On October 15, the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theater will open its doors to the 33rd international jazz festival "Vilnius Jazz". The only contemporary jazz and improvisational music festival in Lithuania that did not escape the pandemic adapted perfectly to the extreme situation. "The crisis not only destroys, but sometimes helps to implement interesting ideas", said Antanas Gustys, the inspiration and producer of the festival.
During the four days of the event, October 15-18, he will introduce jazz lovers to the new phased phenomena of free and improvisational music in Lithuania, which deserve special attention. These are the "Improdimensijos" and "Keep Singing" movements and the Kaunas "Jazz Academy" phenomenon.
Unexpected sounds in the palette - and queues
On the first day of the festival, October 15, two groups of "Improdimenijas" will perform at the Russian Drama Theater - "Improdimensijos Orchestra" and the duet of saxophonist Kazimierz Jušinskas and flutist and DJ Kristupas Gikos.
"Improdimensija" is a creative platform for improvisation, experiments and education. Its origins are the multi-instrumentalist and composer Arno Mikalkėnas, the founder of "Jazz Academy", with his friends. Beautiful concerts of free jazz and improvisational music began.
When A. Mikalkėnas was joined by the saxophonist and composer L. Mockūnas and the owner of the recording studio "MAMA Studios" Arūnas Zujas, "Improdimensijos" concerts sounded in this studio in Vilnius.
Soon, the movement included students from the Contemporary Music Master's Program of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater (LMTA). The "Improdimensijos orchestra" was born from the close connection of the program teachers L. Mockūnas and A. Mikalkėnas with the students, which will take the stage of the festival for the first time on October 15.
And the standard bearer of the Keep Singing movement - JAV living free jazz drummer Dalius Naujokaitis, shaking the capital with underground jazz fireworks. At the beginning of this year, the "Keep singing" festival dedicated to the famous filmmaker Jonis Mekas, initiated by him, consolidated the free jazz movement, the symbol of which became the symbol of the bright memory of J. Mekas.
On the second day of the festival, October 16, representatives of this movement will present two original projects - "Low Blow" and "Words and Letters". The leader of the former, saxophonist Dovydas Stalmokas, assembled an ensemble with an unconventional composition, which will reveal the great possibilities of wind instruments, which are often considered to be supportive - bass saxophone, sousaphone, tuba.
Trumpeter Mindaugas Vadoklis will revive the project conceived for J. Meko's 95th birthday with other musicians. They will support the actor Dainis Gavenonis with improvisations, who will read J. Meko's lines from the collection "Words and letters".
This time, D. Naujokaitis will only welcome the festival virtually from New York. The "Keep singing" cycle will be completed on Friday by a trio of him and two Americans, supporters of this movement.Uzhupis"concert broadcast.
A cantor will help jazz
The students of the third point of jazz vibration in Lithuania - "Jazz Academy" - will form the nucleus of the Lithuanian Youth Jazz Orchestra, which will perform in the final of the "Vilnius Jazz Young Power" (VJYP) competition. This orchestra brought together musicians from Kaunas, Vilnius, Klaipėda and Skuoda.
The VJYP "Grand Prix" will also see the duet of LMTA graduates Deimantas Balis and Matas Samulionis "Matt Deiman" and the quartet "JUZT" of students from various schools competing on stage this year. The final of the competition will be decorated with a concert by the group "Kanalizacija", the winner of the 2019 "Vilnius Jazz Young Power".
The founder of "Jazz Academy" A. Mikalkėnas will present his original project for the first time on the "Vilnius Jazz" stage. He is intriguing not only with the leader's original music, but also with the lineup of performers: Arnas will play a trio for the first time with double bassist Eugenijus Kanevičius and drummer Marijus Aleksas, who returned to Lithuania last year after spending a decade in London.
Jazz great Dainius Pulauskas, who celebrates his 60th anniversary this year, will also present his new trio. For the classic jazz trio genre, the keyboardist used colleagues of the younger generation whom he had already tested in his acoustic quintet, double bass player Arman Isojan and drummer August Baron.
The trio managed to hold only a couple of concerts, but they have already recorded an album of D. Pulauskas' original compositions, the presentation of which will be dedicated to concert on the festival stage.
The commemorative premiere project "Vilnius Jazz" is also organized by composer and percussionist Arkadijus Gotesmanas. With a team of selected performers, he will interpret the great XNUMXth century. the legacy of the sage, world-famous Torah and Talmud commentator Eliyahu ben Solomon Zalman, Gaon of Vilnius.
A. Gotesman's project "Prayer" will be attended by the only Lithuanian cantor, Shmuel Yatomas, leader of prayers at the Vilnius Choral Synagogue. The project is dedicated to the year of the history of Vilnius Gaon and Lithuanian Jews.
Will remember the stormy past
"Vilnius Jazz" will traditionally preserve the theoretical dimension as well. Saturday afternoon will be dedicated to the LP and CD presentation of NoBusiness Records' historic release (Juozas Milasius/Tomas Kutavičius/Dalius Naujokaitis and Lithuanian Young Composers Orchestra – Live at Willisau, 1993).
The meeting will remind of an important project for the development of Lithuanian free jazz and experimental music, played at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland. This project gave meaning to a new philosophy of jazz creation, which its inspiration, the uncompromising avant-garde J. Milašius, set out in his manifesto at the time.
Project participants J. Milašius and Tomas Kutavičius, representatives of "NoBusiness Records" and "Vilnius Jazz" will take part in the presentation.
We will also see the free jazz guitarist J. Milašias on the festival stage. He will jump into the project of sound artist Gailė Griciūtė, after the sudden departure of another vocalist. A challenge awaits the artists playing together for the first time.
October 15-17 after the concerts on the main stage of "Vilnius Jazz" there will be free festival jazz sessions in the "Pavilion" club. A. Gustys assured that all events will comply with the safety requirements specified by the National Health Center.
This year's "Vilnius Jazz" will also be special in that its concert recordings will reach the audience of the famous London Jazz Festival. After moving to the Internet, the London festival wanted to include broadcasts of Vilnius Jazz projects in its program.
The festival is supported by the Lithuanian Council of Culture and Vilnius city municipality.
The concerts of the 33rd international contemporary jazz festival "Vilnius Jazz" will take place on October 15-18. in the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theater, and night jazz sessions - October 15-17. in the club "Pavilionas" (Pylimo str. 21B). Tickets are distributed by Bilietai.lt
