Saturday
28 June 2025
Emmet Cohen Trio
28 June 2025, 7:00 pm
Cool, funky with unbridled joy of playingEmmet Cohen started playing the piano when he was just three years old. After college, he studied at the University of Miami and the Manhattan School of Music. The recordings for his debut album ‘In the Element’ in 2010 show that many fellow musicians thought a lot of the young talent, featuring greats such as Greg Gisbert, Joe Sanders and Herlin Riley.
Like many other artists, Cohen had to come up with something during the coronavirus pandemic. The YouTube series ‘Live at Emmet’s Place’ was created, in which Cohen invited friends over to his flat in Harlem for jazz sessions. At the same time, new albums such as ‘Future Stride’ and ‘Uptown in Orbit’ were released.
In 2024, Cohen released his latest album ‘Vibe Provider’, in which he interprets jazz standards alongside his own compositions. With Vibe Provider, Cohen is not alluding to himself, but to his friend Funmi Ononaiye, who died last year and was one of the most influential jazz musicians on the New York art scene and was responsible for the Jazz at Lincoln Center programme.
Cohen is rooted in traditional jazz, but absorbs many influences from the New York jazz scene and creates an energetic atmosphere at his concerts with his virtuoso playing technique and irrepressible joy of playing. Whether cool in Straight Ahead or upbeat in Stride Piano, with Cohen it is always hip, casual and modern and it is simply fun to listen to him.
Cast: Emmet Cohen (p) | Joe Farnsworth (d) | Philip Norris (b) (p)
Curtis Stigers
28 June 2025, 9:00 pm
World star with a unique voiceTo round off the festival, the internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers will present his new album ‘Songs From My Kitchen’ at fill in – International Jazz Festival Saar.
In the 30 years of his career, Stigers has not only sold millions of albums, but also produced some catchy tunes, such as the ballads ‘I Wonder Why’, ‘You’re all that matters to me’ and ‘This Life’ (from the TV series ‘Sons of Anarchy’). His warm, velvety voice is unmistakable. The US-American has long since said goodbye to mainstream pop, but still keeps returning to his beginnings. On his latest album, Stigers has transformed his hits from his early years into calm jazz numbers, which he enlivens with a good dose of improvisation.
Stigers is now releasing his new album with new songs. During the corona pandemic, he delighted his fans every week with intimate living room concerts straight from his kitchen. In 36 episodes, he presented himself in a relaxed and approachable manner – accompanied by acoustic guitars, his unmistakable voice and saxophone solos. In addition to his own songs, he also interprets pop and blues classics, spiced up with humorous anecdotes and personal insights. His new tour combines this intimate atmosphere with the dynamics of a great live band.
Cast: Curtis Stigers (voc, sax, git) | Cliff Schmitt (b) | Paul Wells (dr) |
James Pearson (p)
