50! JAZZ FESTIVAL
Yesterday, the oldest European jazz festival concluded rather festively with two concerts – after good 34 years Chick Corea returned to Ljubljana with the same line-up even, if we leave out guitarist Al Di Meola, who together with keyboard player, drummer Lenny White and bass player Stanley Clarke comprised the legendary quartet Return to Forever. This time the rest of the line-up joined forces in The Power of Three. The one-and-a-half-hour concert featured an overview of Corea’s evolvement, excluding the initial phase; with an idiosyncratic, considerably harmonized version of modal jazz, Corea attained attention already in early 1960s, and gained international repute by working with Miles Davis on some of his most momentous albums. Then the trumpeter initiated Corea into electric keyboards, which brought him to fame in the 1970s. At Cankarjev dom he played the pieces from the latter period with an acoustic piano, thus shedding a new, fresh light on them. The mood was typical for Corea, he enveloped the difficult polytonal passages into a light rhythmic atmosphere, interspersing them with Latin American and Spanish music influences as well as free improvisation combined with well-known pieces (especially felicitously so the Sometime Ago/La Fiesta composition from the remarkable Return to Forever album). Chick’s fast chromatic interplay between the octaves was most manifest in the 1970s compositions as well as the 1940s standard On Green Dolphin Street by Bronislau Kaper that sounded utterly Coreaesque. White’s drumming was as masterly as expected, but remained predominantly within the bounds of traditional jazz, by often using cymbals and including some obvious allusions to drummer Tony Williams. A special mood was outlined by White’s repeated hitting of the metal edges of drums that complemented the rhythm with various pitches. Clarke was excellent on acoustic bass, and played it with a bow on especially lyrical moments. The audience was most impressed by his extremely precise polyrhythmic slapping, which is rarely done on an acoustic bass. Corea and he engaged in an interplay and at times literally talked to one another, at certain point Corea even jokingly imitating Clark. The applause was enthusiastic and prolonged, while in the encore, that featured another classical song of Return to Forever, the spectators were encouraged to sing various figures, which Corea played on the piano. Chick Corea’s second appearance in Ljubljana was rounded off by ten-minute standing ovations.
Another type of modern jazz was played at the CD Club shortly after the first concert. Subversive innovator Marc Ribot performed with his recent line-up Ceramic Dog, which has enraptured the artist and critics alike. In a subversive atmosphere of contemporary New York experimental scene, the concert encompassed utterly diverse genres which were eclectically conjoined by Ribot’s structured, controlled eccentricity. The postmodernist collage completely naturally unified the strong rock rhythms, with numerous syncopations excellently driven by genial drummer Ches Smith with help from bass player Shahzad Ismaily, who at times also played electronic percussions. All members of the band tackled the subtle electronic modifications of sound, especially the guitarist, who in Rileyesque manner masterly intertwined the samples, recorded shortly before, with live improvisation. Special guest Eszter Balint played the violin, presenting a simultaneous sonic complement to the guitar, the symbiosis stood as a sort of counterweight to the rhythmic counterpoint of the percussions. Quite unusual was her vocal contribution, where Ribot and Eszter worked together wondrously. In key moments Ribot in a sculptural manner structured the soundscape which retained a firm coherence despite some contrasts, embracing well the contemporary aesthetic sensibility. The avant-garde in its purest (and uncompromising!) form of provocation quite naturally coexisted with the audaciously simple guitar riffs, which refused to leave the audience cold. The concert concluded with an enthusiastic applause, followed by the party at the café.
We witnessed two outstanding performances by bands that each it their own way search for new jazz possibilities. Despite being aesthetically superlative, both concerts enthralled with their communicativeness thanks to their originality, authentic idiom, and lack of any populist tendencies.
In commemoration of the golden jubilee of the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, a special concert will be held on 27 October in Gallus Hall, featuring: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke & Lenny White Power of Three and Marc Ribot & Ceramic Dog feat. Eszter Balint.
Additional reason to celebrate with jazz all year round!
CELEBRATE WITH JAZZ!
An Evening with John Zorn, for the last thirty years one of the most prominent contemporary musicians and composers, with debut appearance at the Ljubljana Jazz festival, concluded this year’s jubilee event. For seven days, jazz aficionados could indulge in jazz at Križanke, CD Club and Gala hall Summer Stage Metelkova, attending concerts and numerous accompanying events, jazz photo or poster exhibitions as well as round table discussions. Throughout the Festival, the CD Club and café, intended for musicians, journalists, guests and visitors to rub shoulders, was open all day long.
50! Ljubljana Jazz Festival in numbers:
– 3 venues: Križanke open-air theatre, CD Club, Gala hall Summer Stage, Metelkova
– 31 events (concerts, exhibitions, round tables)
– The festival featured musicians from 19 countries and all continents (except for Australia); altogether over 150 different musicians
– The festival was covered by over 60 Slovenian and foreign members of the press (USA (Downbeat), Austria, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Rumania, Bulgaria)
– The Festival staff comprised of over 100 people
– The festival was visited by over 5,000 jazz enthusiasts
– The concert-goers on average bought two tickets
– ¼ of the concert-goers were under 25.
The Festival opened with an exhibition by Han Bennink and a concert by Han Bennink & Guus Janssen. Our foremost guest was John Zorn, within the last three decades one of the preeminent jazz musicians and composers. On this occasion, in conclusion of the jubillee festival, Zorn prepared a special programme: Part 1– Improvisations feat. John Zorn, Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Jamie Saft, Trevor Dunn, Chris Wood, Cyro Baptista, Billy Martin, Kenny Wollesen and Joey Baron; Part 2– The Dreamers; Part 3– Zaebos: Medeski Martin & Wood play Book of Angels. The evening concluded at the CD Club with a Paris jazz soul attraction, Push Up.
Other artists presented at the Summer Stage of Gala Hall and in three nights at Križanke (out of four) were: the legendary Roscoe Mitchell and his Chicago Quartet; Powerhouse Sound and Ken Vandermark and two members of the avant-rock group Tortoise; the illustrious and the only still living member of South African Blue Notes, drummer Louis Moholo featured in Viva La Black project, accompanied by Keith and Julie Tippett and MinAfric Orchestra under Pino Minafra; stellar newcomer, jazz double bass player and composer Avishai Cohen; ambitious international project of Slovenian drummer Kristijan Krajnčan, American/Japanese/Slovenian project: Statements under the baton of another jazz luminary, Reggie Workman; one of the leading jazz and Latin jazz pianists Michel Camilo and his trio performing with Big Band RTV Slovenija; German/Portuguese/Slovenian European Movement Jazz Orchestra under the baton of Izidor Leitinger; all-star Richard Galliano Quartet featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Richard Bona, Clarence Penn and Brazilian mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda and his Quartet.
There were promotions of various labels at the CD Club: Norwegian Jazzland, Polish Not Two and Clean Feed from Portugal, presenting concerts by singer Sidsel Endresen, Norwegian jazz guru Bugge Wesseltoft, Polish/Hungarian Ensemble 56 and exciting Portuguese pianist João Paulo. The CD Club also hosted appearances by Nika Perunović and guitarist Marko Zaletelj with guest, American vocalist José James and his group, Zlatko Kaučič and Evan Parker as well as the paramount Japanese jazz group, Satoko Fujii ma-do Quartet.
Jazz aficionados attended round table discussions addressing various issues such as: Is Jazz Still the Music of Common People; How Much Variegated Jazz Is there in World Music and 'National' Music Idioms; Regular concert organisation and festivals: club, concert, and media promotion; Contemporary Jazz Festivals.
In commemoration of the golden jubilee of the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, a special concert will be held on 27 October in Gallus Hall, featuring: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke & Lenny White Power of Three and Marc Ribot & Ceramic Dog feat. Eszter Balint. Additional reason to celebrate with jazz all year round!
