Jakob Manz

Accepted as a young student at the Stuttgart University of Music at the age of 15, multiple awards as a teenager, the ACT debut "Natural Energy" at 19, winner of the Baden-Württemberg Jazz Prize at 21 - is the unstoppable rise of the now 22-year-old saxophonist Jakob Manz over? Not at all, as the new album "The Answer" proves.

Accepted as a young student at the Stuttgart University of Music at the age of 15, multiple awards as a teenager, the ACT debut "Natural Energy" at 19, winner of the Baden-Württemberg Jazz Prize at 21 - is the unstoppable rise of the now 22-year-old saxophonist Jakob Manz over? Not at all, as the new album "The Answer" proves.

The Jakob Manz Project won 1st prize in the 2018 Future Sounds Competition at the Leverkusener Jazztage. In April 2018 the band also received both 1st prize and the audience award at the International Jazzpreis Biberach.

The duo of pianist Johanna Summer and saxophonist Jakob Manz represents a rare stroke of luck for contemporary German jazz. Both are standout figures of their generation, blending supreme virtuosity with fearless creativity and unmistakable individuality. Rooted in jazz yet effortlessly blending influences from classical, pop, and beyond, they create music that is as surprising as it is enchanting. Their intimate duo format highlights a remarkable interplay, where bold spontaneity meets profound sensitivity. With each note, they weave a vibrant, deeply emotional dialogue that feels both free and masterfully composed. This album captures their unique chemistry—colorful, alive, and full of magic.

"Groove Connection" features the highly acclaimed German alto saxophonist Jakob Manz together with a band of international groove-jazz-greats. An album full of infectious rhythms and melodies with great depth and stylistic mastery.

The Art in Music – Siggi Loch has had the clear objective to foster creative interaction between jazz and visual art ever since he founded ACT in 1992. As a producer who is also an art collector, he loves to bring not only topflight musicians together around him, but visual artists as well. Works by Philip Taaffe, Gerhard Richter, Martin Noël, Martin Assig and many more don’t just adorn album covers, they are also on display at the ACT Gallery in Berlin.

The audience at the Biberach Jazz Prize a couple of years ago witnessed a miracle. Here was an alto saxophonist who instantly evoked memories of some of the very greats of the instrument: a player with the melodic invention of a Johnny Hodges, the big sound of an Eric Dolphy, the urgency of a Cannonball Adderley, the funkiness of a David Sanborn, plus his own definite touch of individuality. But here’s the surprise: this was no hardened journeyman, Jakob Manz was a mere sixteen years old. And, as was to be expected, this young musician from Dettingen near Stuttgart with his quartet The Jakob Manz Project not only won the audience award, he was also named the overall winner of the competition by a jury chaired by eminent bassist Dieter Ilg. Six months later, Jakob Manz achieved distinction again with a win at the Leverkusener Jazztage’s future.sounds competition.

The duo of pianist Johanna Summer and saxophonist Jakob Manz represents a rare stroke of luck for contemporary German jazz.