Joe Lovano & Big Band RTV Slovenija
Conductor: Michael Abene
Patricia Barber Quartet
2 July, Križanke

The evening at Križanke, where the legendary Joe Lovano joined forces with the Big Band RTV Slovenija, was utterly variegated as we did not witness only solos by the American sax player but also various band members, whereas the conductor Michael Abene also played a marvellous improvisation on the piano in the style of Bill Evans. The band’s repertoire also featured compositions by Evans – as well as by Horace Silver and George Russel (deceased last year), concluding their performance with a compelling arrangement of his Ezz-thetic. The conductor and the audience were in for quite a surprise, as when Abene raised his baton, the band played Happy Birthday to congratulate him on his anniversary.

Bringing the evening at Križanke to an end, Patricia Barber and her quintet played very nightclub, intimate music. A representative of vocal jazz, Barber is also an astounding pianist – the indisputable culmination of the evening was her instrumental version of Someday My Prince Will Come, in which she was joined only by the drummer. Her encore was a longer improvisation, based on the Norwegian Wood by The Beatles.

                                                                                         Andraž Jež