Back to the Future: The “most provocative thinker in contemporary jazz” is coming to Leipzig!

He blends tradition with radical imagination—and is celebrated worldwide for it. So it’s no wonder that, for once, the media and the public are in agreement: American composer and conceptual artist Jason Moran is one of the most significant and original jazz musicians of our time. 

“I’m no pioneer,” he once said of himself, not without his characteristic modesty. Rather, the pianist went on to say, he “infuses old things with new ideas.” For many years, he has found the inspiration he needs in the greats of jazz history. For example, in Thelonious Monk, whose album “’Round Midnight” he discovered in his father’s record collection at the age of 13. Or in Duke Ellington. 

Moran can now confidently be mentioned in the same breath as his idols. In 2024, the jury at Amherst College in Massachusetts described him as a “guardian of jazz’s cultural heritage” when they awarded him a Doctor of Arts degree.Rolling Stone, on the other hand, simplycallshim “the most provocative thinker in contemporary jazz.” 

Much like the “Duke,” Moran moves between large ensembles and solo work. Two years ago, he presented an Ellington program with the hr Big Band, and he now follows that up with his new solo album, which features a more understated sound. 

Morans’ interpretations are far more than just a tribute to a personal hero. Rather, he transforms the historical material into something of his own, often surprising. And he does so right in the heart of St. Thomas Church—that historic venue where Johann Sebastian Bach once cemented Leipzig’s reputation as a city of music. 

In doing so, Moran achieves a feat that is rarely accomplished: he frees this musical legacy from the dust of the museum. What remains is a moving piece of music—radically personal, intensely focused, and always one step ahead of the present.