British jazz comes to Germany and Austria

Six bands, 14 clubs, 13 cities, 76 gigs: that's Brit Jazz Week, happening for the first time right now in Germany and Austria.

The festival showcases young British musicians who bring diverse musical influences to the world of jazz. Clarinet player Arun Ghosh, for example, plays original music of South Asian origin with a contemporary jazz attitude. Get the Blessing promises a punk attitude towards jazz and quirky live performances, and Soweto Kinch lets his passion for hip-hop culture influence his saxophone playing.

The Jazz Week is actually two weeks. Week one started on 14 March in Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Cologne, Munich and Karlsruhe. Week two continues until 26 March in Lüdinghausen, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Passau, Innsbruck, Linz and Vienna. The six bands rotate from one city to the next, so that wherever you are, you see a different artist each night.

Festival organizer Burkhard Hopper, from Munich, moved to London in 2008 to promote young talent. "London is without doubt Europe's capital for culture. There are a dozen great concerts to go to every day," he says, describing the local music scene as "a true melting pot of styles, rhythms, musical languages and heritage".

www.britjazzweek.com