1200 Ft / Student: 900 Ft / season ticket is valid
The MOL Jazz Festival Budapest, in its seventh year in 2009, has been described in the international press as one of the more important jazz events in Europe. This year the festival puts jazz life in the countries at the Baltic Sea into the focus, following the initiative of Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark and Sweden to present themselves to the Hungarian audience speaking a langauge they all share: that of jazz. From 9-13th September, 2009, at a total of a dozen venues, with about 140 players from approx. 14 countries, over 40 concerts will be organised. Most of the groups from the Baltic countries will be playing at the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts. A colourful cavalcade of bands playing in diverse styles is typical for the whole of the festival and the ones in Trafó, all of whom take their premier in Hungary at this time.
7pm (Thursday)
Riga Groove Electro featuring Jolanta Gulbe
Riga Groove Electro (RGE) is a band of famous Latvian jazz musicians who are actively working as producers, composers and outstanding instrumentalists in the field of contemporary jazz music. During the last years RGE has made several studio records and has given concerts in several foreign jazz and modern music festivals (Jazz Kaar - Finland, Saulkrastu Jazz - Latvia, Birstonas Jazz - Lithuania, Don Chento Jazz - Russia, Jazz Globus – Israel etc.). Along with intensive studio work and concerts, RGE participants actively take part in theatre plays, TV-shows and charity events. RGE is not only a great team of musicians having similar musical ideas, they are also very much eager to contribute to the development of Latvian jazz music and work as professional teachers in different music schools and colleges in Latvia. Moreover, every year RGE musicians participate in international workshops abroad, and organize jazz, improvisation workshops for young musicians in Latvia.
Jolanta GULBE – vocals
Deniss PASHKEVICH – saxophone, flute, bass-clarinet
Madars KALNINSH – keyboard instruments, rhodes-piano, keyboard
Norberts SKRAUCIS – electro-bass guitar
Kaspars GRIGALIS – drums
www.myspace.com/rigagrooveelectro
www.youtube.com/rigagroove
www.myspace.com/swanjazz
8pm (Thursday)
Lotte Anker September Kvartet
The top Danish quartet led by saxophonist Lotte Anker performs highly original and adventurous music with both depth and humour, poetry and wildness, built on free improvisation, anchored by larger structures. After her classical studies Lotte Anker took up the saxophone and improvised music in 1980, primarily influenced by John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. Since than she has built up an international reputation playing with musicians such as Mette Petersen, Marc Ducret, Craig Taborn, Marilyn Crispell, Tim Berne, etc., besides being the co-leader of the Copenhagen Art Ensemble. Her young pianist, Simon Tolddam is already known for his attentive and original playing and compositions, and as the leader of several international bands (Sekten, Prügelknabe). Bass player Nils Davidsen has also toured internationally with John Tchicai, Bobby Previte, Gary Thomas, Chris Speed, among others, and fronts his own band: Jumpin Gemini. Much-in-demand drummer Kresten Osgood has appeared and recorded with musicians like Paul Bley, Oliver Lake, Steven Bernstein.
Lotte ANKER – saxophone
Simon TOLDDAM – piano
Nils DAVIDSEN - doublebass
Kresten OSGOOD – drums
