This might be the strongest week of jazz Berlin has seen in 2026 so far. Dianne Reeves is in town. James Brandon Lewis is making his Berlin debut fresh off being named DownBeat's Artist of the Year. Emile Parisien is bringing his FLOATING project to the Philharmonie. And that's just the headliners. Across Zig Zag, A-Trane, B-flat, Donau115, and the Kammermusiksaal, there are ten shows worth rearranging your week for. Here's what you should know.

Dianne Reeves & Romero Lubambo

Five-time Grammy winner. Blue Note recording artist. One of a handful of living vocalists who can legitimately claim to be among the greatest jazz singers of all time. Dianne Reeves has sung with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle, toured with Harry Belafonte, and at 69 still commands a room like few others on the planet. Tonight she appears in a rare duo setting with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, whose bossa nova phrasing and harmonic elegance have made him a first-call collaborator for everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Michael Brecker. Their interplay is intimate, unhurried, and deep. Note: this is NOT at Zig Zag. It's at Passionskirche Kreuzberg, Marheinekeplatz 1-2. A church setting for music this spiritual feels exactly right.

James Brandon Lewis Trio

If you follow jazz at all, you know this name. DownBeat's 2025 Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year, Lewis is one of the most vital forces in the music right now. His latest album Apple Cores on ANTI- Records is a love letter to Don Cherry's restless curiosity, recorded in two fully improvised sessions with longtime collaborators Josh Werner (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums/mbira). But tonight in Berlin it's Werner and drummer Warren Crudup III, one of New York's most in-demand rhythm players. Lewis's sound is rooted in the African American musical tradition with the spiritual intensity of Coltrane and the brawny directness of Sonny Rollins, but filtered through hip-hop textures and deep compositional thinking. This is his Zig Zag debut. Two shows, 18:30 and 21:00. Don't sleep on this one.

Greg Osby with Florian Arbenz Quartet

Greg Osby recorded fifteen albums as a leader for Blue Note Records. Let that sit for a moment. The St. Louis-born alto saxophonist has been one of the most forward-thinking voices in post-bop since the late '80s, and through his own label Inner Circle Music he's mentored a generation of younger players including Melissa Aldana. Tonight he's at Donau115 in Neukölln with the Florian Arbenz Quartet. A musician of this stature in a room that intimate is exactly the kind of thing Berlin does better than anywhere else.

Dima Bondarev Quartet «Under The Impression»

Ukrainian-born, Berlin-based trumpeter Dima Bondarev won the Deutscher Jazz Preis for brass instruments, and his sound sits right at the intersection of classical training, deep jazz vocabulary, and a modern European aesthetic. He's played with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Aaron Parks, Joey Baron, and the NDR Big Band. Tonight at A-Trane he brings a quartet featuring Ludwig Hornung on piano, Josh Ginsburg on bass, and Marc Michel on drums. Contemporary jazz at a high level from someone who's earned his place in the Berlin scene.

What The French! with Emile Parisien & Robinson Khoury

Two concerts, one night, curated by Andreas Brandis. The first set features soprano saxophonist Emile Parisien with his project FLOATING: Yaron Herman on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass, and Prabhu Edouard on percussion. Parisien is one of the defining voices of modern European jazz, with a hypnotic melodic flow on soprano sax that's all his own. Linda May Han Oh, for those keeping track, is one of the most sought-after bassists alive, a regular in Pat Metheny's bands. The second set brings trombonist Robinson Khoury and his trio MŸA, blending jazz with rock, electronic textures, and his Lebanese heritage. This is at the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonie, not at A-Trane itself. Sophisticated stuff in a world-class room.

Julie Sassoon Quartet, 10 Years!

British pianist and composer Julie Sassoon has been based in Berlin for years, and her quartet with Lothar Ohlmeier (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Meinrad Kneer (bass), and Rudi Fischerlehner (drums) has quietly built one of the most compelling bodies of work on the European scene. Their album Voyages was nominated for the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis and led to sold-out shows at the London Jazz Festival and Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie. The music moves between lyricism and abstraction with a real sense of narrative. Tonight at B-flat they celebrate a decade together.

Jochen Rückert Quartet

German-born, New York-based drummer Jochen Rückert has played on over 120 albums and is one of those musicians other musicians talk about with a certain reverence. His new quartet is stacked: Alexandra Ridout on trumpet, who won the BBC Young Jazz Musician award at just 16 and has since picked up British Jazz Awards and Keep an Eye International honours; Kevin Sun on tenor, a Harvard-educated saxophonist who's become a fixture at Smalls and Carnegie Hall; and New Zealand bassist Hamish Smith, described by NEA Jazzmaster Todd Barkan as one of the greatest young bassists in the world. This is a band of serious young talent led by someone who knows exactly what to do with it. At Zig Zag, 20:30.

Diego Pinera All Star Trio feat. Ramiro Olaciregui

Uruguayan drummer Diego Pinera holds both the Echo Jazz and the Deutscher Jazzpreis, and his album Odd Wisdom with Donny McCaslin earned a Grammy nomination. Tonight he brings pianist Dave Kikoski, a genuine legend who's recorded with everyone from Roy Haynes to Randy Brecker, alongside bassist Josh Ginsburg and special guest Ramiro Olaciregui. They'll be playing music from Pinera's latest EP Evidence, recorded in New York. Two sets at Zig Zag: 18:30 and 21:00. Latin-inflected, hard-swinging, modern jazz with serious pedigree.

Aly Keïta Trio «Balafon Evolution» Album Release

Ivorian balafon master Aly Keïta comes from a Mandingo Griot family and was one of the first musicians to bring the chromatic balafon to the front of the stage as a solo instrument, following in the footsteps of maestro Kélétiguy Diabaté. His Berlin-based trio releases their new album Balafon Evolution on One World Records tonight. The music moves between groovy West African rhythms, spectacular polyphony, and jazz, landing somewhere entirely its own. At A-Trane, 20:30.

Miles Davis & John Coltrane Centennial!

2026 marks what would have been the 100th birthday of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, A Love Supreme: the music these two made, together and apart, is the foundation everything else sits on. Tonight Zig Zag celebrates with a proper all-star ensemble: New York trumpeter Joe Magnarelli leading the charge alongside Canadian saxophonist Kirk MacDonald (Juno Award winner), pianist Oliver Kent, bassist Rudi Engel, and drummer Bernd Reiter. All veterans, all deeply steeped in the hard-bop tradition. This isn't a museum piece, though. Expect a swinging, alive celebration of music that still hits as hard as it did 60 years ago. 20:30.

Ten shows, six days, five venues. This is not a normal week. If you only make it to one, make it count. See you out there.