Ruike Shinpei

Otomo Yoshihide

Hiroaki Mizutani

Yoshigaki Yasuhiro

Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet (ONJQ) is a Japanese experimental ensemble led by composer, sound producer, turntablist and guitarist Otomo Yoshihide. What John Zorn means to the New York scene, Otomo Yoshihide means to the Japanese, by liberating jazz in a radical way through collaborating with the most diverse musicians and sound artists. ONJQ continues to search for a captivating balance between melodic structures and intense moments of improvisation.

Since 2011, the ONJQ has been giving its own spin on the jazz idiom with free improvisations as well as covers of admired composers such as Eric Dolphy, Charlie Haden and Kurt Weill. The group has collaborated with likeminded players such as Mats Gustafsson, Axel Dörner and Jim O’Rourke. Otomo Yoshihide made name with the groundbreaking band Ground Zero by experimenting with noise, samples, turntables and prepared guitars. In the Tokyo club scene he brought together countless musicians. Parallel to that he celebrates success as a soundtrack composer.

Ruike Shinpei trumpet, Osamu Imagome trombone, Otomo Yoshihide electric guitar, Hiroaki Mizutani bass, Yoshigaki Yasuhiro drums

Shane Koppers

Bimhuis

Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet

Luciana Souza

Trio Corrente

It can rightly be called a spectacular combination: Luciana Souza, generally considered as one of the leading voices in jazz, and Trio Corrente, which has been causing one sensation after another in Brazilian music. Together they made the album Cometa, with energetic sambas and originals. The album exudes a feeling of hope and joy and was inspired by the timeless collaboration between Elis Regina and Trio Zimbo.

Luciana Souza grew up in São Paulo as the daughter of poet Teresa Souza and singer-songwriter Walter Santos Souza, leading figures in the bossa nova movement. As a vocalist she continues to innovate and at the same time pay tribute to legendary Brazilian songwriters such as Jobim and Gilberto Gil. Coming from the sizzling São Paulo scene as well, the virtuoso Trio Corrente has won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for Song for Maura, their collaboration with Paquito D’Rivera.

Luciana Souza vocals, Fabio Torres piano, Paulo Paulelli bass, Edu Ribeiro drums

Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente: “Cometa”

Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente

Enji

River Adomeit

Paul Brändle

Martin Zenker

Singer Enji is universally recognized as a force to be reckoned with, but at the beginning of her breakthrough album Ulaan she emphasizes where she comes from: Mongolia. This makes her a unique presence in vocal jazz, certainly because she sings in her mother tongue, blending her original language seamlessly with melodic, soulful jazz. Last year she made her mark at the North Sea Jazz festival, with Sun-Mi Hong on drums. Now she will perform in an intimate setting with her compatriots Paul Brändle on guitar and River Adomeit on double bass.

‘Like Ella Fitzgerald singing in Khalkha’, is how Enji was praised by Mojo Magazine, and BBC DJ Gilles Peterson is a fan as well. The singer was born in Ulaanbaatar and grew up with traditional folk song and dance. Later on she learned the ancient art of throat singing that Mongolian music is known for. She studied jazz in Europe and has released three albums to date. Her oeuvre includes increasingly more influences. For example, on Ulaan she performs with musicians from Brazil.

Enji (Enkhjargal Erkhembayar) vocals, Paul Braendle guitar, River Adomeit double bass

Greg Osby

Arno Krijger

Florian Arbenz

American saxophone hero Greg Osby knows the roaring swing sound of the Hammond organ all too well from his youth in St. Louis, Missouri. Still he never really used the gospel-related instrument in his own music, especially since he went searching for new sounds in New York. Now he will form a trio with Dutch Hammond B3 virtuoso Arno Krijger, who has mastered the organ from the bass pedals to its rich effects. Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz leads the trio into different and more adventurous paths than traditional Hammond jazz.

As a saxophonist and composer, Greg Osby is a living part of jazz history, having played together with legends such as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. For over 25 years he has regularly collaborated with Florian Arbenz, with the saxophonist setting the melodic tone and the drummer creating space with sounds and atmospheres. Together with Arno Krijger on organ they recorded the album Targeted, the ninth part of the series Conversation, for which Arbenz invited various befriended musicians for intimate studio sessions.

‘Arbenz knows how to build momentum, and imply funk and drum-and-bass grooves, as well as how to craft metallic textures. Osby’s unmistakable voice on alto drives much of the music’s narrative flow’ (Downbeat).

Greg Osby sax, Arno Krijger Hammond B3, Florian Arbenz drums/percussion

Osby – Arbenz – Krijger “Conversation”

Calima

The Pedro Mendes trio seeks to explore different atmospheres and textures in order to find new sonorities through Pedro’s compositions. The music has a lot of influences, from classical music, to hip-hop, free improvisation and contemporary jazz. The first meeting happened in 2023, starting the year after to work on the music and on the sound of the band and, eventually, playing around Amsterdam. They recorded some music in March, that is going to be released in the near future. 

Like the warm, sand-carrying winds they’re named after, Calima blurs boundaries and reshapes sonic landscapes. This narrative-driven jazz quintet crafts music that moves like drifting dunes – fluid, unpredictable, and rich in texture. With roots in jazz and reaching  
toward the horizon, their music transports listeners into a place where nothing stays still and every sound tells a story. Melody and rhythm become channels of expression, and improvisation keeps the audience engaged with every twist and turn. Winners of the 2025 Keep an Eye International Jazz Award, Calima creates music that is as atmospheric as it is captivating – always in motion, always becoming.

Pedro Mendes Trio: Pedro Mendes piano, Veerle van der Wal bass, Aviv Maya drums  
Calima: Marco Ullstein vibraphone, Jules Charbonnier piano, Miguel Valentes alto sax, Ton Felices bass, Ludvig Søndergaard drums

Pedro Mendes Trio | Calima

Jasper Blom

Frans van der Hoeven

Martijn Vink

Saxophonist Jasper Blom strives for a synthesis of jazz, pop, classical and improvised music. This makes him a perfect match for the Metropole Orkest. Melody and adventure are keywords in the work of Blom, who has been composing for a wide variety of ensembles for many years. He shared the stage with jazz legends, but now it’s all about his smooth and versatile playing.

A key figure in Dutch jazz, Jasper Blom has led countless bands and sessions. As a tenor and soprano saxophonist, he has performed with stars such as Lee Konitz and Chet Baker. Not surprisingly, he received the Buma Boy Edgar Prize in 2019. His dream of collaborating with the Metropole Orkest is now coming true. Their joint album will take centre stage at this concert.

Jasper Blom tenor saxophone, Jesse van Ruller guitar, Frans van der Hoeven bass, Martijn Vink drums

Metropole Orkest & Jasper Blom

Bilal

Randy Runyon

The flawless voice of Bilal is admired by some of the greatest names in jazz, hip-hop and R&B. The classically trained singer from Philadelphia, who’s capable of singing opera in seven languages, was discovered by Questlove, drummer and band leader of The Roots. Soon he sang with D’Angelo and Common. Hip-hop giants Dr. Dre and J Dilla were producers on his first album, after which he was invited by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Robert Glasper, and countless others. He won a Grammy for his contribution to Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly.

Time and again, Bilal shows that he mainly looks forward and does not revert to last century’s soul and R&B stylings. He did prove his capability of singing standards in collaboration with various jazz orchestras. Legendary Earth, Wind & Fire frontman Philip Bailey said that Bilal is the rare singer who uses his voice like an instrument. It confirms the versatility of the singer, who thrives in a live setting, as is evident from his recent album Live at Glasshaus.

Bilal zang, Randy Runyon gitaar, Conley “Tone” Whitfield bas, Joseph Grissett aka Joe Blaxx drums

Metropole Orkest

Saxophonist Jasper Blom strives for a synthesis of jazz, pop, classical and improvised music. Melody and adventure are key words in the oeuvre of Blom, who has been composing for various lineups for years, with the main focus on his Jasper Blom Quartet. Now it is time for the quartet’s eighth album, this time with a very special guest: the Metropole Orchestra.

Together with the world-famous Metropole Orchestra and his quartet, consisting of guitarist Jesse van Ruller, drummer Martijn Vink (also drummer with the Metropole Orchestra) and bassist Frans van der Hoeven, Blom will launch the new album METROPOLARITY on May 9. According to Blom, Boy Edgar Prize winner, it is dream come true: “It was breathtaking to hear my music come to life in grand, cathedral soundscapes, performed by fifty fantastic musicians”. This concert is the release concert of the album, which will be released on Whirlwind Recordings.

Jasper Blom tenor saxophone, Jesse van Ruller guitar, Frans van der Hoeven bass, Martijn Vink drums, Metropole Orkest

Metropole Orkest & Jasper Blom – METROPOLARITY

Emma Rawicz

Asaf Sirkis

Elliot Galvin

Kevin Glasgow

Jamie Cullum calls her ‘an astonishing new talent’ and the British press is unanimously enthusiastic: Emma Rawicz is not to be missed. The young star from London made name on Instagram with clips showing her impressive skills on tenor sax, flute and bass clarinet. In her original compositions she takes example from legendary saxophonists/composers such as Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter.

Color is the main theme on her debut album Chroma, which highlights her synesthesia: for Emma, music is inseparably connected to color and other sensory impressions. This has resulted in a layered, orchestrally sounding album featuring giants and super talents from British jazz. The album incorporates all kinds of influences, from Indian to latin and from fusion to singer-songwriters.

Emma Rawicz sax, Elliot Galvin piano, Kevin Glasgow bass guitar, Asaf Sirkis drums/percussion

Seated

Standing

Adam

Maggie

Christie

Eric

Anna

Standard

Christian Lillinger

Kaja Draksler

Petter Eldh

‘Punkt’, a point of view and a musical statement in Swedish, ‘Vrt’ (garden in Slovenian), where the musical ideas are planted and cultivated, and ‘Plastik’ (German), as a sound vision, plasticity of musical shapes and structures. In this trio, Slovenian-born pianist and composer Kaja Draksler collaborates with two highly respected Berlin residents, bassist Petter Eldh and drummer Christian Lillinger, in a trio that originated at the BIMHUIS October Meeting 2016.

So far they have released three albums, their eponymous debut from 2018, Somit from 2021, where they dive into microtonality and sophisticated post-production, and Zurich Concert, where they demonstrate the live realization of their precise jump-cut-style of playing. Kaja Draksler has previously performed on our stage as a solo pianist and with her eight-piece ensemble. Petter Eldh and Christian Lillinger have played here in formations such as Amok.Amor.

‘The best tracks here have the feel of a classic jazz album subjected to William S. Burroughs’ cut-up method or the whims of a particularly keyed-up remixer… like those moments at the first peak of a roller coaster ride, before you’re sent tumbling into an adrenalized thrill ride’ (Downbeat).

Kaja Draksler piano, Petter Eldh double bass, Christian Lillinger drums

🪩 Party

Punkt.vrt.Plastik

guestList

Het BIMHUIS is een plek voor baanbrekende musici en nieuwsgierige luisteraars van alle generaties.

Hier wordt jazzgeschiedenis gevierd, ontwikkelt jong talent zich en wordt het gesprek over muzikale conventies en vrijheid doorlopend gevoerd. Al sinds 1974 zijn we een knooppunt in het nationale en internationale netwerk van grensverleggende muziek.

ONZE MISSIE

Wij beloven het publiek een wederkerige concertervaring op een prachtige plek, waar state-of-the-art, grensverleggende jazz ontstaat. In een persoonlijke sfeer met perfect geluid.

We programmeren vanuit het vrije denken. Dat doen we sinds 1974 met musici, makers, programmeurs en publiek die allen een bijdrage leveren aan het gesprek over (muzikale) conventies en vrijheid.

We geven vorm aan de veranderende wereld: we faciliteren projecten, initiëren en organiseren het maken van nieuw werk.

Het BIMHUIS is, net als jazz zélf, een open vorm, onophoudelijk in ontwikkeling, in relatie met de wereld – een mentaliteit. We scheppen in alle lagen van de organisatie condities om goed te luisteren voor meer wederzijds begrip. Luisteren naar de muziek, naar makers, naar elkaar, naar de bezoekers en naar de samenleving.

De uitgebreide versie van onze missie, doelen en plannen de aankomende jaren zijn te lezen in ons Beleidsplan.

STEUN
Het BIMHUIS heeft een ANBI-status. De Gemeente Amsterdam steunt ons met een meerjarige subsidie en ons programma wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door het Fonds Podiumkunsten, Ammodo, Sena, Janivo en Brook Foundation. Wij zijn zeer dankbaar voor de steun van de leden van NEWTHING, onze vrienden en donateurs. Het BIMHUIS wordt gesponsord door Grolsch.

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