The Potsdam jazz festival has established itself as a highlight of jazz music in Potsdam since 2015. Under the direction of Constanze Schliebs and Nicolas Schulze, fabrik Potsdam organises the festival every year with a new motto and top-class bands.
The Potsdam Jazz Festival gets a new name in 2025!
The Potsdam jazz festival Jazzoffensive is changing its name with the 11th edition and will be called RARE BIRDS in future.
Even though jazz and improvisation naturally have an offensive character and charm (‘daring music’, as Wayne Shorter is said to have once put it), the term “offensive” is associated with military action and attitude. The new name distances itself from this – because music stands for connection, understanding, encounter and peace!
RARE BIRDS – International Music Festival Potsdam appeals to a curious audience to discover rare treasures. There is still courageous jazz, exciting improvisations and a programme that stretches the boundaries and brings international music with a global message as well as regional and local greats to Potsdam!
Of course, the name is also a small reference to the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker. There are several stories about why he was called “Bird”. One says that Charlie Parker's playing was reminiscent of the free and rapid flight of a bird. Like a rare bird with its wonderful song, jazz plays a special role: a cosmos full of colourful and very different languages and styles, as well as diverse and exciting - yet little heard, unknown or suspect to many people, a marginal phenomenon, a rarity and absolutely worth protecting! This wonderful image of music full of joy and freedom is a challenging and exciting mission for the future of the RARE BIRDS Festival.
With this in mind, the curators are looking forward to the next and first RARE BIRDS Festival with artists from Switzerland, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Belgium, Germany and America!
With Nik Bärtsch's RONIN (CH), Aly Keїta & Maria Portugal (CIV/BRA), Das Kondensat feat. Liz Kosack (DE/USA), Els Vandeweyer & DJ Illvibe aka Vincent von Schlippenbach (BE/DE) and the Jugend jazzt competition in cooperation with the Brandenburg State Music Council.
Artistic direction: Constanze Schliebs / Nicolas Schulze
jazzoffensive@fabrikpotsdam.de
