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Kobi Salomon – misbehavin’
Kobi Salomon plays with Pzazzband- An evening of Benny Goodman
Isradixie News
Isradixie have two up and coming gig dates at Shablul Jazz club :Tel Aviv Port
- Wednesday May 13th 9.30pm
- Sunday June 28th 9.30pm
For reservations see Shablul Website
Come all Ye Faithful!
Cheers … Merton Cahm
Gypsy Jazz
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Gypsy Swing! – Gigs Schedule
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Marek attends Jazz Festival in Hungary
No, I have not been to any jazz performances since 29 March.
But on 27-29 March I attended listmate Tamas’ Bohem Ragtime & Jazz Festival inKecskemet, Hungary. My third – and the best so far!
The Bohem Ragtime & Jazz Band celebrates its 30’s anniversary this year and must be among the best playing anywhere. Tamas doesn’t look old enough to have led a band that long, but there’s no arguing with facts. To me, a little orchestral ragtime goes a long way, so the ragtime pieces were not among my favourites, but on jazzier numbers the Bohemssound hot,swinging and inspired. And has several first class soloists:
Tamas Itzes on both piano and violin, Atilla Korb on trombone, trumpet and piano, József Torok on string and brass bass, and the ubiquitous Zoltan Matrai on various reeds. He is another world class musician, who could excel in any band worldwide.
In addition to his own band, Tamas came up with a fantastic lineup: the Alderighis (Paolo and his wife Stephanie Trick) on piano, the Echoes of Swing (Chris Hopkins on alto sax(!), Colin T. Dawson on trumpet, Bernd Lhotzky on piano and Oliver Mewes on drums), and the International All Stars led by Atilla Korb (Malo Mazurie – trumpet, Korb on his various instruments, Evan Arntzen – reeds, David Blenkhorn electric guitar, Sebastien Girardot – bass and Guillaume Nouvaux – drums).
Musicians hark from all over: Hungary, Germany, England, Australia and North America (Arntzen was labelled Canada/US), although the English Colin Dawson resides and plays in Germany, and this, I believe, also goes for the Aussie Blenkhorn.
The programme was extremely interesting. It started with the Bohems, followed after an intermission by the Echoes of Swing, on the second day there was a piano show with Trick,Alderighi, Lhotzky and Chris Hopkins, who is best known as a pianist and has a wonderful CD on Arbors (so does Lhotzky).
On the last day I complained to management that one pianist failed to show up, to which management (Tamas) replied “I’ll play a number today.” The there was “duo special,” partners being selected by lot. A lovely show.
In the evening it was Paolo Alderighi with Stephanie Trick, who gave an astounding performance. I sometimes complain about too much clowning on stage – not here; although they were extremely funny, ostensibly blocking each other’s access to the keyboard, for example, it never for a second affected their playing!
They played on two pianos, one piano – four hands, and each solo. Paolo also told us about his trick to trick Trick away from the only piano they have at home. The Bohems do not refrain from clowning, either, but again – it does not affect their playing. I have taped most of what I heard, and I can tell there was clowning only by the bursts of laughter.
And the musical programme was variegated, with many not so commonly played tunes. Bernd Lhotzky of the Echoes of Swing told the audience about a rehearsal at Hopkins’ house, at the end of which the musicians asked Hopkins to bring wine from his cellar. He came back, Lhotzky said in a dramatic voice, carrying a five litre bottle of absinthe,all of which was an introduction to the next tune – “Delirium.” A lovely tune, but when did any of you last hear it live? The Bohems, too, played tunes off the beaten track, but they have been together for many years and have developed a tremendous repertoire.
The first and second days ended with jam sessions, but most participants were the festival musicians. On both evenings there was a trombonist who did not play at the festival, and on the first one – another very young trombone player (he participated in jam sessions at the previous Bohem festivals I attended). The last day ended with a grand finale, with all hands on stage.
Something about the conditions: Due to renovations at the Cultural Centre, the festival was moved to the Four Points by Sheraton. The rooms were very good, staff friendly, but the conference hall where the concerts took place left a lot to be desired. The acoustic were hardly great, the floor was straight, so that the stage was not very visible from farther rows, so that they had to put a screen in the middle, and seating was on regular chairs.
Kudos to Tamas and the sound people for having the amplification set in such a manner as to make the music clearly audible everywhere in the room, but not too loud!
Musically, as I have already mentioned, it was the best – yet – of those I have attended (I definitely do not exclude the possibility of attending additional Bohem festivals).
Cheers
Marek Boym
