A Word of Introduction
Despite its enviably advanced age, the Ljubljana Jazz Festival still strives towards integration with the very hub of contemporary world jazz arena.
We take great pleasure in the fact that a historically unparalleled bloom of jazz music has been detected in various parts of the world. A new British wave has formed, and the Scandinavian jazz is still advancing more rapidly than the oil pumps in Norway.
The Slovenian jazz musicians have assiduously been putting together a national team on a par with the Europe’s finest. Meanwhile, numerous astonishing musicians have emerged from the flourishing US jazz scene. The Igor Lumpert generation, among others, has produced sensational drummers, who today form vital part of countless line-ups. And new names keep appearing. What is truly uplifting is the fact that it was the younger generations of jazz musicians (e.g. Vijay Iyer last year) that have given some of the finest Ljubljana Jazz Festival concerts in recent years. It is also true that, understandably distrustful of anything new, most lovers of jazz in particular and music in general have not been there to experience it. Thus, having the courage of one’s convictions, one has to persist and obtain help from abroad. The Clean Feed label and its spiritual leader, Pedro Costa, are indubitably this century’s jazz references. What’s interesting is that Pedro Costa has received a request for advisory services from Ljubljana and New York almost simultaneously. On the invitation of John Zorn, this July Pedro Costa is going to devise a 15-day programme at Zorn’s club, The Stone. The Clean Feed label is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Housed in the heart of Lisbon, it was this label that last year produced most chart-climbing jazz albums. A great revelation, and one of last year’s top-rated albums, has been recorded by Chris Lightcap. Then, there is also a Portuguese Keith Jarrett, the astounding Bernardo Sassetti. With him, we will savour the musical delights of Portugal. But that’s just part of the story.
The other performers will be there for us to enjoy at CD as well as at Kino Šiška, Klub Gromka and the Križanke open-air theatre. Here, a special treat awaits us on the concluding evening of the festival, among others Charles Llloyd and Maria João. As befitting, the Festival will commence with a Prešeren Fund Award winner, Zlatko Kaučič, in a remarkable new project. Do not miss these four jazzy nights and days. The music will be great! But for the festival to work out, we also need our gentle concert-goers.
Bogdan Benigar, Artistic Director
