A brilliant blend of soul jazz, rock, folk, and contemporary classical music.

This outstanding trio moves fluidly between genres, captivating the audience from the very first note. With an impressive sensitivity to dynamics and tension, they craft a unique and fascinating syntax from individual musical phrases. Through eruptive, simmering energy as well as quieter moments, the three musicians carve out their own paths: evoking the spirit of soul jazz, shifting into the rustic folk traditions of Great Britain, diving into noisy rock, and finally bringing certain compositional principles of contemporary classical music into focus. Their infectious groove and joy of playing remain constant throughout.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.deadeye333.com

A daring, self-ironic blend of jazz, contemporary, and new music.

The Bottom Orchestra is a collective organism of fourteen musical personalities who live and breathe different musical styles — or all of them at once. Here, orchestral sound and sophisticated polyrhythms meet deliberately provocative, politically charged texts, a finely calibrated balance of dissonance and harmony, and ample space for free improvisation. With no regard for boundaries, this audacious large ensemble led by Kaspar von Grünigen forges its own path away from well-trodden roads — always united in the search for musically fertile ground.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.kasparvongruenigen.com

Unpretentious magicians of the moment.

Without formal extravagance or elaborate arrangements, this seasoned trio continues the tradition of improvising on standards in a versatile and elegant way, guided by intuition and spontaneity. The three musicians transform old melodies and familiar harmonies into breathtaking, multilayered music that draws its charm from the coexistence of old and new, with a swing feel that oscillates between gentle grace and daring velocity. A sublime synthesis of musicality and originality, where urgent sensuality and intellectual precision strike a perfect balance.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.norbertpfammatter.com

The BJO brings Christmas spirit to the bird’s eye.

Just like last year, the Basel Jazz Orchestra celebrates Christmas with us — full of heart, charm, and verve. Whether it’s internationally famous Christmas songs newly arranged and gently “jazzed up” with a deft balance between nostalgia and kitsch, or lesser-known gems from various cultures wrapped in lush harmonies — after this concert, we’ll surely find ourselves dreaming of a White Christmas and a Silent Night.

• Mo, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–
  Unfortunately, the quota of reservations for this concert has already been filled, and it is no longer possible to make reservations. You can try at the box office starting at 8:10 p.m., but there is no guarantee that anything will be available.

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• www.baseljazzorchestra.com

Melodic, intricate contemporary jazz with a touch of folk music.

Inspired by the untamed power of the insect world, MaxMantis weaves a finely crafted web of heroic soundscapes and captivating improvisation, traveling the globe with melodies from a fascinating microcosm. What buzzes here is unstoppable jazz — precise, powerful, and full of drive. The concerts of MaxMantis move, touch, fascinate, and surprise, whisking listeners away — with a wink — into a world brimming with energy, adrenaline, and musical adventure.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.maxmantis.com

Hypnotic piano drones and rocking beats.

Pianist Lucca Fries presents his most personal project to date with FRI3SER — a trio where his resonant, rhythmically intense piano style meets distorted bass riffs and powerful drum beats. Elements from club culture, such as continuously morphing rhythms and tension-filled breaks, along with subtle piano preparations, give the sound an almost electronic aura. Together with Sarah Zaugg and Luca Ramella, Fries creates meditative yet powerful music that moves fluidly between jazz, rock, ambient, and club sounds.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 14.– / 8.–

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• www.luccafries.com

Poetic, atmospheric jazz with an ’80s aesthetic.

Quiet Tree creates, in a fascinating and subtle way, a space for awareness and emotion: Simon Spiess’s gentle, at times smoky tone floats above the repetitive, beautiful harmonies and synth textures of Marc Méan’s piano, while Jonas Ruther provides structure with precise, delicate rhythmic impulses. With hypnotic, grooving sound clusters that invite dreaming and smiling, the trio weaves memories and moods into an intense, weightless yet deeply moving musical universe — capturing the longing of the moment in melody. A magical evening and a fitting finale to our 2025 bird’s eye program.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 12.– / 8.–

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• www.quiettree.band

We warmly thank all our guests, sponsors, patrons, and friends for their loyalty, joy, and support. May 2026 bring many wonderful and moving jazz concerts and moments. The bird’s eye team wishes you happy, cozy holidays and a joyful, fulfilling New Year. We look forward to seeing you again in 2026!

New admission prices starting in 2026

After 17 years, we have decided to slightly increase admission prices.

New:

Tuesday – Thursday: CHF 16.– / CHF 10.–

Friday/Saturday: CHF 14.– / CHF 10.– per set

Joe Haider, a veteran of the European jazz scene, is celebrating his 90th birthday.

And what better way for a jazz legend to celebrate 90 years of life and over 65 years of music than with a spectacular tour? The established, sensitive pianist—still full of ideas, joie de vivre, and top-class musicality—kicks off his birthday tour at bird's eye with Swiss jazz greats. Together with his jazz orchestra, he brings standards and his own compositions to life with sophisticated brilliance, allowing the audience to enjoy an evening of modern, swinging straight-ahead jazz of the highest caliber.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.jhmpublishing.ch/Band47.php?band_ID=47

A magical encounter between pop jazz and “cinematic” post rock.

The bands Trois Imaginaires and Tie Drei, both with an enchanting, unique sound, merge here to form an impressive sextet. The musicians let delicate, melancholic melodies flow and manifest an almost tangible nostalgia – a sonic refuge for all those who cling to something that is no longer there. Coming from different worlds, they accumulate their essence and guide us through touching stories with bittersweet melancholy. Their joint album “Storyboard” was released on Bandcamp last October.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.anatolebuccella.com
  www.tiedrei.com

Elegant jazz in the tradition of hard bop.

Pianist Adrien Chicot's music is an integral part of the young French jazz scene. His sound is driving and intense, yet at the same time breathes a vibrant serenity and lyrical intimacy. Julien Alour impresses with airy yet precise runs, Ricardo Izquierdo complements him with a confident, warm tone, and Adrien Chicot leads the soloists with sparkling playing and adds spice with complex harmonies. The musicians are backed by Sylvain Romano with his sonorous, precise bass and Philippe Maniez with his demanding, light-footed impulses. Together, the quintet delivers beautiful, contemporary modern jazz with a fascinating harmonic sophistication. The album “Eymet” was released in 2023 on Bandcamp.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 14.– / 10.–

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• www.adrienchicot.com

Nuances of contemporary jazz that inspire enthusiasm.

Szymon Mika's music touches listeners with its dense, intense atmosphere, which thrives on sensitive playing and subtle interaction. His crystal-clear, virtuoso yet restrained guitar blends perfectly with the warm, embracing sound of Oskar Török's trumpet. The outstanding singer Song Yi Jeon complements and enriches the two with her gentle yet expressive voice, which sounds like the first sunshine after a long, dark winter and intensifies the magic. Andrzej Święs and Peter Somos provide a precise and light rhythmic backdrop. Music full of deep emotion, brilliance, and heart and soul.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.szymonmika.com

A rich, dense orchestral sound that gets under your skin.

Bandleader and saxophonist Sarah Chaksad makes sophisticated and sensitive use of her musicians' diverse instrumental potential to create a multi-layered, subtly shaped sound universe. Through intelligent, sensitive compositions with a touch of traditional Persian music, she opens up new horizons for the audience with an internalized depth. A hypnotic, beautiful overall concept of colors and moods, in which the artists have enough space to shine through lyrical solos. The three concerts are part of a workshop week, and new pieces will be created every day during rehearsals.

• Th until Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Th: One-time entrance fee CHF 16.– / 10.–
  Fr/Sa: Entrance fee per set CHF 14.– / 10.–

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• www.sarahchaksad.com

Soulful, contemporary jazz from Chicago.

Rob Clearfield was already a brilliant sideman at bird's eye – now he's making his debut with us as bandleader with his trio. His new album, “Voice in the Wilderness”, is a moving fusion of his Chicago roots with various musical styles. His repertoire ranges from influences of Robert Glasper's hip-hop-infused style to the structured diversity of Makaya McCraven to the late Romantic moods of Brahms and Chopin. With the lyrical trumpeter Hermon Mehari, the incisive bassist Simon Tailleu, and the nimble Fred Pasqua on drums, we can expect groovy, contemporary jazz with plenty of gospel and heart, inviting us to revel and enjoy.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.robclearfield.com

A delicate interplay of tonal diversity and precision.

Mareille Merck uses her solo freedom to break down stylistic boundaries. She combines fingerstyle techniques with typical jazz elements and explores versatile tonal facets with great attention to detail. She breathes life into catchy melodies with harmonics, often unusually tuned strings, or idiosyncratic tremolo effects. Mareille always seeks the core of the musical message, which she colors with her unmistakable sound and experiments with sound space, atmosphere, and contrasts. Spontaneity and a willingness to take risks merge into a gentle yet energetic, homogeneous whole.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.mareillemerck.com

A fabulous solo set with sublime jazz and soundscapes.

Christy Doran has often thrilled audiences at bird's eye with various, sometimes highly experimental formations – now he comes to us with a gentler, hypnotic solo program. His clear, precise touch immediately creates an atmosphere of crystalline concentration and alert energy. With delicate melodies, he invites you to dream and fascinates with rich, bluesy chords and virtuoso runs that create a swinging dynamic. The loops allow him to create multi-layered soundscapes. Doran captivates the audience with his intense, focused presence from the very first note.

• Th, 21:45 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.christydoran.ch

A nuanced encounter between jazz tradition and contemporary jazz.

The broad, warm sound of saxophonist Adele Sauros immediately invites you to listen. With her quartet, which she formed in Basel in 2023, the Finnish musician tells stories from the time she lived and studied here in a clearly accentuated and lyrical style. “No Room for Hesitation” was released last year on Bopcats Records and thoughtfully and melodically blends Sauros' Nordic melancholy and poetry with the energy and dynamism of African-American jazz.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 14.– / 10.–

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• www.adelesauros.com

Melodic modern jazz with a dash of pop and folk.

From the sound of mountain silence to the hustle and bustle of the big city, the music of Swiss-born Fabienne Ambuehl, who lives in London, evokes intense emotions and tells gripping stories. Full of freedom and breath, the quartet creates playful, flowing jazz—rhythmically captivating, lyrical, and energetic at the same time. Inspired by poetry, Romantic music, and even the Beatles, Ambuehl composes with a subtle eye for detail. Her distinctive, powerful voice meanders through a wide range of terrain, from sensitive to scat or a touch of yodeling.

• Tu and We, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.fabienneambuehl.com

The BJO performs songs by Alexandre Cahen and Sebastián Greschuk.

Every last Thursday of the month, the Basel Jazz Orchestra delights audiences with its smooth, beautiful music. This time, the focus is on two distinctive voices: Alexandre Cahen touches listeners with his neo-classical and romantic tones, a touch of Hungarian folk and French impressionism. Sebastián Greschuk, on the other hand, fascinates with lively compositions that reflect his South American roots and combine Argentine tango and samba with modern jazz. A unique evening where the concentrated creative power of two musical worlds will bring the club to a boil.

• Th, 20:30 hrs

• One-time entrance fee CHF 16– / 10.–

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• www.baseljazzorchestra.com

Refined jazz with Danish flair.

Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug, together with US saxophonist Mark Turner and the sensitive rhythm section of Jeppe Skovbakke and Sean Carpio, presents a delicate, meditative sound that allows you to breathe deeply and creates a space for contemplative mindfulness. The tempo is leisurely and relaxed – Ploug and Turner lean back and let their solos flourish and flow harmoniously without pressure. Their melodic lines intertwine playfully, Turner's saxophone is warm and soothing, like a comforting embrace, and Ploug's guitar weaves its web of sounds sensitively and delicately. The nominated album “Nocturnes” was released in 2023 by Stunt Records.

• Fr and Sa, 20:30 hrs

• Entrance fee per set CHF 14.– / 10.–

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• www.mikkelploug.com