This festival is a cornerstone event for jazz enthusiasts in Luxembourg and beyond. It’s now been running 13 years in the Opderschmelz arts centre in Dudelange, just outside Luxembourg City. The main concerts are in the theatre, augmented by showcases by local musicians in the brewpub/venue Kantin next door.
The festival integrates residencies where local musicians, during the year, are given carte blanche to indulge their widest musical fantasies. To a certain degree, they’re ‘work in progress’: often premieres, performed to a supportive and curious audience.
I attended three nights. Generally the music reflected a strong upbeat positivity.
Photo copyright Oliver Hochkeppel
The first act, on the Friday, however, added subtlety, humour and irony to this. Daniel Erdmann, often heard as part of the Paris scene (with the likes of Velvet Revolution), was back to his Berlin “roots” in duo with pianist Aki Takase: the music of Duke Ellington though with some originals thrown in. A lovely acoustic interplay, never less than imaginative, such as with piano roaring away for ‘Caravan’ but nevertheless always respectful.
Another saxophone-piano duo performed on the following day. Up-and-coming ECM artist, saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave, played a duo with local star pianist Michel Reis. Much mellower, but, unfortunately, the sound of Reis’s piano seemed harsher through the p.a., which meant that the rippling accompaniments lost some effectiveness. Particularly striking though was “Down Home”, by Reis’s teacher Fred Hersch.
The other gigs on the first night were as playful as the Ellington project though in a more open “in-your-face” manner.
Jazzghosts was a trio of Christoph Thewes on trombone, with Johannes Schmitz on bass and Michel Meis on drums. Thewes reminded me somewhat, particularly when the band played freer, of the late Alan Tomlinson, bringing humour together with technical facility. The trio was at times more lyrical and melodic such as in the tune “Nicaragua”.
Even more upbeat was Chico Freeman’s Exotica, himself playing a variety of saxophones and clarinets. A total joy from start to finish, with memorable play from his sidemen, such as Latin-style solos from Alex Wilson on piano or Reto Weber’s world-infused percussion, with wooden bowls, djembe and hang.
The final trio, led by bassist Laurent Payfert, whom we had heard at the Vortex with Jeff Herr, was the most outgoing of the night.
On the second night, saxophonist Noah Preminger led a ‘classic’ quartet lineup. There was special empathy with long-standing collaborator, pianist Julian Shore, who was outstanding on his own solos. But space was left for Phil Donkin on bass, one of just two UK musicians on the programme (along with pianist Alex Wilson), and Leif Berger’s energetic drumming. Preminger is a thoughtful leader, with very personal and moving inspirations, such as his meditation on the initial experience of divorce.
Sunday by contrast was actually much more focussed, dominated by contrasting trumpeter-led bands. It started with trumpeter Ralph Alessi and an extraordinarily powerful trio, including Jim Black on drums and Marc Ducret on drums. Alessi has an amazingly penetrative sound but with a subtle diversity. He always strikes me as a person who can translate perfectly his ideas to his instrument. His two master musicians could augment his ideas with their own.
This trio set standards that were hard to match. But Antoine Berjeaut managed to achieve this with his own band Chromasthesia which included Enzo Carniel, mainly on piano doubling on mini Moog and Rhodes, Csaba Palotai on electric guitar and Gautier Toux on keyboards. Together they gave a formidable, almost orchestral, sound palette, which certainly seemed to be the case as the set developed, when they built to allow Berjeaut to perform an almost Bach-like solo over the top. An almost synesthetic experience indeed.
The main international bands were interspersed with several with Luxembourg connections. Between Alessi and Berjeaut, for example, was pianist Arthur Possing. It was a very energetic contrast to Alessi, inspired by his collaboration with Madagascan guitarist Joel Rabesolo.
Also on the second night was a premiere of Veda And The String Machine. Veda Bartinger herself is an understated local guitarist, with a string quartet to go with the rhythm section. It can be quite difficult to make the best of a string quartet, and, though there were beautiful sections and soundscapes, at times they never broke free from block chords. I was reminded of Phil Robson’s Six Strings And The Beat, though that balanced it all out better.
Saturday afternoon in the Kantin had been a chance to hear some of the new bands on the Luxembourg scene, many of whom have been studying at the conservatoire. They had a lot of energy, and some had intriguing sound palettes such as the use of the violin of Angela Aguilera in Blue Sunday Trio. There seemed to be a tendency towards the popular. No harm in that if done well?
The festival had special poignancy as it was the last to be programmed by Patricia Jochheim. But it seems in good hands and there is a likelihood of moving the festival to October and extending local input.
