Shake Stew

SHAKE STEW goes ARENA OPEN AIR. 

„Man muss Jazz nicht mögen, um Shake Stew zu lieben: Die Band um Lukas Kranzelbinder ist von Kopf bis Fuß auf Ekstase eingestellt. Oder frei nach Nietzsche: Das ist keine Musik, sondern Dynamit!“ Wiener Zeitung

„Was ich hörte, haute mich um. Grandiose Rhythmen, schmelzende Bläser, hypnotischer Funk-Beat-Swing-Afro-Jazz-Rock-Rhythm-and-Irgendwas. Ich war so gebannt, ich konnte kaum aufstehen. Inzwischen weiß ich, dass andere Hörer ähnliche Initiationserlebnisse hatten; etwas geht von dieser Band aus, das neu und besonders ist – und ungemein attraktiv.“ DIE ZEIT

„Able to blind you into a trance and make you dance to your knees, Gris Gris twists, blisters and burns like a fevered dream! […] Shake Stew have forged a fierce reputation for sprawling sets that nod to the '60s spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders undercut with Sons of Kemet's interlocking rhythmic fluidity. “ MOJO (UK)

“Shake Stew...cement that feel that you’ve stumbled across a great lost archive of solo Holger Czukay tracks, combining Afro jazz riffs and pulsating, almost motoric grooves.” THE WIRE

Since their formation in 2016, Shake Stew has risen from insider tip to one of the most influential ensembles in the European jazz scene. Die ZEIT called them “Austria’s jazz band of the hour,” NDR dubbed them a “cult band” early on, and winning the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in 2023 and the German Jazz Prize in 2021 firmly established their international reputation.

Whether in packed clubs, the sold-out Wiener Konzerthaus, or Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie – Shake Stew’s hypnotic blend of driving rhythms and trance-like soundscapes has generated an energy that quickly carried them onto the world’s leading festival stages. In 2024, Austrian national broadcaster ORF even dedicated a primetime documentary to the band, “Shake Stew – Jazz for everyone!”, which also highlighted their collaboration with British saxophone star Shabaka Hutchings.

2026 now marks their 10th anniversary. And it would not be Shake Stew if they didn’t celebrate this milestone with a true musical spectacle – the three-part album project TEN ONE TWO THREE. The first two parts, featuring entirely new music, will be released in spring, followed by the third in autumn. The band is also opening a new chapter on a personal level: saxophonist Yvonne Moriel, one of the most exciting newcomers of the scene, has joined the line-up, adding a fresh new timbre to Shake Stew’s sound.

After ten years, countless concerts across Europe and overseas, and seven albums, one thing is clear: Shake Stew is far more than just a jazz band – they are a phenomenon. And they show no signs of slowing down.