Leibnitz, a place of less than 13,000 inhabitants, approximately 30km (20 miles) from Graz in southwest Austria, was site of the Jazz Festival Leibnitz September 29 through Oct. 2.
Graz is famous as an influential university center for jazz education in this part of Europe, and for jazz clubs where young musician are given the chance to perform.
The Stockwerk Jazzclub is one of the festival funders, a venue run by Otmar Klammer. He has directed the Leibnitz Jazz and Wine Festival for past ten years toward exclusive international themes – Francophile, this time, although the artist featured in the program and on the posted was Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Nonetheless, with ten concerts in six venues and a Jazz for Kids program, the festival symbolically celebrates its 10th anniversary (Sigi Feigl produced the first jazz fests here in the mid ’90s). Today LeibnitzKULT, a local association, funnels city, European regional and state arts and culture funds to the festival, and connects it with local vineyards and gastronomic businesses.
The Festival audience is predominantly regional. Approximately 1,200 tickets were sold over four nights, about 95% capacity with the first and the last day sold out. No report on income balance. Media supporters were ORF Ö1 (Austrian state radio), WDR (West German Radio) and Kleine Zeitung (Graz).
In terms of gastronomic How do you like your jazz:
- Capriccioso by Ukraine soprano-saxophonist Andrej Prozorov Trio (UA),
- multi-instrumental onomatopoeic cabaret miniatures via fine saxophone, clarinet and bagpipe dialogues by the smallest possible big band of Celine Bonacina and Laurent Dehors (F) in a castle winecellar,
- pure playful joy by Vincent Peirani (F) and his Jokers,
- fresh poly-rhythmical roots from Guadeloupe of Arnaud Dolmen Quartet (F),
- the finest emotions served on Bösendorfer 280VC (brought specially for the occasion from Vienna) by Gonzalo Rubalcaba (CU),
- an exclusive delicious French scat of Camille Bertrault (F) with Mederic Collignon (F) and pianist David Helbock (A),
- or the youthful games of Leonhard Skorupa’s Sketchbook Quartet (A); smart and sensual aperitifs with the Jakomini Jazz Trio (SL0); a hot Cuban party mix by Michael Olivera & The Cuban Jazz Syndicate (CU) in front of Municipal house, a Bulgarian simmering of jazz harmonies and traditional rhythm and melody on caval by Zhivko Vasilev Quintet (BG)?
all photos © Danica Pantovic
