[Ahmed] + Space

A double bill that brings together two exploratory bands working at the outer edges of jazz.

Space

Swedish piano trio Space works with nuance, power and precision. They draw from the American free jazz tradition and contemporary classical music, creating textured, dynamic soundscapes that shift from subtle to explosive. With Lisa Ullén on piano, Elsa Bergman on double bass and Anna Lund on drums, each voice in the trio shines on its own while staying radically attuned to the others. Their latest album Embrace the Space (Relative Pitch, 2024) confirms their growing status as one of the most daring trios on today’s scene.

أحمد [Ahmed]
[Ahmed] is a quartet that makes rhythm-driven, ecstatic jazz — music to listen, move and think to. Their sound is rooted in repetition, heavy swing and raw improvisation, with no solos and no set plan — only collective motion, deep listening, and a relentless search for new forms. Their live performances are immersive and physical: “Every night the quartet brings a new song, takes it apart, puts it back together again… always flowing like a river in flood,” as musician Silvia Tarozzi describes it.

Their name and inspiration come from Ahmed Abdul-Malik, the NYC bassist, oudist, and composer who in the 1950s and 60s forged a radical fusion of jazz, Sufi spirituality, Arabic maqam and East African rhythm. Long ignored by the jazz canon, his work now stands as a vital, visionary alternative history. [Ahmed] doesn’t recreate his music — they expand it, using fragments, rhythms and spirit to imagine new directions for 21st-century jazz.

[Ahmed] might have made their debut in a rural Swedish barn in 2016 but they are now hailed as one of today’s most innovative live acts. The group’s extraordinary rapport has been documented via a run of sold out releases on Umlaut, Otoroku and Astral Spirits. Their 2024 box set Giant Beauty (Fönstret) captured a sweltering five-night residency in Stockholm and topped The Wire and Tone Glow end-of-year lists. Following standout state-side appearances at Big Ears Festival and Roulette the group make their return to Stockholm, closing out this year’s Stockholm Jazz Festival with one explosive set.

Presented in collaboration with Ideell Edition, with financial support from Kulturrådet and Stockholm city.

Lineup:
Space
Lisa Ullén – piano
Elsa Bergman – kontrabas
Anna Lund – trummor


أحمد [Ahmed]
Pat Thomas – piano
Antonin Gerbal – trummor
Joel Grip – bas
Seymour Wright – altsaxofon