Eurojazzist Randomizer #11: JJA Awards | New listens | Ring Ring & Loveland Festival

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Back in 2009, when I launched Jazzin.rs, I also began paying a bit more attention to the major annual polls of top jazz musicians. Over the following years, I remember perceiving DownBeat as “conservative,” while the Jazz Journalists Association Awards (JJA Awards) felt more open to avant-garde or contemporary tendencies on the jazz scene. Of course, all of this is a bit hazy now, and my own thinking about jazz has evolved over time. On several occasions I took part in the annual poll of the Argentine magazine El Intruso, which I considered very high-quality and certainly aligned with my musical tastes at the time. The Free Jazz Blog’s annual selection, on the other hand, felt a bit too specialized for me, so I didn’t rely on it much—even though it was undoubtedly valuable for those who follow free jazz in depth.

The JJA Awards still maintain a solid balance between legendary names and emerging stars. Personally, I’m especially glad that Mary Halvorson and James Brandon Lewis have already, in their forties, been practically canonized as major jazz artists—figures who (I believe) are on track to become true legends and lifetime achievement award recipients. I’ve followed both since their early days: Halvorson caught my attention as far back as her time with Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant, even before launching her solo career, while Lewis has been on my radar since Divine Travels. I also had the chance to interview them before they became widely recognized, and they both came across as humble, approachable, and down-to-earth. Seeing their careers flourish today feels genuinely rewarding—almost like watching the success of close family members.

On the other hand, it’s an uncomfortable truth that the JJA Awards largely overlook musicians who don’t live on the American continent, which is evident from this year’s shortlists across categories. And yet, since the occasional European does appear—such as Manfred Eicher in the producer category, or the WDR Big Band and a few others—it’s clear that this isn’t an exclusively American award. In any case, I don’t need to dwell on this: others on Substack have already written about the relationship between the U.S. and European jazz scenes, such as Matt Merewitz, who has probably drawn the most attention with some of his texts (HERE and HERE).

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New Listens

My absolute favorite in rotation right now is the French violinist Clément Janinet with his project Garden of Silences (Arve Henriksen – trumpet, effects; Ambre Vuillermoz – accordion; Robert Lucaciu – double bass). I first heard him a few years ago at jazzahead!, and I’ve followed his work ever since. His version of chamber jazz is truly exciting—this is an artist who certainly deserves a longer piece, and I’ll definitely return to him in the coming weeks.

Another string player currently in focus for me is Szilárd Mezei from Serbia: a violist and composer who, over the past couple of decades, has even made appearances on DownBeat lists, where his albums have also been reviewed. Although deeply rooted in the tradition of American free jazz—particularly figures such as Anthony Braxton, Cecil Taylor, and Archie Shepp—he has developed a highly original voice that incorporates contemporary composition, Hungarian folk traditions, and theatrical music. This year he released an excellent octet album, Only in Movies, which I still need to listen to more carefully. Nearly 80 minutes of music, with two pieces alone totaling 56 minutes, is quite a commitment—but also a very rewarding one, in its own sophisticated way.

I’ve already mentioned the French pianist Lara Humbert, whom I met at jazzahead! this year. She leads an octet with the delightfully playful name I’m Not Done Cooking, whose approach to contemporary jazz is unusually eclectic—at once complex and fun. Here’s the piece from their record Tome 1 : Beauty and the Queen:

The fourth album I’ve listened to (more than once) this week is Wellspring, the debut by DoYeon Kim, released on TAO Forms. She plays the gayageum, an ancient Korean zither, within the context of avant-garde jazz and improvised music, which is already fascinating in itself for those of us less familiar with the instrument. The album also features heavyweights Tyshawn Sorey, Mat Maneri, and Henry Fraser. DoYeon Kim also delivers some striking vocal parts on several tracks.

The only “problem” I have with albums like this is finding the right setting to really listen to them properly at home. I need to be free of distractions from everyday obligations, not disturb others with loud music, and so on. That’s often why I listen to less avant-garde jazz at home—but I enjoy it all the more in a live concert setting. I have a feeling DoYeon Kim will have a successful touring life—or at least I hope so.

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Jazz Across Europe

It’s not a “jazz festival” per se, but I’ll once again mention the excellent Ring Ring Festival in Belgrade, which for thirty years has been a beacon for new music in Serbia. I’m especially looking forward to the return of the legendary guitarist Fred Frith, as well as a new local project—a saxophone duo featuring Jasna Jovićević and Predrag Okiljević. They’ve already performed several concerts across Europe, but I’m very curious to see them in this new collaboration, alongside their work with their regular bands. The full program is HERE.

Although it’s still quite early, it’s worth announcing the Loveland Festival, which takes place in Copenhagen in late November and early December. As a reminder, this is a comprehensive project by Danish guitarist Jakob Bro, who has revitalized his label and launched a festival under the same name. He’s on a remarkable creative run, and I have the impression this is one of the most important initiatives not only in European jazz, but beyond. In any case, I’ll share two visuals here with the first program announcements—they speak for themselves. I’m not sure I’ll be able to attend, but I’m certain I’d very much like to.

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