Night Of Surprise

presented by Reconstructing Song & Cologne Sessions

On 19 Oct, one of Europe´s premier venues for jazz and modern music prresents another Night of Surprise. The unique free-entry-one-night-festival offers a wild variety of experimental music, ranging from contemporary folk interpretations by Sam Amidon in a premiere with a string quartet from Cologne, Tunisian producer Sofyann Ben Youssef ´s pan-Mahgreb live project Ammar 808 blending ancient and modern styles or bagpipe innovator Erwan Keravec´ traditional pipe quartet presenting a program of 21st century compositions written for this very ensemble. DJ Marcelle, Czajka & Puchacz, Nidia, Mary Ocher, a Sacred Harp Singing, local heroes and an electronic program yet to be announced add up to a mind-boggling night. Entry is free.

Background
Opened in 1986, Cologne´s Stadtgarten quickly became one of Europe´s outstanding jazz places, featuring concerts of emiment musicians like Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Gil Evans, Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, Jack DeJohnette, Ornette Coleman or Paul Bley while keeping a keen ear for exciting young improvisers from Cologne, New York City and around the world.

Well under way into the 21st century, the venue has recently stepped up its commitment to experimental and adventurous musics and has since won steady communal and state support as a European Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Keeping jazz and improvised music at its programmatic core, a team of fresh curators has brought in musicians like Current 93, Keiji Haino, Death Grips, Joan La Barbara, Shackleton, Klein, Sam Amidon, Kevin Drumm, Arto Lindsay, Jagwa Music, Animal Collective, Moritz von Oswald Trio, Ashtray Navigations, Dirty Projectors, Sudden Infant, Aisha Devi, Excepter, Liturgy, Group Doueh, Lula Pena, Audrey Chen, Moor Mother and the Master Musicians of Jajouka in recent years.

The Night of Surprise sets out to feature and celebrate this mind-boggling sonic diversity in just one night - with free entry for the public.