Cologne Jazzweek: The Killing Popes

Berlin drummer Oliver Steidle has long been one of the musicians in this country who have made a name for themselves internationally by giving their improvisational music a political and socio-critical charge when they mix contemporary jazz with hip-hop, grindcore or punk, for example. Steidle describes the music of his quartet The Killing Popes as "future jazz" - and that's exactly what this four-piece sounds like live on stage. The original pieces follow a "cut & paste" aesthetic, which often creates sharp contrasts in the improvisational music. Anticipating each other, the musicians then constantly take up new positions at breakneck speed, like pieces in lightning chess, making it a joy for everyone to follow the action on stage with their eyes and ears. But despite all the harmonic, rhythmic and melodic complexity, the four musicians show above all how humorous and witty the jazz avant-garde of today can sound.