Fans of jazz in all its many flavors, rejoice! The long wait is over: Jazzfestival Saalfelden has published the complete lineup for its 44th edition, happening this year from August 22 – 25. As always, the festival is bursting at the seams – 200 artists from 16 countries will be performing. It’s a lot…but we’re here for you! Read on for the overview of domestic acts performing this year at the heavyweight among Austrian jazz events.

• Concerts are listed in chronological order, with their titles linked to their page on the festival website, where you can find additional information and secure tickets.
• Concerts marked with an asterisk (*) are free of charge (but you may want to reserve seats; some venues have limited space).

Thursday, aug. 22nd

The Totally Mechanized MIDI Orchestra

Kunsthaus Nexus, 7 p.m.

Chris Janka – guitar
Mark Holub – drums
Pamelia Stickney – theremin
Nicola L. Hein – electric guitar, programming for interactive robots

A prepared beer-bottle organ, a battered bondage guitar, gurgling pickle jars, xylophone tone bars, combined with robots interacting with field recordings and blue-blood improvisers Stickney and Holub…we can’t even begin to imagine what this project – the brainchild of Saalfelden artist in residence Chris Janka – is going to look and sound like, but it sounds absolutely fascinating.

Regenorchester XVII

Otto-Gruber-Halle, 9:15 p.m.

Franz Hautzinger – trumpet, electronics
Christian Fennesz – guitar, laptop, electronics
Martin Siewert – guitar, electronic devices
Jakob Schneidewind – bass
Lukas König – drums, electronics

Franz Hautzinger once said, “Whomever I play with, it’s a soul thing.” His “Rain Orchestra”, in its 17th incarnation, unites members of Elektro Guzzi and Radian with Vienna electro legends young and old. “Alert and threatening,” wrote jazzenzo of the project’s previous embodiment. “An amusement park in hell.”

otherMother

Kunsthaus Nexus, 10 p.m.

Arthur Fussy – modular synthesizer
Judith Schwarz – extended drum set
Jul Dillier – prepared piano

This trio has been making waves since the release of its debut album about a year ago. At Kick Jazz last December, they showcased their efforts to provide the “missing link between free improv and club music” – and now they’re set to unleash their combine energy at Saalfelden.

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Friday, August 23

*Eberle & Eberl

Einsiedelei, 10 a.m.

Alois Eberl – trombone
Martin Eberle – trumpet

The two brass virtuosi with the similar names move mostly in different circles (with the exception of the Synesthetic Octet), but they come from similar backgrounds. They’ll be welcoming the mountain morning in a 17th-century hermitage above the town of Saalfelden.

*Jazz Brunch with Mojo Incorporated

Millà / Gustafsson / dieb13

Kunsthaus Nexus 2:30pm

Jordina Millà – piano
Mats Gustafsson – saxophone
dieb13 – turntables, electronics

Austro-Catalan improvisational pianist Millà, Vienna noise artist Dieter Kovačič (alias dieb13),and Swedish saxophonist Gustafsson join forces to blow the cobwebs from your ears and mind. As legendary cartoonist Robert Crumb once wrote to Gustafson: “What in God’s name is going on in your head that you would want to make such noises on a musical instrument?”

Blueblut

Otto-Gruber-Halle, 4 p.m.

Chris Janka – guitar
Mark Holub – drums
Pamelia Stickney – theremin

Five albums in, this Austro-American trio – fronted by theremin Pamelia Stickney, whose credits include Yoko Ono, Grace Jones, and Patrick Pulsinger – has been refining their idiosyncratic brand of (psych-/math-/surf-/punk-/avant-) rock, spiced with electronica and improvisation, for eleven years now. Tequila!

*Jimmy and the Goofballs

Mona Matbou Riahi

Main Stage/Congress Saalfelden, 5:45 p.m.

Mona Matbou Riahi – clarinet, fx
Dorian Concept – synthesizer, electronics
Manu Mayr – bass, fx
Lou Zon – visual art

As we recently noted, Iran-Viennese clarinetist has been entrusted with this year’s opening concert commission, a sort of carte-blanche awarded once per festival. Together with Dorian Concept, bassist Manu Mayr and Lou Zon providing visuals, her project “Nebulift” aims to transform Saalfelden’s congress hall into a “spacey, atmospheric, experimental, overall dreamy” soundscape. Not to be missed.

*Radian

Otto-Gruber-Halle, 8:30 p.m.

Martin Siewert – guitar, electronics
Manu Mayr – bass (substituting for John Norman)
Martin Brandlmayr – drums

Bancamp suggests that if you’re into Floating Points with Pharaoh Sanders or the Radiohead side project The Smile, you will probably like Radian. This seems a bit reductive to us – after all, Radian has been on the cutting edge of electroacoustic, minimalist, microtonal post-rock for nearly thirty years. True legends, these gentlemen. Rhythmic head nodding also stimulates blood flow to the brain, or so we’re told.

*The Totally Mechanized MIDI Orchestra feat. Various Artists

Kunsthaus Nexus, 9 p.m.

See above: this singular conglomerate performs again, this time with improvising guests.

*Bipolar Feminin

Kunsthaus Nexus, 11 p.m.

Leni Ulrich – voice, guitar
Jakob Brejch – guitar
Max Ulrich – bass
Samuel Reisenbichler – drums

“A little scary,” writes Die Zeit about this anti-patriarchal indie-rock band making its Saalfelden debut…but they’re bubbling with “angrified fun” and doom energy.

*Purple Muscle Car

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Saturday, August 24

*The Totally Mechanized MIDI Orchestra feat. Various Artists

Kunsthaus Nexus, 10:30 a.m.

See above: this singular conglomerate performs again, this time with improvising guests.

Melting Pot

Kunsthaus Nexus, 11:30 a.m.

Julia Stein – violin
Guro Kvale – trombone
Pak Yan Lau – keys, electronics
Sofia Eftychidou – bass
Max Plattner – drums

The “Melting Pot” program is a cooperation between several prominent European jazz festivals (this year, besides Saalfelden, festivals from Poland, Germany, Norway, and Belgium are participating), in which each festival selects a young player from their country; the resulting ensemble plays a concert at each festival. Last year, Mona Matbou Riahi was Saalfelden’s selection; this year, it’s up-and-coming drummer Max Plattner.

*Marina & The Kats

Stadtpark Saalfelden, 3 p.m.

Marina Zettl – vocals, drums
Thomas Mauerhofer – guitar, vocals
Harald Baumgartner – drums, vocals
Peter Schoenbauer – bass, bass drum, vocals

The quartet, led by the aggressive vocals of singer Marina Zettl, brings its retro stylings to the festival twice this year, supporting their new album, Friendly Fire.

*Sparkling Wendy

Brücklwirtshaus, 8:30 p.m.

Chris Janka – guitar

In this solo set, Mr. 20,000 Volts pays tribute to electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos (famed for the album Switched-On Bach and the soundtrack to films like A Clockwork Orange and The Shining). Besides carrying the guitar’s sound, Janka’s high-voltage transformer produces lightning and frankly terrifying sounds. High drama.

*Nenda & Gilewicz

Kunsthaus Nexus, 9 p.m.

Nenda Neururer – voice
Lukas Gander – voice
Georg Gruber – guitar
Thomas Krug – guitar
Julian Freisinger – bass
Paul Heidler – drums

A native of Tyrol’s Ötztal, London-based actress and singer Nenda recently made an appearance on the FM4 charts with “Champagne Time”. She’s been friends with the band Gilewicz since they were young, and they’ll be making their Saalfelden debut together.

Sylvie Courvoisier: “Chimaera”

Main Stage, 10 p.m.

Sylvie Courvoisier – piano
Christian Fennesz – guitars, electronics
Patricia Brennan – vibraphone, percussion
Nate Wooley – trumpet
Drew Gress – bass
Nasheet Waits – drums

Prime time indeed: the renowned Brooklyn-based French pianist will be appearing with an all-star group including Vienna electronic legend Christian Fennesz.

*Synesthetic Jam hosted by Vincent Pongracz

Kunsthaus Nexus, 1 a.m. (Aug. 25)

Vincent Pongracz – clarinet
Peter Rom – guitar
Oli Steidle – drums
+TBA

The individualist clarinetist/composer leads us into the night, and his colleagues through a jam session that’s guaranteed to be a unique experience.

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Sunday, August 25

*Marina & The Kats

Stöcklalm Leogang, 11 a.m. (reservation recommended)

*Children’s Concert: Die Konzertmaus

Stadtpark Saalfelden, 11:30 a.m.

Doris Auinger-Freimüller – clarinet, bass clarinet
August Auinger – clarinets
Alois Eberl – trombone, accordion, voice
Anna Lang – cello, composition

At this point in the weekend, the kids are probably looking for something a little more up their alley – so treat them to this musical story about a concert-loving mouse named Konrad and his reluctant duck. A look at the lineup reveals that music fans of all ages will be able to enjoy the show.

*Haptic Harmonies

Brücklwirtshaus, 12 p.m.

Pamelia Stickney – theremin
Peter Rom – guitar

These two musicians are cornerstones of the fertile Vienna jazz and improvisation scene and have been working together in various settings for a number of years. Expect otherworldly sounds, delicate interplay, concrete sound painting.

Synesthetic Octet

Main Stage, 3 p.m.

Vincent Pongrácz – clarinet
Doris Nicoletti – flute
Clemens Salesny – bass clarinet
Martin Eberle – trumpet
Alois Eberl – trombone
Peter Rom – guitar
Manuel Mayr – bass
Lukas König – drums

We’ve enthused elsewhere about this ensemble’s newest album and recently spoke to bandleader Vincent Pongracz about it…just go see them. You won’t be sorry.

Post Koma feat. Sofia Jernberg

Main Stage, 6:45 p.m.

Petter Eldh – bass
Sofia Jernberg – voice
Jonas Kulhammar – saxophone
Kaja Draxler – piano
Lukas König – drums

Renowned German bassist Eldh presents a reincarnation of his group “Koma Saxo”, featuring our very own – and Saalfelden favorite – Lukas König.

*Spiritual Unity session hosted by Lukas Kranzelbinder