12 Points programme announced for the 2019 edition taking place at BIMHUIS, Amsterdam!

"12 Points delivers some of the very best creative music in Europe … one constant is the originality of the participating bands and their willingness to take risks… every edition of this festival is such a unique event, beloved by audiences and musicians alike." -All About Jazz

4 days, 12 young cutting-edge acts from 12 different European countries with widely diverse sounds; from straight-ahead to post-jazz, electronic and rock fusions to free improv. This September 25-28, the 13th edition of exuberant European jazz festival 12 Points lands in The Netherlands, taking place over 4 nights in partnership with the prestigious BIMHUIS venue in Amsterdam, and with the support of Dutch Performing Arts.

“It's lucky 13 for 12 Points. For decades Amsterdam's BIMHUIS has been synonymous with innovation, the avant-garde and world class jazz talent and is one of the world's most favoured venues by the artists themselves. Our artistic values are closely aligned and we are excited for the artists and the audiences to bring 12 Points to BIMHUIS!” - Kenneth Killeen, Director of 12 Points

A ‘mezzanine festival’ for promising acts on their way to the next level in their careers, 12 Points is programmed each year by an open-call across the continent, engaging with emerging talent and local jazz scenes from London to Ljubljana, Bergan to Bari. The festival is uniquely nomadic and focused on urban hubs of creativity - moving between Dublin and other exciting, young European cities.

Almost 500 acts applied to perform at this 13th edition of the festival, which was awarded the inaugural Europe Jazz Network Award for ‘Adventurous Programming’ in 2012, as well as named as an EFFE Laureate Festival by the European Festivals Association (EFA) in 2017.

12 Points 2019 ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT:

Kasia Pietrzko Trio - Warsaw

A sublime blend of harmonic imagination, lyricism and seemingly boundless creativity, the Kasia Pietrzko Trio hints at Nordic influences with echos of EST, however, Pietrzko's sound here is entirely her own, with heartfelt stories forged into beautiful soundscapes.

Xavi Torres - Tarragona

Spanish pianist Xavi Torres was a semi-finalist in the esteemed Thelonious Monk competition in 2018. Having made a name for himself with his eponymous trio, he channels his myriad influences, from Argentine chacarera rhythms to Mahler-inspired harmonies, into compositions and improvisations that balance each effortlessly.

Family Band - London

Channelling the powerful and freewheeling energy and momentum of the original guardians of the avant-garde, London's Family Band are a modern take on the chordless jazz quartet with moments of fierce intensity, introspection and blues all combining into an emotionally complex and often cathartic whole.

Robocobra Quartet - Belfast

Drawing influence from post-punk and jazz improv, Robocobra Quartet intentionally cross genre lines to create music that is as unclassifiable as it is artistically uncompromising. Propelled from the drum throne of drummer-vocalist Chris Ryan, gritty and witty incantations, accompanied by swirling reeds, electronics and bass defiantly rages against the machine.

Katu Kaiku - Helsinki

Finnish trio Katu Kaiku inhabit the fringes of genre, exploring the space between sounds and creating a meditative soundscape that manages to be the opposite of introspective. This is thoughtful music crafted by a confident trio resulting in music that is in many ways an antidote to frenetic modern life.

Sketchbook Quartet - Vienna

Prog rock, chamber Jazz, dynamic ever-shifting rhythms, unusual instrumentation? Check. Vienna-based Sketchbook Quartet freely play with genre stereotypes. Form surf rock to squealing improv, their unorthodox instrumentation and elaborate compositions, combined with their passion, make for a dynamic fresh and groovy sound.

Filippo Vignato Trio - Venice

Italian trombonist Filippo Vignato has been lauded in his home country, winning multiple awards with his pan-national trio. Through the somewhat unconventional combination of trombone, Fender Rhodes and drums the group deftly mix the organic and the electronic for hard grooving music that is as unexpected as it is unpredictable.

Trio Heinz Herbert - Zürich

Swiss threesome Trio Heinz Herbert’s exploratory aesthetic centres on their collective intensity of expression. With traces of '70s free jazz psychedelics and particles of contemporary club culture this electronics-infused trio’s almost telepathic interplay is all about feel, colouration and texture.

IKARAI - Amsterdam

Using Muhammad Ali's famed wordplay as a springboard for improvisation, Ikarai brings the worlds of classical composition and improvisation into the boxing ring, literally. Ikarai's music flows through the prism of this famous championship boxing event creating something utterly unique in the process.

JUNO - Trondheim

Forged from the prestigious Jazz Academy in Trondheim, JUNO blasted onto the Norwegian scene in 2017 with their unique blend of pop-tinged, rap-infused, groove-oriented, improv-jazz. Featuring two vocals, sax, bass and drums, their catchy blend of complex grooves, rap and stellar improvisation makes for a compelling live show.

No Tongues - Nantes

Immersed in repertoires of ancestral songs from secular oral traditions, a No Tongues concert is a singular experience. This French quartet embraces free jazz, folklore, soft drones and explosive percussion for a captivating global musical exploration. The result is stylistically diverse music that is atmospheric and mesmerizingly shamanic.

The Brums - Liège

With a mix of brass, synths and some intense beats, Liège quartet The Brums want you to dance! Completely eschewing loops, everything is performed live with each musician helming multiple instruments to deliver an expansive and dynamic sound world. The result? A techno-infused, beat-driven, rollicking good time!

See more at www.12points.ie

25-28 September

BIMHUIS, Amsterdam

Tickets & venue info: www.bimhuis.nl

Connect with 12 Points @12pointsfest on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow #12Points2019