecil Taylor's inner structures of improvisation) with a global, post-modern vibe.

Suggested listening:

Kaja Draksler Octet Gledalec (Clean Feed, 2017)
Kaja Draksler Solo The Lives of Many Others (Clean Feed, 2013)

Cene Resnik
saxophone
" data-original-title="" title="">Cene Resnik
Dré A. Ho?evar
composer / conductor
" data-original-title="" title="">Dr�� A. Ho?evar

Duot (Spagna)

Ramón Prats

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ram��n Prats on drums and

Albert Cirera

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Cirera on sax form the thought-provoking Duot, a project characterized by an evocative dialogue that draws its energy from the roots of free jazz and is fueled with warm, Mediterranean accents. Both highly skilled and active on the Spanish and European scenes, Prats and Cirera find in this duo the ultimate "battlefield" for their boundless creativity, sometimes sharing the stage with colleagues like guitarist

Andy Moor

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Moor, with whom they have recently recorded a superb CD.

Suggested listening:

Duot & Andy Moor, Food (Repetidor, 2017)
Duot, Live at Jamboree (Repetidor, 2015)

Lucia Martinez
percussion
b.1982
" data-original-title="" title="">Lucia Martinez
Marco Mezquida
piano
b.1987
" data-original-title="" title="">Marco Mezquida

Alexander Hawkins
piano
b.1981
" data-original-title="" title="">Alexander Hawkins (United Kingdom)

British pianist and keyboardist Alexander Hawkins stands as one of the most original composers and improvisers of his generation. Contributing to Ethio-jazz master

Mulatu Astatke

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Mulatu Astatke's band as well as collaborating with adventurous colleagues from both sides of the ocean (from

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton to

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker, from

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee to

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink), his peculiar approach blends free-jazz restlessness with South-African rhythms (he is drummer

Louis Moholo-Moholo

drums
1940 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Moholo-Moholo's longtime partner) and complex compositional architectures. His latest double release, Unit[e], celebrates 10 years of his sextet, alongside with some large ensemble music.

Suggested listening:

Alexander Hawkins Unit[e], Unit[e] (Alexander Hawkins Music, 2017)
Evan Parker, Alexander Hawkins Duo, Leaps in Leicester (Clean Feed, 2016)

Shabaka Hutchings
woodwinds
" data-original-title="" title="">Shabaka Hutchings
Phronesis
band / ensemble / orchestra
" data-original-title="" title="">Phronesis

Martin Kuchen
saxophone
" data-original-title="" title="">Martin Kuchen (Sweden)

Swedish saxophonist Martin K��chen expresses his frantic, visceral, politically committed voice (he plays all the instruments of the sax family) in different and bracing projects. From his adventurous solo with extended techniques to the combustive Trespass Trio (with

Per Zanussi

bass, acoustic
b.1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Per Zanussi on bass and

Raymond Strid

drums
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Raymond Strid on drums), up to the contagious

Angles 9

" data-original-title="" title="">Angles 9, a strong and energetic band (featuring, among others, bassist Johan Bertling, trombone ace

Mats Äleklint Quartet

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats ?leklint Quartet and vibes wizard

Mattias Ståhl

vibraphone
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Mattias St?hl) that projects the never exinguished fire of the Brotherhood of Breath, Charlie Haden and Charles Mingus into the global cosmos of the 21st century .

Suggested listening:

Angles 9, Disappeared Behind the Sun (Clean Feed, 2017)
Trespass Trio, The Spirit of Pitesti (Clean Feed, 2017)

Mats Gustafsson
woodwinds
b.1964
" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson
Magnus Broo
trumpet
" data-original-title="" title="">Magnus Broo

Christian Lillinger
drums
b.1984
" data-original-title="" title="">Christian Lillinger (Germany)

Sparkling German drummer Christian Lillinger is not only a sought-after player in many European combos, but leads some thrilling projects on his own. His super-septet Grund (featuring

Tobias Delius

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Tobias Delius on sax,

Achim Kaufmann

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Achim Kaufmann on piano and

Jonas Westergaard

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonas Westergaard on bass) explores the luxuriant lands between composition and improvisation. The Amok Amor Quartet, with

Peter Evans

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Evans on trumpet, pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz. The symbiotic trio Gr��nen (with distinctive pianist Achim Kaufmann and bassist

Robert Landfermann

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Robert Landfermann), is always unpredictable. A 21st Century drummer!

Suggested listening:

Amok Amor, We Know Not What We Do (Intakt, 2017)
Christian Lillinger, Grund (Pirouet, 2015)

Trio ELF
" data-original-title="" title="">Trio ELF
Pascal Niggenkemper
bass, acoustic
" data-original-title="" title="">Pascal Niggenkemper

Mopo
" data-original-title="" title="">Mopo (Finland)

Snarky jazz meets good ol' brother punk in the middle of the Finnish landscape. The result is the exhilarating trio Mopo, featuring saxophonist Linda Fredriksson, bassist

Eero Tikkanen

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Eero Tikkanen and drummer

Eeti Nieminen

" data-original-title="" title="">Eeti Nieminen. The basic trio format allows the three inventive improvisers to explore an endless number of sonic sceneries, quickly moving from sweet and dancing melodies to the most ferocious screams. Captivating and fresh!

Suggested listening:

Mopo & Ville Leinonen, Laivalla (Texicalli, 2016)
Mopo, Beibe (Texicalli, 2014)

Verneri Pohjola
trumpet
" data-original-title="" title="">Verneri Pohjola
Virta
" data-original-title="" title="">Virta

Mette Rasmussen
saxophone, alto
" data-original-title="" title="">Mette Rasmussen (Denmark)

Add some good ol' and new punkish attitude to free improvisation, shake it with some naughty uncompromising Northern European DNA and you will get young quicksilver Mette Rasmussen. Born in Denmark but based in Norway, this combustive alto saxophonist takes no prisoners. Exploring the rawness of her instrument (in the tradition of European improvisers like Evan Parker, as well as out of the free jazz lineage), she plays solo, in challenging duets or with unrepentant colleagues in Trio Riot, as well as being part of the lovely mammoth Mats Gustafsson's Fire! Orchestra.

Suggested listening:

Mette Rasmussen &
Chris Corsano
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Corsano, All the Ghosts at Once (Relative Pitch, 2015)
Trio Riot, Trio Riot (Efpi, 2014)

Jeppe Zeeberg
piano
" data-original-title="" title="">Jeppe Zeeberg
Kresten Osgood
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Kresten Osgood

Eve Risser
piano
b.1982
" data-original-title="" title="">Eve Risser (France)

For improviser and composer Eve Risser the piano is a magic boxful of worlds. For four years she was a member of the Orchestre National de Jazz and now she leads her own large ensemble, the White Desert Orchestra, a mind-blowing sound entity moving from hypnotic scores to the most atmospheric chamber sound details. Her duet with Japanese drummer

Yuko Oshima

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Yuko Oshima is playful and humorous, while the trio with

Benjamin Duboc

bass, acoustic
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Benjamin Duboc on bass and

Edward Perraud

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Edward Perraud on drums, En Corps, pushes her prepared and unprepared piano into the free realms of the unexpected.

Suggested listening:

Eve Risser White Desert Orchestra, Le Deux Versants Se Regardent (Clean Feed, 2017)
En Corps, Generation (Dark Tree Records, 2017)

Vincent Peirani
accordion
b.1980
" data-original-title="" title="">Vincent Peirani
Julien Desprez
guitar
" data-original-title="" title="">Julien Desprez

Susana Santos Silva
trumpet
b.1979
" data-original-title="" title="">Susana Santos Silva (Portugal)

Susana Santos Silva is an intriguing trumpet player and improviser from Portugal. Her textural and whiffling approach incorporates different influences, from free improvisation to sound art, including contemporary music. She is part of the intriguing and demanding LAMA trio (with bassist Gon?alo Almeida and drummer

Greg Smith

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Smith), leads the band Impermanence and co-leads the Life and Other Transient Storms project. She also plays often in duos, sharing ideas with colleagues from all over Europe like

Torbjorn Zetterberg

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Torbjorn Zetterberg or

Kaja Draksler

piano
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Kaja Draksler.

Suggested listening:

LAMA + Joachim Badenhorst, Metamorphosis (Clean Feed, 2017)
Santos Silva, Anker, Sandell, Zetterberg, F?lt, Life and Other Transient Storms (Clean Feed, 2016)

Hugo Carvalhais
bass, acoustic
" data-original-title="" title="">Hugo Carvalhais
RED Trio
" data-original-title="" title="">RED Trio

Julian Sartorius
drums
" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Sartorius (Switzerland)

Swiss drummer Julian Sartorius knows how to build enchanted worlds of rhythms. As a sensitive partner of improvisers like

Sylvie Courvoisier

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Sylvie Courvoisier,

Fred Frith

guitar
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Frith or

Colin Vallon

piano
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Colin Vallon, as well as an astonishing one-man band, he breaks the boundaries between jazz, abstract acoustics, concrete sounds and outer beats. His audiovisual web work Morph, is an ongoing, daily changing, sound collage.

Suggested listening:

Colin Vallon Trio, Danse (ECM, 2017)
Julian Sartorius, Zatter (Intakt, 2014)

The Great Harry Hillman
" data-original-title="" title="">The Great Harry Hillman
Plaistow
" data-original-title="" title="">Plaistow

Elias Stemeseder
synthesizer
b.1990
" data-original-title="" title="">Elias Stemeseder (Austria)

From the land of

Joe Zawinul

keyboards
1932 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Zawinul comes one of the most surprising pianists/keyboardists of these years. Still in his twenties, thanks to his oblique and intriguing approach, Elias Stemeseder has already collaborated with

John Zorn

saxophone, alto
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn and

Greg Cohen

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Cohen and is a stable member of the

Jim Black

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Black Trio. In the collective trio "Eyebone" with Black and guitarist

Nels Cline

guitar, electric
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Nels Cline he plays the Wurlitzer piano and bass synthesizers, while in the cooperative project Kin he triangulates with

Francesco Diodati

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Francesco Diodati and

Dan Kinzelman

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Kinzelman.

Suggested listening:

Jim Black Trio, The Constant (Intakt Records, 2016)
Philipp Gropper, The Madman of Naranam (WhyPlayJazz, 2015)

Mario Rom's Interzone
Lukas König
drums
b.1988
" data-original-title="" title="">Lukas K?nig

Stian Westerhus
guitar
" data-original-title="" title="">Stian Westerhus (Norway)

Norwegian guitarist Stian Westerhus explores the mysterious landscapes between melody and noise. Experimental electronics, gloomy atmospheres, resonating textures: Westerhus' axe can cut the silences of a melancholic solo with voice (as in the recent, wonderful, Amputation) or in the post-blues hallucinations of the bewitched duet with the singer

Sidsel Endresen

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Sidsel Endresen. Never afraid to pump up the volume, but always ready to tear the noise cloth to unveil sensual details.

Suggested listening:

Stian Westerhus, Amputation (House of Mithology, 2016)
Sidsel Endresen & Stian Westerhus, Bonita (Rune Grammofon, 2014)

Eivind Lønning
trumpet
b.1983
" data-original-title="" title="">Eivind L?nning
Erlend Apneseth
violin
" data-original-title="" title="">Erlend Apneseth

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