Saturday’s program was the longest and, clearly, the most demanding. We started at 11 a.m. at the Nexus and, via the Otto Gruber Halle, made our way once again to the main hall of the convention center…
Mazurek / Keravec / König
A meeting of three uncompromising figures of the contemporary avant-garde—Chicago visionary Rob Mazurek (cornet, electronics), Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec (bagpipes), and Austrian drumming chameleon Lukas König (drums, electronics). This project is built on the clash between a traditional instrument and uncompromising electronics and acoustic pressure, where soundscapes instantly transform into uncharted territory full of tension.
However, it sounded all too much like a first spontaneous gathering without a clear plan. Just as the initial creaking and squeaking began, so, unfortunately, did it continue. For me, the concert turned into a rather pointless ordeal of noise after a while. I don’t even really know why I stuck it out for so long—probably mainly because of Rob Mazurek and his antics, which served as entertainment. His little dance on stage was quite a spectacle. It’s hard to say whether it was some kind of morning yoga routine or if he just needed to stretch a bit after long and surely exhausting years. But when Keravec’s bagpipes started wailing at full volume, that was the last straw, and I really couldn’t take it anymore.
Marta Sánchez
After yesterday’s successful performance on the main stage with her quintet, Spanish pianist Marta Sánchez took the stage for a solo chamber recital. Her project and the eponymous album For the Space You Left were in the works for many years, with the pandemic serving as a pivotal period for its completion. As Marta herself mentioned on stage, the music exudes a strong sense of nostalgia and a deeply personal atmosphere. She gently prepared the piano, but only to a reasonable extent—she explained that lengthy adjustments to the instrument during the concert itself unnecessarily delayed the performance and disrupted its flow.
Moreover, the concert had an incredibly powerful human dimension. Marta performed while in the advanced stages of pregnancy and movingly told the audience that it was an immensely special and beautiful feeling for her to play on stage with her daughter inside her. It was balm for the ears after the previous ordeal.
Don Kapot
The Belgian trio from Brussels comprising Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone), Giotis Damianidis (bass guitar), and João Lobo (drums) brought an explosive mix of free jazz, punk, and uncompromising grooves to the Otto Gruber Halle. Their music is renowned for its raw energy, math-rock precision, and absurdity, which can instantly captivate an audience.
The band showcased a straightforward—I’d even say honest—rock drive, that is, when they weren’t deliberately trying to break it up with free-jazz detours. The result was a truly wild, high-energy show, and in the end, I was really glad I stayed to see them.
Stefanovich – Lillinger – Westergaard
After moving to the convention hall, we caught a performance on the main stage that bridged the worlds of contemporary classical music and wild improvisation, featuring renowned pianist Tamara Stefanovich and drumming phenomenon Christian Lillinger, joined on stage by double bassist Jonas Westergaard. The originally planned concept evolved into a chamber trio featuring bass and piano, which gave the performance an entirely new dimension.
I know I’m repeating myself, but I simply get immense pleasure from watching Lillinger play. Once again, he showcased his signature aesthetic-robotic style, constantly spinning on his stool and lightning-fast handling of the percussion instruments placed directly behind him. Musically, it was pure free jazz, but it made perfect sense. They didn’t just play chaotically over one another without a concept; rather, they created a well-thought-out musical structure.
Sheen Trio – Transitory
The unconventional trio of Shabnam Parvaresh (bass clarinet), Ula Martyn-Ellis (electric guitar), and Philipp Buck (drums) builds on the contrasts between the full sound of rock guitar, the dark depths of the bass clarinet, and the fierce drums. In their repertoire, the band constantly balances between punchy guitar riffs, free improvisation, and gentle, atmospheric passages.
Right from the first song, they delivered a spectacular performance. But then they began to break up the structure a bit so the show wouldn’t feel too straightforward, so the second song offered a complete calm in contrast. The third track also started off slowly, and it took them a while to get going again, but gradually the music picked up speed and built to a fantastic climax. Unfortunately, the next track was a bit of a snoozefest again, until a solid rock kick finally arrived. It was precisely this energetic style that definitely suited the band best.
Damana
The large-scale Damana project, led by Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen and featuring Kristoffer Alberts (alto and baritone saxophone), Jørgen Mathisen (tenor saxophone), Klaus Holm (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet), Emil Bø (trombone), Øyvind Dale (piano), and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (double bass), combines the unbridled energy of the Nordic free jazz scene with rich arrangements that alternate between collective whirlwinds and carefully crafted solos.
As soon as Ingebrigt is on stage, you know it’s going to be wild. For the first ten minutes, everyone was playing uncompromisingly over one another, but then the piece broke down into a frenzied bass solo. When the band pulled itself together again, things started to get significantly more interesting—first thanks to a well-executed trombone solo and then thanks to the other horn players, who took turns with their own solos. At times, the sound took us almost all the way back to the New Orleans tradition. After a somewhat unconvincing start, it turned out to be very well done in the end. They played for quite a while, and even though they occasionally let the structured passages devolve into wild improvisation, fortunately it never lasted too long. This concept of alternating between chaos and melodic passages essentially worked for the rest of the concert, and I enjoyed it.
Darius Jones & Otomo Yoshihide
A unique collaboration between two iconic figures of the global avant-garde—alto saxophonist Dario Jones and Japanese experimentalist Otomo Yoshihide (guitar)—who were accompanied on stage by an uncompromising rhythm section consisting of Nick Dunston (double bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (drums)—caught the audience’s attention right away with its unconventional setup: the two leaders sat directly across from each other, while the two drum sets and the bass between them drove the music from the back.
And when they really got going, hats off to them! From the start, it was full throttle, and for about twenty minutes, the chain never came off, no “mountain fog”—it was a real gut-wrenching, floor-shaking performance. Finally, something I really enjoyed from the very first second! But unfortunately, I spoke too soon. In the second half, that infamous fog finally rolled in here as well; my enthusiasm faded for a while, and I started to doze off from exhaustion. I kept hoping that the incredible intensity and power from the beginning of the set would return, but unfortunately, it never did.
Chicago Underground
The iconic duo Chicago Underground, consisting of Rob Mazurek (trumpet, piccolo trumpet, RMI electric piano, synthesizers, samplers, vocals, flutes, bells) and Chad Taylor (drums, percussion, mbira, kalimba). A project that has been pushing the boundaries of the Chicago avant-garde for decades, blending polyrhythmic drums, traditional percussion, trumpet lines, and layered electronic loops.
They showcased their classic sound—analog samples, with Mazurek’s trumpet soaring above them and Chad Taylor playing like a man unleashed. When Rob was playing, it was pretty cool, but as soon as he started yelling into the microphone, the exhaustion from the whole day became unbearable. At that point in the evening, unfortunately, I no longer felt like I was watching something I absolutely had to stick around for until the very end…
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