Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Jazz Festival New York Posts 2025 Lineup
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
Jan Garbarek performs at the Oslo Jazz Festival in Norway on Aug. 14.
(Photo: ©Egil Austrheim/Courtesy Olso Jazz Festival)Jan Garbarek, a limber and graceful reedist, played fast, loose and everything in between with his band at the 30th annual Oslo Jazz Festival, which took place Aug. 14–20.
His appearance—comprising two sold-out performances at the 1,350-seat Den Norske Opera & Ballett—was a fitting way to open this grand festival. With four balconies filled to the brim, festivalgoers were treated to what has become the rare sighting of this town’s favorite musical son.
Featuring longtime bandmate Rainer Brüninghaus on piano and electric keyboard and Yuri Daniel on electric bass, these shows were extra special due to the presence of Trilok Gurtu on all manner of drums and percussion. Indeed, Gurtu’s presence affixed an extra limb to this fully functioning body of players.
Stylistically, Garbarek veered in and out of periods from his musical past, a span that now covers close to half a century. On the whole, the arrangements were tight—the music in turns soft, lyrical, furious and playful—with nods to the spirit of Nordic folk. Alternating on sopranino and tenor saxophone, Garbarek’s playing was as strong as ever.
As the concert proceeded, the organization became more apparent; band members came and went, as if on cue, emerging from the wings to accent duos and solos. During one passage, Brüninghaus offered a study in contrasts with a solo that became a kind of recital. His playing flowing and delicate, with a classical flourish that ended with a run of the keys and a fist-banging climax.
The following uptempo quartet workout highlighted Daniels’ nimble bass work, Gurtu’s tabla playing and the leader’s searing, singing lines. A folk duet between Garbarek and Gurtu came next. Full of yearning, tenor and percussion intertwined in an intense dance, which in turn led to a magnificent drum set solo by Gurtu. Indian vocals were accented by his bass-drum pedaling, which in turn led to an amazing swoop across many cymbals, a visit to his wood blocks and assorted bells and chimes, which he periodically dipped into a bucket of water to produce a shimmering effect.
There was hardly any stage banter during this performance—apart from introducing bandmates to the crowd at certain intervals—and yet, a palpable warmth persisted. The overall impression, as the quartet returned for a brief audience-engaging encore with rhythmic clapping, was that Gurtu stole the show. The brief, playful closer only furthered this notion.
Later that evening, Brooklyn-based sensation Snarky Puppy—winner of the Jazz Group category in the 2015 DownBeat Readers Poll—revved up the full house at the 1,750-seat Sentrum Scene. The young crowd on hand was there to boogie, as if this extended ensemble was a hometown favorite.
Accented by noteworthy soloing from trumpeter Mike Maher, reedist Chris Bullock and guest drummer Jamison Ross, Snarky Puppy upheld a level of professionalism and group organization alongside their jam-band vibe and energetic funk. Despite the clean, sometimes packaged feel, Snarky Puppy clearly resonated with this festival crowd. Over the past few years, the band has played in Norway repeatedly, and the size of the venue has steadily increased.
The festival also featured a number of concerts highlighting pianists; chief among them was a set by the legendary Abdullah Ibrahim, who turned in an inspired solo concert at the Universitetets Aula hall after learning that his bandmates would not be arriving from New York.
Also turning in strong shows were pianist Jacky Terrasson and his trio at the club Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria, and Jon Balke in a solo concert at the Forstanderskapssalen–Sentralen, featuring music from his experimental piano-plus-electronics album Warp (ECM).
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson, during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival.
Apr 15, 2025 11:44 AM
Between last Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Ethan Iverson performed as part of the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival in…
“At the end of the day, once you’ve run out of differences, we’re left with similarities,” Collier says. “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.”
Apr 15, 2025 11:55 AM
DownBeat has a long association with the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the premiere…
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
Davis was a two-time Grammy winner for liner notes.
Apr 22, 2025 11:50 AM
Francis Davis, an august jazz and cultural critic who won both awards and esteem in print, film and radio, died April…
