Now in its 41st year, the festival keeps its venue – Incheba – the number of traditional evenings full of jazz (Friday to Sunday), the number of performers: 21, and the talent competition for young Slovak bands on all three evenings on the B stage, festival’s founder and organiser Peter Lipa told the Slovak Spectator.
What is new is the additional evening, Tuesday, October 27, in the Old Market-hall. That event brings Esperanza Spalding, a US bassist, cellist, singer and composer as its headliner. Another surprise is the new book (in Slovak) about the festival’s history, called Džezáky, authored by Marian Jaslovský and Peter Lipa.
Esperanza Spalding (source: Emily's D+Evolution)
Headliners of the three evenings at Incheba are Gregory Porter, Snarky Puppy and Fourplay. The whole festival will be opened by the Slovak winner of the Young Talents of SPP Foundation Stage 2015, GrooveHub.
Other performers of Friday night include Andreas Varady Band feat. Radovan Tariška (Slovakia), and US drummer Jeff Ballard with singer/guitarist Lionel Loueke and saxophonist Chris Cheek.
The next evening, Slovak Juraj Griglák & Company will warm up the audience, with selections from their recent Time To Fly album, which features US musicians Poogie Bell, Chris Hemingway and Bobby Sparks. Other performers are Bob Mintzer Quintet (international grouping), Alain Caron Group (Canada), and headliner Gregory Porter.
The Sunday event will be opened by French bassist Stéphane Kerecki, to be followed by Italian band Luca Ciarla Quartet, which has an interesting instruments composition – violin, accordion, double bass and drums. Afterward, US singer Marla Glen will perform; then the band Fourplay (Nathan East-double bass; Chuck Loeb-guitar), Bob James-keyboards; and Harvey Mason-drums.
The full programme, including the order of contestants in the Young Talents B-Stage, and details on tickets, parking, and more, can be found at www.bjd.sk.
