Milen Kirov Quintet is a new project of the award-winning Bulgarian-American pianist and composer. It is comprised of some of the best and most sought-after jazz musicians in Germany and Europe. In this band, Milen has blended his musical vision with the individual talents of the musicians in an exciting electric fusion of cultures bridging the old and the new, east and west, Europe & America. Deep grooves, fiery odd meter rhythms, sleek modal melodies, and virtuosic improvisations come together into a unique and exciting contemporary jazz sound. The Quintet recorded their first EP (set to be released later in 2025) in November, 2024 at High Tide Studios outside Cologne, Germany.

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The band:

Milen Kirov - keyboards/compositions

Jakob Manz - alto sax

Bob Vogston - guitar/mixing & mastering

Marius Goldhammer - bass

Alex Bernath - drums

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Jakob Manz is an exceptional talent on the saxophone and a master of the flute. Although he is only in his early 20s, Manz is already one of the most sought-after jazz musicians in Germany and has won several top-class awards in recent years. Born in 2001, Manz has played with Randy Brecker, the WDR Big Band, the SWR Big Band, Ack Van Rooyen, Nils Landgren and many others and has already had the privilege of presenting his music on internationally renowned stages such as the Elbjazz Festival, the Philharmonie Köln and the Jazzfest Basel.

Bob Vogston is a multi-talented young guitarist, producer, composer, and sound engineer. With more than 10 years of making music on and off stage, Bob has forged his own award-winning path that includes multiple collaborations with Grammy-winning artists and #1 chart placements.

Marius Goldhammer has been a professional bassist since 1988 and is one of the most sought-after bassists in Germany. He works in numerous international bands from funk, soul, rock, jazz, pop, and folk, to theater, film, television, musicals, and dance productions. Tours have taken him to over 90 countries on almost all continents and by 2020 he has played on over 280 recordings.

Alex Bernath is an internationally working drummer, musical director, producer, booking agent, and manager based in Cologne, Germany. Having shared the stage with greats of the business such as Fred Wesley (James Brown), Chris Potter (USA), Ray Greene (Carlos Santana/ Tower Of Power) and Jamal Thomas (Maceo Parker/SOS Band), Alex is one of the most exciting drummers of Europe today.