Bratislava Jazz Days 2007 - Day 2 and 3

Ulf Wakenius and the AMC trio - I think this is called also mainstream jazz. It was a nice experience listening to them. There were a lot of improvisations, and Ulf as a ghost briliantly added to the whole impression. It was worth listening to.

Saxofour - as some ppl agreed upon. This was most propably the best band on saturday (except for the fans of hip-hop). Those for people were showing a brilliant adaptation of movie music. I have heard just once such a band, and it was not really fitting into my mood. These guys were incredible. I say it again INKREDIBLE!!! Not even with their profecienty and their improvisations, but also with their stage performance... Seeing 3 grown up people with their instrument hiding behind a reproductor, while the forth one is playing... or in another scene fighting with their instruments (always according to the movie theme). Lovely, funny, won the audience :) Let the Austrians blow!!!

Mark Egan Trio feat. John Abercrombie (USA) - Well I do not have to much written around this performance: calm solos, and the bassguitar was to deep for my taste. Anyway I believe that this concert was also worth the money. But didn't left any big impressions.

Hanka Gregusova Band - A young Slovakian singer. My opinion got corrupted, as I got an autograph from here dedicated to me :) But I have enjoyed the show a lot. It was amazing to hear her voice, I had the feeling that it fills the whole room, which is exactly what I love to hear :) She had also some very good musicians around here. I didn't like the sax player, though he was making a real though job up there. The pianist is also worth to mention for his great solos! It was really touching :P And the bass player had no real chance except of one, time, but that gave me back the confidence in the classical bass.

Us3 - too much hiphop in the first 15 mins, didn't stay till the end. Though we heard some sax and trumpet solos through the window outside, when we were leaving, so it could have been better... but had no mood for that.

Day 3

Bibi Tanga - french guy, was interesting sound. He plays the bass and so I felt like the whole music was based on this. Big surprise was in some cases the violin. The best song of that all was "At war" which had a text something like: "A country at war - fight love and freedom". While there was a beautiful violin solo. Also on thir site is the song Don't Stop.

Bill Evans Soulgrass - well this was amazing! I never thought a benjo, a sax and a violin. I was shoched more then once how these tree instruments fit into each other. Also the bass player was good, but had just one real solo and stayed mostly in the back. It was a bit country like of course because of the instruments, but if this is what country can be, that I may like it very much. I give an A+ for this concert also.

Friend 'n Fellow - It is still hard for me to believe, that this is their actual name: Constanze Friend and Thomas Fellow. Anyway they are a great duo. Just a guitar and one voice (in this case, though I seen some youtube clips, where they both singing). They made a huge atmosphere, the strongest one during the whole weekend. Small suprises like they played Deep Purple - Black Night, ACDC - Highway To Hell (not my favourite), Johny Cash - Rain Of Fire and the last song which I can't remember - but it was a love song and they played it 2 as fast as it is played normally. I laughed at this, cause again, an experince totally new for me.The song Elf with the German intro was one of the most touching songs of the evening. I loved it :)

Henry Tóth - I have almost forgotten him!!! Bad me, bad me. He was playing at the B stage in one of the breaks. Poor me, he didn't have as much time as the usual B stage performers(just one break). But that was more than enough to enjoy the beauty of his play. In felling a bit latino and sometimes very technical. He build up most of his songs on a slow, calm emotional intro going into a wild improvisation and coming out again. Nothing new, to say the truth, but he makes this extremely well. I enjoyed every second of it :)

Gyra Spyro - Hawaii, sunshine, holiday. Fun, but not my style. But I loved Bonny Bonaparte at the drums! Gush what a great drummer + a good voice also. Bad luck that after around just 6-7 minutes of his final solo half of his drums felldown... of course he finished it like a professional and so played a bit with his voice! Groovy :)


Other things - to many ppl, to few places. Quite disturbing, when you don't even have a place to sit. :(
+ they managed the sound almost perfectly. So it was more then fine quality, except of minor problems.
- beer to expensive 45Skk, Kofola is fine 25Skk (of course 0.5l)
networking possibilities :)

So this is my opinion of the first Bratislava Jazz Days I was on.