Program

BORTOLINI & BEREZA /IT,SK/

An acoustic duo blending jazz and pop vibes with a love for improvisation and musical conversation. Barbara Bortolini, with both Italian and Slovak roots, brings a soft, expressive vocal style and a refined sense of phrasing. She’s joined by Pavol Bereza, a well-known name in the Slovak jazz guitar scene, known for his tasteful playing and deep musicality. Together, they breathe new life into evergreen classics, jazz standards, and original compositions. Using loopers, gentle effects, and warm acoustic textures, they create a unique soundscape that is both intimate and full of colour.

Barbara Bortolini – vocal
Pavol Bereza - guitar

ARI EREV TRIO /IL/

www.arierev.com

DAN OWEN /GB/

Known for his arresting, husky vocals and gritty, blues-infused pop/rock, Dan Owen is a British alternative singer/songwriter from Shropshire, England.

Dan played like he was headlining Wembley: in fact, if he gave it any more effort, we’d be genuinely concerned that he was about to have a heart attack.

Owen became interested in music at an early age, taking up guitar at nine years old and performing with his sister, who had taken up singing. Their Dad encouraged them to perform at open-mike events at local pubs throughout their teens. After his sister left for University, Owen took to performing solo and began appearing at live events at various pubs and clubs throughout the area surrounding Shropshire. Performing under the name “Bluesboy Dan”, he gradually earned a committed fan base with his passionate versions of songs by artists such as Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker while also focusing on writing his own material. In 2012 an online video of the young guitarist performing Bob Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown” began to generate widespread attention. After a couple more years of relentless performing in which he began to include his own songs, he was signed to Atlantic Records in 2015 and put out his debut EP, Bad for Me, later that year. In 2016 he put out his second EP, Open Hands & Enemies, before a European tour with Birdy as support act. He then spent 2017 writing and recording his debut full- length effort. The album — titled Stay Awake with Me — arrived in August 2018. Owen promoted the record with a U.K. and European tour that fall.

Dan has toured UK and Europe with the likes of Kaleo, Alice Merton, Tall Heights, Seafret, 2 tours with Birdy, a full US tour with Blanco White, other supports from Manfred Man, Valarie Dune, Paul Jones, Brian Adams and Wille and the Bandits.

Seriously, the guy was that good.ONE ON ONE

The second album from the Shrewsbury troubadour landed on Nov 24th. The Willow Tree is Dan Owen’s most honest and real music to date. It contains cuts from songwriter royalty – the late, great Scott English and incredible guitar playing from Canadian master Ariel Posen.

Quote from Dan about the album: “This is the album I’ve always wanted to make. From every word sung, every note played and even the unplanned dog barking in the background of Call Out, they’re all moments I’ll always remember.”

Dan Owen – vocal, guitar

www.danowenmusic.co.uk

JAY KALO CUBAN QUINTET /CU/

Jose Carlos Sánchez (Jay Kalo) was born in Havana, Cuba, on September 15, 1997. He began his musical career at the age of 10 and studied percussion at the National School of Arts of Cuba (ENA). He won first place at the International Drum Festival in Cuba twice in a row.

At just 17, his first trip was to New York to perform with the Big Band Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, where he met and played with Wynton Marsalis. Upon completing his studies, he began playing and recording with a multitude of national and international artists, including Alain Pérez (album "El cuento de la buena pipa"), Omara Portuondo (Barranquijazz jazz festival, Colombia), Maria del Mar Bonet (Ultramar tour), among others.

www.jaykalo.com

BILL LAURANCE & MICHAEL LEAGUE /GB,US/

“For us to take a common project and drive it forwards to- gether is an affirmation of who we are: we’re just good friends and we’re celebrating that with this album.” - Bill Laurance

There are some duos which can seem as if they have been patched together. And there are others which come into being naturally and completely of their own accord. The pairing of pia- nist Bill Laurance and bassist/oud player Michael League is very much one of the latter; the two musicians have known each other since student days. During a chance meeting in Leeds, England, as sidemen on a one-off project, the two quickly formed a musical bond that would grow through the formation of Snarky Puppy in 2004 and its development over years of touring together, a number of solo al- bums and collaborations, and finally, in 2020, the birth of their duo.

Bill Laurance and Michael League’s new duo album, “Keeping Company,” is at the opposite end of the spectrum from all the extraversion, large scale and sheer oomph of Snarky Puppy; the focus here is on a shared inner perspective. That much is apparent immediately from the choice of instruments. Laurance has cast aside electronic keyboards and concentrates on piano, acoustic in sound although the piano strings have been occasionally and lightly prepared. Michael League chooses a fretless acoustic bass guitar and the oud. An extreme contrast to the pure groove of Snarky Puppy, here he goes for a transparently sparse but atmospherically rich sound. They do just fine without the band, creating a special freedom for both participants. “The oud in itself has a specific associative space,” says Bill Laurance from the orchestral perspective of the pi- ano. “When I compose, my aim is to transport the listener. That works with the sound of the oud. It’s not a guitar, it has something exotic about it. It’s a canvas on which you can paint a lot of things. On the first album, we discussed whether Michael should play a fretless nylon string guitar. He tried it out, but it didn’t produce the same emotion as the oud. Due to the oud being fretless, it can access a whole new world of expression and created new colours for the duo. That fasci- nated us.”

Their curiosity is undimmed. “Keeping Company” is the duo’s second album after the internationally acclaimed “Where You Wish You Were,” released in January 2023. The preparation phase was extremely productive. Both musicians wrote numerous sketches and compositions, with Bill Laurance alone writing up to three ideas a day for weeks on end. Finally, the abundance of new material had to be whittled down. “The first album was more about es- tablishing a sound and exploring the dynamics. Now we want to delve deeper. There’s even more personality in the music. We also wanted to try out things we hadn’t explored before in this format, a touch of soul jazz, for example. We also made it a priority to record practically everything live, without unnecessary overdubbing. We have found a particular beauty in concentrating on what happens organically without too much extraneous thought or effort.

The whole idea of broadening horizons by taking excursions into the unknown is second nature in this partnership. Michael League, for example, has never formally studied the oud in a classical context. He knows the instrument largely from his brother, who stud- ied it while living in Greece in the early 2000s, and is mentored by Ara Dinkjian, one of the world’s most respected masters of the instru- ment. But he himself has explored the short-necked lute largely from his own perspective (as encouraged to do so by Dinkjian) and there- fore ornaments differently, intuitively, and with a unique accent. Bill Laurance, on the other hand, dispenses with the expansive and grand-standing aspects of the piano. He prefers cantabile melodies, rhythmically clever, clear accompaniments, and compact improvisa- tions. The pieces themselves seem like miniatures- hints at ideas ra- ther than final or definitive statements.

And that, as a duo still making discoveries, is all that they need to do here. “Keeping Company” is a snapshot of an unusual team, catching moments like a collection of Polaroids in sound. Bill Laurance and Michael League are still in the wonderfully inspiring phase of joint exploration. Everything is open. The music sounds spontaneous and intuitive. It has the power of the personal and builds on a friendship in which shared humour is a part of what happens naturally. Perhaps one day other players will join in. But for the time being, this intimate musical dialogue is the ideal form of artis- tic conversation for Bill Laurance and Michael League.

Bill Laurance - piano Michael League - oud, fretless bass, vocals

www.billlaurance.com
www.michaelleagueplaysmusic.com

PETER UHER GROUP feat. LUCA AQUINO /SK,IT/

Peter Uher is a Slovak guitarist and composer whose music balances on the border of ambient, modern jazz and electronica. His unique style combines guitar improvisation, spatial sound and evocative harmonies inspired by the aesthetics of ECM Records. In his work, he combines an intuitive approach with technological invention - he uses the guitar for improvisation, both as a sound source and as a tool for shaping textures and moods. He has collaborated with musicians such as Michael “Patches” Stewart (USA), Luca Aquino /IT/ Jakob Sørensen (DK) Grzech Piotrowski (PL) and is part of the official roster of Eventide Audio artists. His solo album New Reality was nominated for the Esprit Award for Best Jazz Album of the Year 2022. Since then, he has performed as a soloist with the World Orchestra under the direction of Grzech Piotrowski and has performed on jazz stages in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He is currently preparing new concert projects in which he combines live improvisation with electronics.

Luca Aquino (Benevento, June 1, 1974) – trumpeter and composer – world music/jazz Luca Aquino is one of the most talented Italian trumpeters, known for his innovative projects and characteristic trumpet sound. Born in Benevento in southern Italy, he began playing the trumpet at the age of nineteen, largely self-taught. He left the instrument for two years to earn a master’s degree in economics. However, his love for the sound of Miles Davis and Chet Baker brought him back to the trumpet and led to his full dedication to music. In 2007, Universal Music released his first album as a leader, "Sopra Le Nuvole"; a year later, he recorded the album "Lunaria" with guests Roy Hargrove and Maria Pia De Vito, for which he received the Top Jazz award from the Italian magazine Musica Jazz. In 2009 he recorded the album "Amam" in the ancient Turkish baths of Skopje (North Macedonia) and "TSC" in a church in the Netherlands. In 2010 he followed with the project "Icaro Solo", for solo trumpet and electronics, recorded in a church in Benevento. After founding the Riverberi festival, he began collaborating with several musicians and artists - for example with Mimmo Paladin, which led to the recording of "Chiaro", an album in a trio with Norwegian rhythms and special guest Lucio Dall. In 2012, after a major live project with Jon Hassell for the church of St. Augustine in Benevento, he joined the percussionist Manu Katché’s quartet and recorded two albums with them. In 2013, he recorded the album "aQustico" with accordionist Carmine Ioanna for the Tuk Music label and toured the world with them. In 2015, he released his seventh album as a leader: “OverDOORS”, a personal tribute to his favorite band, The Doors. After hosting the Pozzuoli Jazz Festival and Bari Jazz, on April 7, 2016, he took part in the “Manu & Friends” event, where he performed on the stage of the Paris Olympia alongside Sting, Richard Bona, No, Stephan Eicher, Raul Midon and Tore Brunborg. In the same year, his own trumpet model “Aquino” was created, handmade by the Dutch master Hub Van Laar based on Luc’s musical expression. His musical influences range from the early recordings of Baker and Davis, for which he earned the nickname “Apostle of Miles”, to the rock of The Doors, AC/DC, Jefferson Airplane, Muddy Waters, Little Steven. These influences are reflected in projects that transcend the genres of jazz, hip-hop and grunge. He is also known for his research into natural sound, his use of electronics and his passion for musical experimentation in unusual places – which is why he is often described as an “innovative sound explorer”. Critics also see in him a characteristic Italian artistic vision, full of creativity, imagination and wandering. Places and stories are at the heart of his best projects – such as the Riverberi festival, of which he is the founder and artistic director – and which uses the natural acoustics of historical sites as a central element of the performance. His world tours are associated with a deep connection to his hometown. His exceptional project in 2015 was the recording of an album in the archaeological site of Petra in Jordan, in collaboration with the Jordanian National Orchestra. The “Petra” project was created with the support of prestigious partners such as UNESCO Amman, Petra Development and Tourism Authority and Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, and was part of the #UNITE4HERITAGE campaign – UNESCO’s global initiative to defend cultural heritage from terrorist destruction. In 2017, after an injury prevented him from carrying out his ambitious Jazz Bike Tour – a planned 50-concert bicycle tour from Benevento to Oslo – he recorded the music for the film “Fortunata” (directed by Sergio Castellitto, written by Margaret Mazzantini), which won the David di Donatello award. In the same year, he also created his own trumpet model, Aquino (in collaboration with Hub Van Laar). In 2019, he released the album “Italian Songbook” on ACT Music. In 2021, he participated in the production of the video “The Coronation of Poppaea” (directed by Alessandro Alatri), filmed in the Archaeological Park of Oplontis, and realized a new project “Natura in Musica” in collaboration with the organization WWF.

Peter Uher - guitar, FX
Luca Aquino - trumpet, FX
Branislav Valanský - bassguitar
Michal Čerevka - drums, FX

MOHINI DEY /IN/

Mohini Dey is a 28 year old Indian renowned bass guitarist, arranger, producer & vocalist who has gained international recognition for her extraordinary talent and versatility. With her unique style and impeccable technique, she has collaborated with numerous renowned artists and performed on prestigious stages around the world. She has been described as the “Most Successful Musician UNDER30” By ForbesIndia. She has been working professionally in the music industry for the past 19 years. She is the only female bassist to rank within the ’Top 10 Bassists in the 21st century’ on Music Radar. She has over 20 million views collectively on Youtube, 500k followers on Instagram and 200k subscribers on Youtube & 200K followers on Facebook. Her debut album “Mohini Dey” was released in 2023 and was met with rave reviews from fans and critics worldwide. Mohini’s notable recent performances have been NPR “Tiny Desk,” Jimmy Fallon show, and a North American tour with singer Willow Smith. Mohini has also been recently featured on famous YouTuber Rick Beato for an intensive 1 on 1 interview discussing her techniques on bass, equipment and more. Mohini was also invited to record at the legendary “Sweetwater studio A” in Ft Wayne, Indiana where she recorded two tracks and gave an interview. She was also recently featured by BET.com. She has also worked with artists like Steve Vai, Zakir Hussain, Quincy Jones, Vinnie Colauita , Stanley Clarke, Jordan Rudess, Mike Stern, Dean Brown, A R Rahman, Sivamani, Marco Minneman, Gary Willis, Dave Weckl, Tony Macalpine, Stu Hamm, Plini, Louiz Banks, Guthrie Govan, Ranjit Barot, Chad Wackerman, Chad Smith, Simon Phillips, Prasanna, Gergo Borlai, Victor Wooten, Federico Malaman, Darwin, Niladri Kumar, Stu Hamm, Sivamani, Bumblefoot, etc many more artists. Some Indian singers & directors that she has worked with are Salim Sulaiman, Clinton Cerejo, Neeti Mohan, Amit Trivedi, Benny Dayal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, Shalmali Kholgade, Sonu kakkar, Shilpa Rao, Vishal-Shekar, Gurdasman, etc She has also been featured in magazines like: Vogue, ForbesIndiaUnder30, NoTreble, RadarMusic, Bass Professor, BassQuaterly, Rollingstone, JazzInIndia, ParentCircle, RadioAndMusic, Platform, Femina, Hindu, NewIndianExpress, Verve and many other articles in newspapers like: DNA, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Mid-Day, Mumbai Mirror, The Times of India, Bombay Times, etc. She has also done promotional work for companies like: Bacardi, Jockey, Levi’s, MTV channel, HDFC Bank, Titan, JBL, MarkBass, Mayones Basses, SIT strings, GruvGear, Jimmy’s, Moises, Voodoolabs, TCElectronics, ElectroHarmonix, LathonBassWear, Laney, Dunlop, Flipkart, ErgoStraps, LEDDereckStraps, etc. She has performed in festivals like: Oddball Festival Mumbai, Cruise to the Edge, Timisoara Jazz Festival 2023, Enter Enea Jazz Festival 2022, Elephanta Music Festival 2013, Chennai’s Global Music Festival 2012, Goa’s International Jazz Festival 2015, Delhi’s International Jazz Festival 2013, South Asian Music Festival 2013, SAPTRANG 2013, Damru Festival 2014/2015, International Jazz Day (Mumbai), Kalaghoda Fest 2016, Lugano Jazz Estival 2018, Garana Jazz Festival 2018, Delhi Jazz Festival 2018, etc. She has been part of TV Shows like MTV Unplugged S1 & S2, Coke Studio S2 & S3, Jammin, etc. She endorses Markbass Amps, Mayones Basses, Boss Pedals, TC electronic Pedals, Source audio, Lk straps, Dunlop pedals, Darkglass pedals, FAT Cables, Electro-Harmonix pedals, Darkglass Electronics, Voodoolabs, GruvGear, Laney pedals, SIT Strings and LathonBassWear.

www.mohinideybass.in

MEZZOFORTE /IS/

Icelandic Grandmasters of Funk Jazz are Iceland’s if not Europe’s most well-known and respected jazz-funk fusion band. The band which blazed the trail for Björk and the Sugarcubes is best known for their mega hit single Garden Party which came out in 1983 and made it into the UK and European charts. Fun fact: their exuberant hit Garden Party was covered in the USA by Herb Alpert who performed it at half-speed, reportedly because he had learned the piece from a 45 rpm single accidentally played at 33.

Watching their live show is such a joy, and people who come to listen to them always have the best of all time. A good time that is delivered perfectly by the band, who are probably having more fun than anyone else in the room. Their chemistry together is so pure and you know that if they didn’t have it down so well, they wouldn’t nearly be as good.

The core of Mezzoforte is the four founders, all versatile masters of their instruments which they play effortlessly. They have been performing together since the beginning in the 70’s: Eyþór Gunnarsson – Keyboards, Jóhann Ásmundsson – Bass, Gulli Briem– Drums, Friðrik Karlsson (Frissi) – Guitar. After all this time, Mezzoforte remains a playground for individuals who have an almost extrasensory perception of each other. That’s what over forty years can do if you stick with what you believe in. There is no re-union needed, this is simply a musical union built to last.

Eythor, Fridrik, Johann and Gulli were only fifteen and sixteen years old when they formed the band in Reykjavik 1977. The four teenage boys all loved playing their instruments and shared an interest in music, from heavy-rock to jazz-rock fusion and funk. Their enthusiasm and energy soon caught the attention of Icelandic recording executive Steinar Berg, who thought this could lead to something worthwhile and signed the band to his Icelandic label, Steinar hf, in 1979. After three albums of experimenting and developing their skills, the band travelled to London in 1982 to record what turned out to be the pivotal fourth album, Surprise, Surprise. They teamed up with producer/engineer Geoff Calver, horn and vocal arranger Chris Cameron and percussionist Luis Jardim, who helped the young Icelanders shape their style and create what became the unmistakable sound of Mezzoforte. Catchy melodies, strong grooves and exciting solos were the key elements.

After the release of the first single, Garden Party, on Steinar Records UK in the spring of 1983 the ball really started rolling in the London clubs and discotheques. The song ended up being A-listed on the biggest radio stations in Great Britain; BBC Radio One and Capital Radio, leading to an appearance on BBC’s Top of the Pops. Garden Party reached number 17 in the British pop charts, which is quite remarkable for an instrumental song. The rest of the world soon responded and a worldwide release of both single and album followed.

The next years were spent touring, first in the UK (47 concerts in the summer of ’83), then Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, Japan and many more countries. The young members of the band were thrilled to be sharing the bill (sometimes even topping it) at various international festivals with some of the biggest stars in jazz & fusion like Steps Ahead, Passport, Weather Report, Al Jarreau and Spyro Gyra to name a few. In the following years Mezzoforte kept touring and releasing noteworthy albums: Observations; Rising; No Limits; Playing for time and Daybreak all received critical acclaim (though none of them quite matched the commercial success of the surprise hit instrumental, Garden Party). In the new millennium Mezzoforte have remained active, releasing three albums and a live DVD as well as touring extensively. The energy and sheer enjoyment which this unique band still projects on stage has to be seen to be believed.

The list of musicians who have worked with Mezzoforte over the years is quite the Who’s Who of exciting music. The list of artists that have enjoyed the services of Mezzoforte members over the years is equally impressive. The band was named after the traditional musical term mezzo forte, an instruction to play literally ‘moderately loud’.

Eythor Gunnarsson - keyboards
Fridrik Karlsson - Guitar
Johann Asmundsson - bass
Jonas Wall - saxophone
Benediktt Brynleifsson - drums
Joo Kraus - trumpet

www.mezzoforte.com