Nica Jazz Club

An event of the Tilar - Nica Jazz Club seriesTo the point and perfectly coordinated. That's a pretty accurate description of Tilar's playing style: They play "tight". The Cologne funk band with Hamburg-born lead singer Clara Lucas was allowed to open concerts for jazz greats like Bill Evans and Nils Landgren with their sweat-inducing spark and convinced jury member Klaus Doldinger at the Sparda Jazz Award in 2020. According to Clara Lucas, Tilar's musical influences include well-known musicians like Cory Wong and Michael Jackson. Good-mood vocal lines, a horn section in power play mode, and a grooving rhythm section - when Tilar starts playing, even the stiffest wallflowers can't help but twitch their limbs. Lineup: Clara Lucas, vocals; Joshua Milo, keys; Wim Schulze, sax; Lisa Buchholz, tr; Benni Stanko, tr; Carla Köllner, trb; Philipp Schäfer, b; Tom Glaser, dr.

Jazz Sabbath is an internationally successful and multi-award-winning jazz trio from Great Britain, playing new jazz arrangements of Black Sabbath songs. Led by pianist and fresh Grammy winner (Best Rock Performance 2026) Adam Wakeman – who was keyboardist for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne since 2004 – Jazz Sabbath crosses the boundaries between jazz and the songs that have defined heavy metal. According to the official band biography, the trio was founded in 1968 and are the original authors of the numerous worldwide hits by the metal pioneers such as “Paranoid,” “Black Sabbath,” or “War Pigs.” Whether or not one believes their not-entirely-serious backstory, with three albums already on the Billboard Jazz Charts, sold-out shows worldwide, and great reviews in both jazz and rock media, Jazz Sabbath is quickly making their way (back) to the top of the jazz scene.

The Bad PlusWhether original compositions or covers from radio or their own band history, here expectations and listening habits of the audience are played with like a game of ping pong. When The Bad Plus released their first album in 2001, two covers of Abba and Nirvana caused an uproar in the jazz world. The band suddenly found itself in the center of attention, where it remains to this day. However, not only because of their song selection - especially due to their fantastic quality. Exploring the tensions between complex jazz avant-garde and the predictabilities of pop and rock music, the band has developed a distinctive sound that works excellently across different lineups. In its original trio until 2017 with Ethan Iverson on piano, they are now touring in a spectacular new lineup: In the 21st year of their existence, founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) are approaching a new, piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) - thus igniting a new wave of excitement and anticipation, giving their sound and inspiration new momentum. The Bad Plus is always busy building bridges between genres and techniques while exploring the endless possibilities of extraordinary, perfect synchronization. What a great band!

Rotem Sivan's guitar skills have spread around the globe; Downbeat Magazine called him "a remarkable talent." Rotem graduated with honors in classical composition and jazz performance from Tel Aviv University and the New School in NYC. Since then, he has been touring with his band and is a guest on stages around the world. Always at the forefront is a dynamic interplay and a pure fascination with sound. He develops a sound landscape from the finest rhythmic phrasings and straightforward melodic approaches. With his trio, he skillfully translates extremely complex musical ideas into sounds that are accessible, relaxed, yet complex and profound. Jazz skillfully merges here with classical Mediterranean elements and folk. Sivan has been referred to by the legend Peter Bernstein as "the next guitarist of our time"; he is certainly one of the most promising guitarists of his generation. With his trio, he is once again on tour in Europe and makes his debut in Hamburg.

The young Australian guitarist Josh Meader weaves the tradition of fusion jazz with rock and drum'n'bass rhythms in his songs in an enormously powerful way. The musician from Sydney is currently one of the greatest talents on the guitar and has a steep career ahead of him. With his Josh Meader Trio, he forms an instrumental, genre-crossing power package. With a wide range of styles, the trio manages to combine contemporary music, modern jazz, funk, hip-hop, and rock. The three musicians are inspired by artists such as Tigran Hamasyan, Robert Glasper, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Pat Metheny. In 2022, they performed at the renowned Jam of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and were celebrated frenetically. Josh Meader has just released his debut album "Tides of Time" with his band colleagues, which he will present with selected concerts on his European tour at the Nica Jazz Club.