67. Jazz festival Ljubljana

Miles Davis 100! Elevator to the Gallows
2026-06-29 20:00 - 2027-08-08 23:30 UTC | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Miles Davis 100! Elevator to the Gallows
Monday, 29 June at 20.00 – Kosovel Hall
EUR 6, 5*
* EUR for younger than 25 and older than 65, as well as pensioners.
BUY TICKET HERE France, 1958, 88′
Directed by: Louis Malle
Written by: Roger Nimier, Louis Malle, based on the novel by Noël Calef
Cinematography: Henri Decaë
Music: Miles Davis
Cast: Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Lino Ventura, Yori Bertin, Florence Carala
Production: Nouvelles Éditions de Films
Julien and Florence devise an elaborate plan to murder her husband, who also happens to be Julien’s boss. They choose Friday afternoon for the killing, timing it to coincide with the closing of the offices in the city centre. At first, everything unfolds flawlessly: Julien commits the murder, disposes of the evidence, and makes his escape. But then, in a moment of fatal carelessness, he steps into the elevator, forgetting that every Friday evening the caretaker cuts the power to the building for the weekend. Trapped inside, Julien can only wait helplessly. Meanwhile, a young couple notices Julien’s fancy car, steals it, and races toward the outskirts of the city. As Julien struggles to free himself from the elevator, the increasingly distraught Florence wanders the nocturnal streets of Paris in search of him.
While Elevator to the Gallows is often associated with the dawn of the French New Wave, it remains both chronologically and stylistically “incompatible” with the movement’s defining aesthetic, despite its undeniable qualities and its extensive use of location shooting. The film functions instead as a cinematic bridge between the period of reflection on American noir and the bold formal experiments of early New Wave crime films (e.g., Godard’s Breathless). Undeniably, it also occupies a distinctive place in film history thanks to Miles Davis’s melancholic, improvised soundtrack.
“Alain Cavalier – a friend from school days – drew my attention to a book that he had bought at a railway station kiosk, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud by Noël Calef. I found this idea of a crime imputed to a murderer in his absence seductive. The start had been difficult. The producer had not been enthusiastic about Noël Calef’s book. Nevertheless, he recognized that we had found a good police intrigue. It was therefore going to be a B-movie with Jeanne Moreau on the bill, who at that time acted in those types of film. In fact, we invented the character played by Jeanne Moreau. The part did not exist in the book.” (Louis Malle)

Ssirus W. Pakzad Exhibition Opening – Face to Face, Soul to Soul
2026-06-30 19:30 - 2027-08-09 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Ssirus W. Pakzad Exhibition Opening – Face to Face, Soul to Soul
On view at Small Gallery: 30.6. – 13.9. 2026
Exhibition opening: 30 June at 19.30, Small Gallery
Žiga Koritnik in conversation with the photographer: 30 June at 20.00, First Foyer
Free entry Exhibition curated by Žiga Koritnik

After completing his studies, Ssirus W. Pakzad (1961) turned to music journalism and began publishing regularly in the German press and on radio. He began taking portrait photographs of his interviewees at the suggestion of colleagues; these images not only appeared in newspapers and magazines alongside the interviews but also featured on the album covers of numerous acclaimed musicians. In the late 1990s, he hosted a public radio show with live guests (Bayerischer Rundfunk, SWR) and served as artistic director of the Jazz an der Donau festival in Vilshofen from 1996–98. His photographs have been presented in eleven solo and four group exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The exhibited works reveal the photographer’s dedication and deep engagement with music, from his earliest pieces (the oldest, for example, is a portrait of Don Cherry, 1990) to concert photography over the years and a more recent series of silhouettes. These are primarily carefully considered, sometimes improvised compositions that capture the musician’s soul without slipping into glorification. While the portraits are calm and quiet, the concert photography is more dynamic and “louder,” acquiring even greater intensity when accompanied by the interviews.

Žiga Koritnik in conversation with Ssirus W. Pakzad
2026-06-30 20:00 - 2027-08-09 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Žiga Koritnik in conversation with Ssirus W. Pakzad
On view at Small Gallery: 30.6. – 13.9. 2026
Exhibition opening: 30 June at 19.30, Small Gallery
Žiga Koritnik in conversation with the photographer: 30 June at 20.00, First Foyer
Free entry Exhibition curated by Žiga Koritnik

After completing his studies, Ssirus W. Pakzad (1961) turned to music journalism and began publishing regularly in the German press and on radio. He began taking portrait photographs of his interviewees at the suggestion of colleagues; these images not only appeared in newspapers and magazines alongside the interviews but also featured on the album covers of numerous acclaimed musicians. In the late 1990s, he hosted a public radio show with live guests (Bayerischer Rundfunk, SWR) and served as artistic director of the Jazz an der Donau festival in Vilshofen from 1996–98. His photographs have been presented in eleven solo and four group exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The exhibited works reveal the photographer’s dedication and deep engagement with music, from his earliest pieces (the oldest, for example, is a portrait of Don Cherry, 1990) to concert photography over the years and a more recent series of silhouettes. These are primarily carefully considered, sometimes improvised compositions that capture the musician’s soul without slipping into glorification. While the portraits are calm and quiet, the concert photography is more dynamic and “louder,” acquiring even greater intensity when accompanied by the interviews.

Pasquale Mirra – Jagged Rhythms
2026-06-30 20:30 - 2027-08-09 23:30 | Štihova dvorana
Pasquale Mirra – Jagged Rhythms
Tuesday, 30 June at 20.30 – Štih Hall
Friday, 3 July, 5:30 pm – Štih Hall
Free entry till full capacity
Pasquale Mirra, acoustic vibraphone, midi vibraphone, log drum, Tibetan bells, timpani, percussion; Petra Strban, visuals
(IT)
“What an incredulous and happy coincidence! During my frequent visits to Sežana, I recently bought two poetry collections by Srečko Kosovel in a local bookshop. This is precisely why I became interested in him and passionate about his work almost immediately,” reads the reply to our invitation to Italian vibraphonist Pasquale Mirra to create a special project based on Kosovel’s poetry for the Ljubljana Jazz Festival in the year we celebrate 100 years from poet’s too early death. The creative forces were set in motion instantly.
Mirra, a classically educated percussionist who discovered jazz through the sound of the vibraphone – and vice versa – elevates the compositions of his collaborators with virtuosity, attentiveness and empathy. Among them are Rob Mazurek, Hamid Drake, Shabaka Hutchings, Moor Mother, Trilok Gurtu, William Parker, Fred Frith, Nicole Mitchell, Ballaké Sissoko, Jeff Parker, Tomeka Reid, James Brandon Lewis and Mulatu Astatke. Mirra’s music is atmospheric, airy, heartfelt, sharp-edged, subtle, elusive, organic and mechanical – when he wants it to be, at times otherworldly, yet strangely familiar. He says the essence lies in the idea of sound, not in the technique of playing, in which he uses a wide array of percussion instruments and tools.
This approach parallels that of Kosovel’s, who explored new forms of expression and stylistic techniques to find a deeper insight into humanity, society and the signs of the times. His Kons’ are impromptu improvisations; his Integrals’ – as noted by his contemporary Anton Ocvirk – a brand-new world, a world of dissonance, antitheses, absurdities, explosions and jarring disharmonies.
Kosovel = vision ∞ Human > humanity
Mirra approaches sound intuitively, sensing the hidden meanings in the vowels and consonants within the Slovenian poet’s verses. In sharp rhythms and fragmented chords, he searches for new function, new content. The instrumentation, handpicked for this commissioned work, echoes three conceptual currents in Kosovel’s poetry: the nature-oriented; the constructivist, social-revolutionary focused; and the lyrical-intimate-confessional turn. The soundscape of Pasquale Mirra will unfold gradually in two performances at Štih Hall, as Kosovel’s poetry slowly reveals itself over time.
The synesthetic effect it evokes will be further explored by Petra Strban – painter and graphic artist – who will create her own visual interpretation of Jagged Rhythms on screen in response to Mirra’s music.

Jagged Rhythms *

I’m the broken arc
of a circle,
the cracked form
of some statue,
and someone’s stifled
thought.
I’m a force
cleft by distress.
As if I’m walking
on splinters,
I can’t bear your calm
presence any longer.
*Kosovel, Srečko. OPEN: Selected Poems and Thoughts. Društvo Konstruktivist. 2018
The poem Jagged Rhythms translated by Ana Jelnikar and Barbara Siegel Carlson

Pat Metheny: Side-Eye III+ - SOLD OUT
2026-07-01 21:00 - 2027-08-10 23:30 | Križanke, Trg francoske revolucije 1, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Pat Metheny: Side-Eye III+
Wednesday, 1 July at 21.00 – Križanke Summer Theatre
Tickets (standing / seating – unassigned, limited availability): presale (until 30 June): 45, 36* EUR , on the day: 50, 40* EUR
*Visitors aged under 25, over 65 and pensioners SOULD OUT Pat Metheny, guitar; Chris Fishman, piano, keyboards; Jermaine Paul, bass; Leonard Patton, percussion, vocals; Joe Dyson, drums
(US)
His music transcends genres, as evidenced by the Grammy Awards he has won in ten different categories – from new age, pop and country to jazz, naturally, most of them in the last named category, which makes him the only artist ever to have achieved this. He has a total of twenty grammies, three golden records and an impressive songbook of jazz standards.
It goes without saying that working with a roster of artists as diverse as Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Joni Mitchell, and David Bowie calls for tremendous musical versatility and the corresponding technical virtuosity. He cites Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery and The Beatles as having the biggest impact on his music.
Metheny has been a key player in fusion jazz for the past four decades, with a broad community of followers, also satisfying their preferences for experimentation. We’ve closely followed his artistic development; with different line-ups he performed at the Jazz Festival Ljubljana three times, most recently nine years ago. The Pat Metheny Group, active since 1978 with various changes in personnel, has decisively shaped the development of the jazz fusion genre and allowed him to evolve his distinctive lyricism under the ECM Records.
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He composes contemporary classical and film music, dreamy solo ballads, and virtuoso pieces, creating a canon of new standards, while also keeping an eye out for young new talents with whom to share his vision. Thus, in 2016, which many in the US see as the advent of a new dark age, Metheny started the Side-Eye project. The name is slang for “raising an eyebrow,” being sceptical, distrustful, or disapproving, which is how the world has been looking at the US since 2016.
Today, the core of the Side-Eye III+ project consists of Chris Fishman, a drummer-turned-pianist from the Louis Cole (Knower) orbit and the rising drumming star Joe Dyson, who brings New Orleans–style vehemence to the trio and has inspired Metheny to compose specifically with him in mind. At Ljubljana Jazz Festival the non-classical guitar–piano–drums trio will be joined by Californian musical up-and-comer on bass, Jermaine Paul.

Jazz after Jazz, Kazina Jazz Club
2026-07-01 23:30 - 2027-08-10 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Jazz after Jazz: Musical hangout with a jam session kicking off after the official programme

Wed, 1. 7. 2026 – Kazina Jazz Club, Congress Square 1
Jam sessions are led by Gašper Bertoncelj
After the festival’s official programme, the action shifts to the Kazina Jazz Club, where the evenings unfold in an even more relaxed atmosphere. With jam sessions, impromptu performances, and late-night gatherings, Kazina comes alive in the spirit of music, conversation, and the festival’s nocturnal vibe.

Jazz in Dialogue: Inheriting Her Voice – with all the beauty and burdens it carries
2026-07-02 17:30 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Jazz in Dialogue: Inheriting Her Voice – with all the beauty and burdens it carries

Thursday, 2 July at 17.30 – Dvorana Alme Karlin
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed). Between concerts, we will also take time for conversation. Jason Olaine, Vice President, Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center and a Grammy-winning producer, will be joined by Melissa Aldana and Sun-Mi Hong to discuss how the experiences, traditions and stories of previous generations are reflected in the work of today’s jazz musicians. The conversation will explore the development of artistic expression, what we inherit from those who came before us, and what we hope to pass on to future generations.
The conversation will also touch on artistic legacy, creative freedom, the responsibilities that come with visibility, and the many ways in which a voice can become a space for both personal and social expression. A chance to hear directly from some of the musicians who are helping shape the landscape of contemporary jazz today.

Dee Dee Bridgewater: We exist!
2026-07-02 19:00 - 2026-08-11 23:30 | Gallus Hall
We Exist! The Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet
Thursday, 2 July at 19.00 – Gallus Hall
Tickets (no assigned seating): presale (until 30 June): 38, 34* EUR , regular price: 42, 37* EUR
* Discounted admission prices for people younger than 25, older than 65 and pensioners BUY TICKET HERE Dee Bridgewater, vocals; Alexis Lombre, piano; Rosa Brunello, bass; Shirazette Tinnin, drums
(US)
From an early age, she has felt an urge to express her inner voice through performance. The moment she first stepped onto the stage, she did so with total confidence, forging her own style – uncompromising and unrestrained. Over six decades, she has moved effortlessly across genres, performing at the Sanremo Festival, recording over 20 albums, and acting in theatre and film – all by following her heart, in her own words. She has received three Grammy Awards and a Tony Award for her role as the Good Witch in the Broadway musical The Wiz.
Throughout her career, she has been driven by personal integrity, professional autonomy, and boundless creativity, and has also given a voice to the voiceless as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. Twenty years ago, she founded her own record label, DDB Records, and became a producer. She holds honorary doctorates from prestigious music universities and was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Her musical credentials read like a who’s who of jazz royalty: Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, Ray Charles, B. B. King…
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Just as she once received advice from her role models Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Betty Carter, who taught her to be fearless and command the stage, she now passes on her experience and knowledge to younger generations. Through her Woodshed Network programme, Dee Dee has recently mentored young female jazz musicians, sharing her wisdom on surviving in the male-dominated music industry and standing up to discrimination and misogyny. Her protégées include Jazzmeia Horn and Lakecia Benjamin.
In this spirit, and as a direct response to the Gaza war, she formed the quartet We Exist!, bringing together young female musicians – pianist Carmen Staaf, bassist Rosa Brunello, as well as drummers Shirazette Tinnin and Evita Polidoro. The band’s repertoire, opposing patriarchy and social injustice, is like a journey through the history of songs of rebellion and long-unheeded warnings from the past. Dee Dee Bridgewater, now a musical icon herself, pays tribute to the timeless luminaries Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln, reaching for the most haunting songs in the jazz canon, such as Tryin’ Times, Danger Zone, Strange Fruit, Mississippi Goddam, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free – all the while inviting the audience to listen to the lyrics. Truly listen.

Arist-in-residence: CRY
2026-07-02 20:30 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Arist-in-residence: Lenart De Bock – CRY
Thursday, 2 July at 20.30 – CD Park, main stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Tomaž Gajšt, trumpet; Miloš Čolović, double bass; Lenart De Bock, saxophone; Gerald Cleaver, drums
(SI, BE, SRB, US)
Lenart De Bock’s new quartet brings together four cross-generational musicians from diverse musical backgrounds in an open, improvisational ensemble without a harmonic instrument. The ‘cordless quartet’ is anchored in a direct dialogue between trumpet, saxophone, double bass, and drums, with the music unfolding spontaneously through mutual interaction and shared exploration of sound. The project also features avant-garde veteran Gerald Cleaver as a special guest, an American musician with a long list of credits and a strong presence on the contemporary jazz scene.
About arist-in-residence:
Lenart De Bock (SI, BE)
Saxophonist, composer, and improviser Lenart De Bock is best known as the leader of his quintet, co-leader of the Soothsayer trio, and a member of the Zhlehtet collective. An exceptionally prolific young artist, De Bock has recently focused on developing a distinctive musical voice characterized by a warm tone, lyrical expressiveness, and an openness to improvisation. In addition to his own projects, he appears on several albums as a sideman, and occasionally as a co-leader and co-composer.
He has performed and recorded with a number of renowned Slovenian and international jazz musicians, including Jim Rotondi, Rick Margitza, Marko Črnčec, Daniel Nösig, and João Moreira. Lenart has appeared at major Slovenian festivals (Jazz Festival Ljubljana, Jazz Cerkno, Jazzinty, among others) and has also toured in Brazil, Austria, and across Europe.
The centrepiece of his work as a composer is last year’s debut album A Plea for Tenderness, which offers a vivid, communal reflection on the jazz tradition as shaped, for example, in the more spiritual strands of artists such as the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders. At its core, the album explores a predominantly flowing and tender spirituality, articulated with exceptional precision, refinement, integrity, and fervour, and enriched by subtle inflections of classical and folk music.
As this year’s festival resident artist, De Bock will present two brand-new projects: a quartet and a percussion ensemble

Anže Mikulan
2026-07-02 21:30 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | Park CD, oder pod drevesom
Anže Mikulan: Rhythm Is Expansive
Thursday, 2 July at 21.30 – CD Park, Old Tree Stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Anže Mikulan, Luka Matić, Domen Cizej, drums
(SI)
Luka Matić, Domen Cizej, and Anže Mikulan appear at this year’s festival as an exclusive percussion ensemble. Through their original compositions, they explore music-making as a living, ever-evolving organism, performed across three drum kits. All three belong to a new generation of musicians who have trained at music institutions abroad. The JFL concert marks the public debut of this line-up.
The concert is presented in collaboration with the Inštitut .abeceda.

Sun-Mi Hong: Bida Orchestra
2026-07-02 22:00 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Sun-Mi Hong: Bida Orchestra
Thursday, 2 July at 22.00 – CD Park, main stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE John Dikeman, bass & tenor saxophone;; Mette Rasmussen, alto saxophone; Alistair Payne, trumpet; Jozef Dumoulin, piano, fender rhodes; John Edwards, bass; ; Sun Mi Hong, drums
(KR, NL, BE, GB, US, NO)
Across Europe, a burgeoning music scene is emerging, driven by a younger generation of inspiring and creative musicians, songwriters, and arrangers. One name that immediately comes to mind is South Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong, who has been based in the Netherlands for over a decade..
While devoting most of her creative energy to her quintet (with which she released her latest album Fourth Page: Meaning of a Nest last year), Sun-Mi Hong performs and records in a wide range of contexts, from tightly composed works to free improvisation. A particularly distinctive aspect of her output is the unconventional Bida Orchestra. In recent years, Hong has travelled extensively across Europe, engaging with diverse musical scenes and further expanding her artistic language; this experience directly informs the project.
It was created in 2023, when BIMHUIS Productions commissioned her to write a new work for the REFLEX series, which invites musicians to reflect on society and the world as they perceive it. Drawing on scenes from her dreams, Hong composed the highly dynamic, intense, and unpredictable opus Invisible Ropes.
She has brought together five versatile musicians – improvisers from diverse stylistic backgrounds, or rather a first-rate constellation of distinctive musical personalities. Three wind instruments, double bass, piano/synthesiser, and drums form a lineup that, partly owing to the individual voices of its members, opens up seemingly endless – at times extreme – possibilities in texture and dynamics. A whirlwind of sound that shifts the ground beneath our feet, described by Sun-Mi Hong herself as moving “from linear serenity to choppy waters and blood-curdling screams”.

Aki Takase: Timeless Ensemble
2026-07-02 23:00 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Aki Takase: Timeless Ensemble
Thursday, 2 July at 23.00 – CD Klub
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed). Aki Takase, piano; Daniel Erdmann, saxophones; Vincent von Schlippenbach aka DJ IllVibe, turntables; Tino Ribeiro, double bass; Dag Magnus Narvesen, drums
(JP, DE, NO)
“Time is the central theme of the program. What is time? What is silence? How malleable is time? Perhaps we can even travel to the future and the past with the help of music?”
These are the questions at the core of the new project by the unrivalled epitome of pianism – or, without exaggeration, a true piano legend – Aki Takase. Her life’s journey has taken her from Tokyo to the United States and Berlin; as early as the 1980s, she collaborated with figures as eminent as John Scofield, Lester Bowie, and Dave Liebman, and in the 1990s performed extensively with David Murray and Reggie Workman, among others. Her credentials are simply too extensive to enumerate here.
Collaborations are therefore an essential, almost indispensable principle of Takase’s creative process. When she encountered her former student Daniel Erdmann at a Paris airport, a musical partnership emerged spontaneously. They began as a duo and soon expanded into an enlarged musical organism: the exceptional quintet JAPANIC.
Now they are taking things even further, moving toward the “Timeless Orchestra.” It is an ensemble of cross-generational musicians. It is both a project of passing on experience to younger generations and a project of projection: where is our music heading? What is happening now, and what might the future bring? Linear time is interrupted as the finest elements of the past are connected with visions of the future at the crux of the present. “Timeless” thus becomes an open structure that invites young musicians to collaborate with their older peers. An extravagant avant-garde initiative!

Jazz after Jazz, Kazina Jazz Club
2026-07-02 23:30 - 2027-08-11 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Jazz after Jazz: Musical hangout with a jam session kicking off after the official programme

Thu, 2. 7. 2026 at 24.00 – Kazina Jazz Club, Congress Square 1
Jam sessions are led by Gašper Bertoncelj
After the festival’s official programme, the action shifts to the Kazina Jazz Club, where the evenings unfold in an even more relaxed atmosphere. With jam sessions, impromptu performances, and late-night gatherings, Kazina comes alive in the spirit of music, conversation, and the festival’s nocturnal vibe.

Pasquale Mirra – Jagged Rhythms
2026-07-03 17:30 - 2027-08-12 23:30 | Štihova dvorana
Pasquale Mirra – Jagged Rhythms
Tuesday, 30 June, 8:30 pm – Štih Hall
Friday, 3 July, 5:30 pm – Štih Hall
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed).
BUY TICKET HERE Pasquale Mirra, acoustic vibraphone, midi vibraphone, log drum, Tibetan bells, timpani, percussion; Petra Strban, visuals
(IT)
“What an incredulous and happy coincidence! During my frequent visits to Sežana, I recently bought two poetry collections by Srečko Kosovel in a local bookshop. This is precisely why I became interested in him and passionate about his work almost immediately,” reads the reply to our invitation to Italian vibraphonist Pasquale Mirra to create a special project based on Kosovel’s poetry for the Ljubljana Jazz Festival in the year we celebrate 100 years from poet’s too early death. The creative forces were set in motion instantly.
Mirra, a classically educated percussionist who discovered jazz through the sound of the vibraphone – and vice versa – elevates the compositions of his collaborators with virtuosity, attentiveness and empathy. Among them are Rob Mazurek, Hamid Drake, Shabaka Hutchings, Moor Mother, Trilok Gurtu, William Parker, Fred Frith, Nicole Mitchell, Ballaké Sissoko, Jeff Parker, Tomeka Reid, James Brandon Lewis and Mulatu Astatke. Mirra’s music is atmospheric, airy, heartfelt, sharp-edged, subtle, elusive, organic and mechanical – when he wants it to be, at times otherworldly, yet strangely familiar. He says the essence lies in the idea of sound, not in the technique of playing, in which he uses a wide array of percussion instruments and tools.
This approach parallels that of Kosovel’s, who explored new forms of expression and stylistic techniques to find a deeper insight into humanity, society and the signs of the times. His Kons’ are impromptu improvisations; his Integrals’ – as noted by his contemporary Anton Ocvirk – a brand-new world, a world of dissonance, antitheses, absurdities, explosions and jarring disharmonies.
Kosovel = vision ∞ Human > humanity
Mirra approaches sound intuitively, sensing the hidden meanings in the vowels and consonants within the Slovenian poet’s verses. In sharp rhythms and fragmented chords, he searches for new function, new content. The instrumentation, handpicked for this commissioned work, echoes three conceptual currents in Kosovel’s poetry: the nature-oriented; the constructivist, social-revolutionary focused; and the lyrical-intimate-confessional turn. The soundscape of Pasquale Mirra will unfold gradually in two performances at Štih Hall, as Kosovel’s poetry slowly reveals itself over time.
The synesthetic effect it evokes will be further explored by Petra Strban – painter and graphic artist – who will create her own visual interpretation of Jagged Rhythms on screen in response to Mirra’s music.

Jagged Rhythms *

I’m the broken arc
of a circle,
the cracked form
of some statue,
and someone’s stifled
thought.
I’m a force
cleft by distress.
As if I’m walking
on splinters,
I can’t bear your calm
presence any longer.
*Kosovel, Srečko. OPEN: Selected Poems and Thoughts. Društvo Konstruktivist. 2018
The poem Jagged Rhythms translated by Ana Jelnikar and Barbara Siegel Carlson

Toni Lah Quartet
2026-07-03 19:00 - 2027-08-12 23:30 | Park CD, oder pod drevesom
Toni Lah Quartet
Friday, 3 July at 19.00 – CD Park, Old Tree Stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 20, regular price: EUR 24 BUY TICKET HERE Toni Lah, guitar; Aljoša Kavčič, piano; Konrad Waldert, double bass; Juš Kvaternik, drums
(SI, AT)
This contemporary jazz quartet comes to our festival with fresh, original material featured on their upcoming album. The group comprises four friends who strive to push the envelope of music at every available opportunity, while thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process. Their compositions draw on the idiom of a new generation of modern jazz, one that responds to the current state of the world and captures the spirit of the times while honouring the jazz tradition.
The concert is presented in collaboration with Defonija.

Melissa Aldana: Filin (CL)
2026-07-03 19:30 - 2027-08-12 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Melissa Aldana: Filin

Friday, 3 July at 19.30 – CD Park, main stage
Day pass CD Park: presale (until 30 June): EUR 20, regular price: EUR 24 BUY TICKET HERE Melissa Aldana, tenor sax; Pablo Held, piano; Robert Landfermann; double bass; Kush Abadey, drums
(CL, DE, US)
After winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 2013 – making history as the first woman and the first South American to receive the award – Melissa Aldana’s career skyrocketed. She was given the blessing of none other than Wayne Shorter, who served on the competition jury, while his longtime pianist, Danilo Pérez, had earlier encouraged her to move to the US from her native Chile and enrol at Berklee in Boston. With a studious approach and a strong work ethic, Melissa Aldana quickly emerged as a brilliant saxophonist with a distinctive flair for storytelling – a lesson imparted by Wayne Shorter in his emphasis on “the use of space, the storytelling, how you communicate, how you paint.” This talent finds its fullest expression on Aldana’s penultimate album, Echoes Of The Inner Prophet, where she intuitively surrenders to improvisation, building from it tangible, composed impressions.
Melissa Aldana’s solos on her latest albums have earned her two Grammy nominations. “The sound itself is a tool to express an emotion. Every single note is a whole world. …but then there is this mystical side of sound that… I still don’t know exactly what it is,” says Aldana, who honed her expression by listening to and transcribing the titans of jazz: Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and Don Byas, among others. When researching a particular style, she does not focus solely on technical execution but instead probes the very evolution of music, with the transmission of tradition across generations playing a central role. This is why themes of identity, introspection, and perseverance often run through her creative work – an innovative, contemporary tribute to tradition.
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Melissa Aldana’s eighth album, and her third on the Blue Note label, is titled Filin. The title is not only a slang variation of the word “feeling” but also refers to a musical style that flourished in Cuba in the mid-20th century as “a dialogue between traditional Cuban trova, the bolero and jazz, redefining Cuban musical identity,” explains the revered pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, whom Aldana invited for a collaboration alongside bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kush Abadey. The album’s enchanting ballads also feature vocals by Aldana’s dear friend and one of the leading singers of her generation, Cécile McLorin Salvant – who performed at the Ljubljana festival last year. On tour, Held and Menares step in for Rubalcaba and Washington. Melissa Aldana’s appearance at our festival also marks the inaugural collaboration between Jazz Festival Ljubljana and the Jazz at Lincoln Center programme in New York City.

Vita Kobal: Daydream Fragments
2026-07-03 20:30 - 2027-08-12 23:30 | Park CD, oder pod drevesom
Vita Kobal: Daydream Fragments
Friday, 3 July at 20.30 – CD Park, Old Tree Stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 20, regular price: EUR 24 BUY TICKET HERE Vita Kobal, violin; Gal Golob, cello, double bass; David Kocmur, guitar; Janez Sagadin, drums
(SI)
An original project by violinist Vita Kobal, Daydream Fragments is an alliance of four musicians engaged in a creative dialogue exploring the space between composition and free improvisation. Its sonic aesthetics are grounded in minimalist ideas and short composed fragments that act as catalysts for developing musical narratives. This sonic idea journal evolves through continuous exchange among the musicians, who carve out space for improvisation within structured sections. Through collective performance, they become entangled in an unpredictable unfolding, one that retains elements of its structural building blocks while returning to the immediacy of generative musical thought.
The concert is presented in collaboration with Zavod ‖ Institute Sploh.

Patricia Brennan Septet
2026-07-03 21:00 - 2027-08-12 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Patricia Brennan Septet
Friday, 3 July at 21.00 – CD Park, main stage
Day pass Park CD: presale (until 30 June): EUR 20, regular price: EUR 24 BUY TICKET HERE Patricia Brennan, vibraphone; Jon Irabagon, alto and sopranino saxes; Mark Shim, tenor sax; Kalí Rodriguez, trumpet; Kim Cass, double bass; Keisel Jimenez. percussion; Dan Weiss, drums
(MX, CU, JM, US)
Patricia Brennan gravitates towards large ensembles. Septets and tentets are the settings in which her compositions – shaped by the percussive, deeply layered harmonic textures of vibraphone and marimba – fully come to life. These settings are, in a sense, extensions of her core quartet, More Touch, augmented either by a string or a brass section. For this septet, she draws on top-tier improvisers, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez and saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Mark Shim. In this new constellation, Brennan explores uncharted musical terrain as though exploring new solar systems – quite literally. As an amateur astronomer, she translates stellar constellations into chord progressions and melodic patterns, constructing new sonic dimensions and alternative worlds.
She grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, a coastal city known for its rich heritage and a culture shaped by Afro-Caribbean influences. Patricia Brennan instinctively incorporates this musical tradition – characterised by distinctive rhythmic structures, with the marimba at its core – into her music. Her work blends Mexican folk heritage, classical music, the urban complexity of contemporary jazz, and experimental improvisation shaped by the New York City scene, which played a formative role in her artistic development. She approaches composing with an orchestral sensibility stemming from her classical piano training – having begun studying piano at the local conservatory at the age of four, inspired by her father, an amateur percussionist.
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Patricia Brennan’s last two albums have met with widespread critical acclaim. The music on Breaking Stretch has been described as “unbridled, almost geological, as if echoing tectonic plates shifting beneath the surface,” and it topped jazz album-of-the-year lists in DownBeat, The New York Times, and NPR. Last year, her fourth album, Of The Near And Far, was released on Pyroclastic Records, the label of fellow pianist Kris Davis, with whom she collaborates frequently. This fourth outing was hailed as a “quantum leap” in her body of work, for its “beyond-category” music that feels “almost cinematic”.

Błoto
2026-07-03 22:30 - 2026-08-12 23:30 | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Błoto
Friday, 3 July at 22:30 – CD Club
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed).
Latarnik, piano, synthesizers; Wuja HZG, bass guitar; OlafSaxx, saxophones, synthesizers; Cancer G, drums
(PL)
Błoto is a Polish instrumental group that formed spontaneously in 2018 during an impromptu session while on tour with the larger jazz band EABS, with some of its members jamming to fill the free time between concerts. Błoto stands for reduction, or a shift towards a more brutal and rudimentary, groove-focused expression rooted in hip-hop – with loose references to the gritty, sampladelic sound of the 1990s.
Their music is grounded in massive, looping structures, where heavy basslines, precise drumbeats, and repetitive motifs take centre stage, evolving through subtle improvisation. While jazz remains ever-present as a substructure, Błoto deliberately avoid complexity for complexity’s sake, instead prioritising feeling, texture, and hypnotic rhythm. The result is both minimal and intense – a sound that is at once direct, raw, and relentless.
Released in 2020, the quartet’s debut album, Erozje, is a minimalist yet massive soundscape of decay and transfiguration. Beyond their classic album projects, the band is also known for numerous tributes dedicated to one of hip-hop’s most influential producers, J Dilla, culminating in the 2026 release of We Remember J Dilla.
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In their performances and recordings, Błoto seek to capture the tension arising from broader social realities, including fragmentation and stratification, rising nationalism, political crises, and systemic violence. Their distinctive approach speaks to a wide-ranging audience – spanning hip-hop and electronic music through to avant-garde jazz.

Dj K'Pow
2026-07-03 23:30 - 2026-08-12 23:30 | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Dj K’Pow
Friday, 3 July at 22:30 – CD Club
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed).
(SI)
A veteran of the local DJ scene, K’Pow is most commonly associated with hip-hop, though his sets regularly venture far beyond the genre – spanning funk, soul, Afrobeat and contemporary electronic offshoots. A former member of the renowned Ljubljana collective RDYO DJs, he is now part of the GOR association for the promotion of hip-hop culture and the driving force behind Big Nose in Ljubljana: not just a record shop, but a much-loved music haunt and cultural venue.
After closing the 2024 festival’s Friday night programme in spectacular fashion, K’Pow returns to the decks with another perfectly curated – and highly danceable – set. Expect strong jazz influences and samples, jazz and funk originals later reimagined in rap tracks, as well as nu jazz and broken beat selections.

Concert for children: Boštjan Gombač and Sašo Vollmaier
2026-07-04 11:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Concert for children: Hommage à Héritage
Saturday, 4 July, at 11.00 – Grand Reception Hall
Free entry Boštjan Gombač, wind & brass instruments, voice, sound objects; Sašo Vollmaier, piano
(SI)
The music workshop for children, Hommage à Héritage, pays tribute to the rich legacy and pioneers of Slovenian jazz. Through creative exploration and collaborative music-making, multi-instrumentalist Boštjan Gombač and pianist Sašo Vollmaier will introduce young participants to the work and influence of the key figures who helped shape jazz in Slovenia, including Bojan Adamič, Jure Robežnik, Ati Soss, Jože Privšek, Tone Janša, Borut Lesjak, Urban Koder, and others.
Special emphasis will be placed on understanding musical heritage as a living source of inspiration for contemporary creation. Young listeners will thus have the opportunity to discover how tradition can be transformed into something new and personal.
Far more than a tribute to the past, Hommage à Héritage opens a space for the future – a meeting of generations, ideas, and sounds, where heritage becomes a springboard for new musical stories.

Jazz in Dialogue: What if Jazz Ruled the World
2026-07-04 16:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Jazz in Dialogue: What if Jazz Ruled the World
Saturday, 4 July at 16.00 – Alma Karlin Hall
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed). What if the world was suddenly turned upside down and jazz ruled the planet? The thought which our guest, British saxophonist, composer and rapper Soweto Kinch toys with in his song Jazz Planet, is not so far-off. It opens a surprisingly serious reflection on a world shaped by values such as collaboration, listening, respect, reciprocity, and collective thinking.
In a conversation moderated by Jason Olaine, Vice President, Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center and a Grammy-winning producer, Soweto Kinch will reflect on his music, social engagement and his understanding of jazz as both a creative practice and a social force. Together, they will explore what jazz can teach us about community, freedom, responsibility and coexistence, and how music can help us imagine and understand the world in new ways.
A conversation with one of the most original and insightful voices in contemporary British jazz, offering an opportunity to consider whether jazz is merely a musical genre—or also a way of seeing the world.

Marko Črnčec Solo
2026-07-04 17:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Marko Črnčec Solo
Saturday, 4 July at 17.00 – CD Club
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed). Marko Črnčec, piano
(SI)
One of the most distinctive voices on Slovenia’s contemporary music scene, Marko Črnčec is also among the few artists who have made the leap across the Atlantic, building a successful career in New York City. Over the years, he has gained an international reputation as a versatile musician of exceptional clarity and finely honed articulation: a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer who moves effortlessly between jazz, classical, and popular music, while consistently maintaining a distinctive artistic voice. As a composer, he has released seven internationally acclaimed albums to date.
At our festival, Črnčec will present his new album in the most intimate musical formation of all – the solo piano setting, indispensable to pianists. Although he has appeared as a soloist many times throughout his career, this year’s festival performance is particularly special, marking the release of an album in which most of the music is improvised, alongside a selection of his original compositions.

Bilal
2026-07-04 18:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Bilal
Saturday, 4 July at 18.00 – Linhart Hall
Tickets (no assigned seating): presale (until 30 June) EUR 25, 21*, regular price: EUR 28, 24*
* Discounted admission prices for people younger than 25, older than 65 and and pensioners BUY TICKET HERE Bilal, vocals; Randy Runyon, guitar; Conley “Tone” Whitfield, bass; Joseph “Joe Blaxx” Grissett , drums
(US)
Although working across a variety of genres – from neo-soul to rock – Bilal says he is “a jazz musician first.” One only needs to experience one of his live performances to understand why: his shows are always partly improvised and never the same twice, something relatively uncommon among vocalists. Furthermore, the core of his musical expression, rests on a solid foundation. He studied jazz at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, where – perhaps more importantly than the degree he never completed – he met Robert Glasper, a frequent collaborator, through whom Bilal became involved with artists such as Q-Tip and Mos Def.
A singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer considered one of the United States’ most distinctive musicians at the intersection of contemporary R&B, neo soul and jazz, Bilal is a key innovator in contemporary African American music. Acclaimed for his wide vocal range and improvisational skills, as well as his ability to blend and seamlessly transition between genres, he has garnered particular praise for his unique, unforgettable live performances.
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His debut album, 1st Born Second (2001), was released under the guidance of producers including Dr. Dre, James Poyser, and J Dilla. Any attempt to list all of his collaborators would be needless, but it remains important to note that during the pivotal late 1990s, Bilal was deeply immersed in New York’s vibrant rap and neo soul scene. His invaluable dedication earned him a place in the experimental collective The Soulquarians – a group of artists blending jazz, soul, and hip hop influences (alongside D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Questlove, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, J Dilla, and Raphael Saadiq, among others). This truly unique, if not revolutionary, collective redefined American Black popular music and left an enduring legacy of musical innovation.
As a featured artist on Kendrick Lamar’s song These Walls (as well as several other tracks on the album To Pimp a Butterfly), Bilal shares a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance, while his performance with The Roots is widely regarded as one of the most engaging in the entire Tiny Desk series. His most recent album, Adjust Brightness, came out last year. While all of this already sounds impressive, it offers only a brief glimpse into the remarkable credentials of this singular artist.

Ssirus W. Pakzad – Face to Face, Soul to Soul
2026-07-04 18:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Linhartova dvorana, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Exhibition: Ssirus W. Pakzad – Face to Face, Soul to Soul
On view at Small Gallery: 30.6. – 13.9. 2026
Exhibition opening: 30 June at 19.30, Small Gallery
Žiga Koritnik in conversation with the photographer: 30 June at 20.00, First Foyer
Free entry Exhibition curated by Žiga Koritnik

After completing his studies, Ssirus W. Pakzad (1961) turned to music journalism and began publishing regularly in the German press and on radio. He began taking portrait photographs of his interviewees at the suggestion of colleagues; these images not only appeared in newspapers and magazines alongside the interviews but also featured on the album covers of numerous acclaimed musicians. In the late 1990s, he hosted a public radio show with live guests (Bayerischer Rundfunk, SWR) and served as artistic director of the Jazz an der Donau festival in Vilshofen from 1996–98. His photographs have been presented in eleven solo and four group exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The exhibited works reveal the photographer’s dedication and deep engagement with music, from his earliest pieces (the oldest, for example, is a portrait of Don Cherry, 1990) to concert photography over the years and a more recent series of silhouettes. These are primarily carefully considered, sometimes improvised compositions that capture the musician’s soul without slipping into glorification. While the portraits are calm and quiet, the concert photography is more dynamic and “louder,” acquiring even greater intensity when accompanied by the interviews.

Marko Momčilović Quartet
2026-07-04 19:30 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Park CD, oder pod drevesom
Marko Momčilović Quartet
Saturday, 4 July at 19.30 – CD Park, Old Tree Stage
Day pass CD Park: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Vid Bavcon, trumpet; Miha Rajterič, keyboards; Marko Momčilović, double bass; Martin Jocif, drums
(HR, SI)
The Marko Momčilović Quartet was formed during the members’ first year at the Ljubljana Academy of Music, where they initially met. The ensemble will present original compositions from its forthcoming album – works that reflect a range of stylistic influences and emerge from a process of collaborative music-making and creative exchange. Their sound is characterised by a sophisticated interplay of acoustic and digital instruments, through which organic, traditional elements enter into dialogue with contemporary approaches. The result is an expression that captures the freshness, breadth, and exploratory spirit of current musical practices.
The concert is presented in collaboration with the Ljubljana Academy of Music.

Zlatko Kaučič Kombo BC: The Courage of the Courageous
2026-07-04 20:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Zlatko Kaučič Kombo BC: The Courage of the Courageous
Saturday, 4 July at 20.00 – CD Park, Main Stage
Day pass CD Park: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Jure Boršič, saxophone; Ivan Pilat, baritone saxophone; Francesco Ivone,trumpet; Jan Jarni, Anton Lorenzutti, electric guitar; Timi Vremec, electric bass; Žiga Ipavec, Tomi Novak, Robi Erzetič, drums and percussion
(SI, IT)
Pogum pogumnih (The Courage of the Courageous) is a musical project by one of Slovenia’s most prominent contemporary percussionists, Zlatko Kaučič (with an astounding discography of more than 80 albums and widely recognised work as an educator). The project is dedicated to individuals and groups who confront challenges and, through determination and courage, contribute to building a more just society. Among them are incredible figures from Julian Assange to Francesca Albanese.
During the first wave of the pandemic, marked by significant social and political uncertainty, Kaučič assumed the roles of composer, artistic director, and conductor of an eleven-member ensemble. The result is an extensive, socially engaged suite that uses the language of music to honour perseverance, solidarity, and collective responsibility. It was premiered at the Jazz & Wine of Peace festival. Since then, the work has continually evolved in response to shifting global circumstances, while the ensemble brings together former Kaučič students alongside established Italian musicians.

Good Remarks
2026-07-04 21:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Park CD, oder pod drevesom
Good Remarks
Saturday, 4 July at 21.00 – CD Park, Old Tree Stage
Day pass CD Park: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Tjan Šoštarič, double bass; Joander Cruz, alto saxophone; Blaž Švagan, tenor saxophone; Benjamin King, piano; Rene Grajfoner, drums
(SI, US, BR, AUT)
The members of Good Remarks are currently based across various academic centres around the world – studying at academies in Graz, Vienna, Klagenfurt, and Los Angeles. The quintet’s artistic identity is grounded in original compositions by double bassist and composer Tjan Šoštarič, works that subtly integrate elements of progressive jazz, soul, and jazz tradition. The result is a stylistically refined yet accessible musical language, underscored by a distinct sense of groove, lyricism, and the subtle, spontaneous flow of musical ideas. More than just an ensemble, Good Remarks emerges as a finely woven artistic whole – a dialogue of five distinct voices from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds, coming together in a shared musical space defined by respect, creativity, and sincerity.
The concert is presented in collaboration with the Jazz Velenje Cultural Association.

Soweto Kinch Trio
2026-07-04 21:30 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | CD Park, main stage
Soweto Kinch Trio

Saturday, 4 July at 21.30 – CD Park, main stage
Day pass CD Park: presale (until 30 June): EUR 15, regular price: EUR 18 BUY TICKET HERE Soweto Kinch, alto sax, aerophone, vocals; James Owston, double bass; Louis Hamilton-Foad, drums
(GB)
The musical – and inevitably socio-critical ideas of British jazz authority, saxophonist, MC and composer Soweto Kinch take shape in a wide range of forms: hip-hop battles, BBC radio broadcasts, theatrical performances, small-group jazz improvisations, and ambitious symphonic orchestrations. His recent large-scale opus with the London Symphony Orchestra forms a trilogy: The Black Peril (2019), White Juju (2022), and its final instalment, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, premiered this year at the Barbican Centre.
The apocalypse, in his vision, is not so ominous and ultimate, since he connects it to the Ancient Greek meaning, which is revelation or disclosure, adding that it is revealing “not just what’s wrong, but what might still be possible”.
Kinch’s projects are conceptual contemplations in which the openness of jazz meets classical composition, while rap becomes a kind of libretto for sonic experiments that can make you dance as well. Because of his musical breadth, Amy Winehouse counted him among the musicians she wished to collaborate with.
Surrounded by art from an early age – his late father, Don Kinch, was a renowned playwright and theatre director, Soweto Kinch, who also studied Modern History at Oxford, has long believed that art can change how people see the world. He often imagines alternative worlds: sometimes in a spiritual Afro-futurist vein, and sometimes quite concretely – as a “Jazz Planet”, where swinging would be a government law; office culture would include regular breaks to listen to bass solos; and the most prestigious social event would be a jam session.
Through albums such as The New Emancipation (2010) and The Legend of Mike Smith (2013), he explores themes of identity, social mobility, and structural inequality in contemporary Britain.
At Ljubljana Jazz Festival, he will distil his expansive body of work, including the core of the forementioned trilogy, into the trio format, which remains the setting that allows him most creative freedom.

Arist-in-residence: Sticks & Stones
2026-07-04 23:00 - 2027-08-13 23:30 | Klub CD, Prešernova cesta 10, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
Arist-in-residence: Lenart De Bock – Sticks & Stones
Saturday, 4 July at 23.00 – CD Club
Free entry till full capacity (no ticket needed). Rok Zalokar, piano, synthesisers; Jošt Lampret, bass, double bass; Luka Poljanec, percussion; Gaj Bostič, percussion; Lenart De Bock, saxophone, flute; Žiga Smrdel, drums
(SI, BE)
The band’s sound is grounded in rhythm, groove, and layered textures. A powerful rhythm section – drums, percussion, and bass – creates a solid foundation while opening space for improvisation by piano, synthesizers, saxophone, and flute. Electronic elements add a subtle atmospheric dimension, expanding the sonic landscape. The project elegantly navigates the intersection of contemporary jazz, improvisation, and electronic music, blending technical mastery with expressive freedom. A distinctly rhythmic combo, ideally suited to close this year’s festival edition.
About arist-in-residence:
Lenart De Bock (SI, BE)
Saxophonist, composer, and improviser Lenart De Bock is best known as the leader of his quintet, co-leader of the Soothsayer trio, and a member of the Zhlehtet collective. An exceptionally prolific young artist, De Bock has recently focused on developing a distinctive musical voice characterized by a warm tone, lyrical expressiveness, and an openness to improvisation. In addition to his own projects, he appears on several albums as a sideman, and occasionally as a co-leader and co-composer.
He has performed and recorded with a number of renowned Slovenian and international jazz musicians, including Jim Rotondi, Rick Margitza, Marko Črnčec, Daniel Nösig, and João Moreira. Lenart has appeared at major Slovenian festivals (Jazz Festival Ljubljana, Jazz Cerkno, Jazzinty, among others) and has also toured in Brazil, Austria, and across Europe.
The centrepiece of his work as a composer is last year’s debut album A Plea for Tenderness, which offers a vivid, communal reflection on the jazz tradition as shaped, for example, in the more spiritual strands of artists such as the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders. At its core, the album explores a predominantly flowing and tender spirituality, articulated with exceptional precision, refinement, integrity, and fervour, and enriched by subtle inflections of classical and folk music.
As this year’s festival resident artist, De Bock will present two brand-new projects: a quartet and a percussion ensemble.
