Jo Beyer

Jo Beyer is a German drummer, composer, and producer born in 1991, now based in Cologne. He kicked off on piano as a kid before switching to drums, studying jazz drumming at Hochschule Osnabrück in Germany and the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark. Leading his own quartet JO—formed in 2015 with players like Felix Elsner on piano, Sven Decker on tenor sax, and Andreas Wahl on guitars—he blends catchy melodies, wild improv, and vibes inspired by contemporary jazz, classical music, and movie soundtracks, as heard on recent albums like *Party*, *Live in Bangalore*, and *Have you ever been on a Bobsleigh Track?*.

He's also the powerhouse behind the experimental trio Malstrom, which has dropped four albums and toured the globe, plus his electronic avant-pop duo MIC IN THE FACE IS NOT ON PURPOSE. Jo's won acclaim for his energetic, disruptive style, snagging newcomer jazz prizes like the Europäischer Burghauser Jazzpreis and Getxo International Jazz Competition, and he's rocked festivals from Oslo Jazzfestival to OCT Jazz in Shenzhen, hitting over 20 countries with sideman gigs, workshops, and about 15 albums under his belt.