McCoy Tyner, who died in March 2020 at the age of 81, is indisputably in the pantheon of piano geniuses who propelled jazz into the modern era at the turn of the 60s. First praised for his participation in John Coltranes legendary quartet, this flamboyant stylist forged his own personal success over the years, exploring all forms of the Afro-American tradition in a mix of hard bop and modal jazz. No one would have been better placed than bassist Avery Sharpe, who accompanied him for over twenty years in countless bands, to capture this diversity. Leading an international and intergenerational All-Star band, he draws on the pianists vast catalogue of compositions to reveal the extraordinary richness of invention in a lyrical, energetic and colourful music.

The SpardaWelt Eventcenter is the venue for the presentation of the German Jazz Trophy by the Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg Foundation for Art and Culture. The award ceremony marks the start of the festival, after which the respective prizewinners play the opening concert and other selected international musicians take to the SpardaWelt stage in the following days. The free "Jazz for Kids" event for young jazz fans will also take place here.