Latvian jazz on the path of searching

Adventures of the new «Jazz in Latvia 2022» double selection at «jazzahead!» music forum

If you are doing things you like, you stop counting years. Although if we count, this appears to be the sixth year that Latvian jazz gets represented at the biggest trade fair dedicated to jazz in Europe, «jazzahead!» which takes place in Bremen, Germany, every year. In order to demonstrate Latvian jazz news to industry professionals from the whole world, this year, the jazz music selection in the CD and digital format has again been prepared, available for listening in 80 countries of the world, as well as digitally on all major music streaming platforms. Moreover, after a two-year break, this time «jazzahead!» again took place physically, so the local delegation went to Germany to tell the world about the industry news, as well as establish new collaborations and make contacts at a Latvian jazz stand at the expo.

«Jazz in Latvia 2022» music selection this year is really colorful: the physical version contains 18 compositions, from a jazz piano solo to a big band. It features compositions by the Latvian Radio big band with Pierre Bertrand, Deniss Pahkevich, Beāte Zviedre, and Jānis Rubiks, grupa LUPA, Toms Mikāls, Jekaterina Šarigina, «Very Cool People», Lauris Amantovs, Vestard Shimkus and «Endless Roar», Miķelis Dzenuška, as well as many other Latvian jazz cats and their collaborations with the foreign colleague. Taking into consideration that the jazz genre in Latvia is active and various and its representatives are becoming more and more creative, exposing the genre on an international level becomes more and more meaningful. The CD selection is supported by the State culture capital foundation and the Ministry of culture, and it is brought to life in collaboration with the electronic magazine on Latvian jazz JAZZin.lv.

This is the first year when after the long-term restrictions caused by the pandemic, «jazzahead!» happened offline, and events happening at the Bremen’s Messe expo hall demonstrated that people were hungry for both live music and live communication — apart from making contacts and collaborations many simple talks about the daily life of the music industry and searching for inspiration took place.

«Jazz in Latvia 2022» selection can be heard HERE and on the other music streaming platforms. Meanwhile, our friend, a music journalist Kaspars Zaviļeiskis wrote a short summary of the selection — the summary could also be considered a brief sneak peek into nowadays Latvian jazz scene.

Latvian jazz on the path of searching

Kaspars Zaviļeiskis

In every country that does jazz, jazzophiles have always wanted to define exactly how expressions of the genre in this specific territory differ from the ones elsewhere. Latvia isn’t an exception. Jazz is definitely present here, and it’s quite varied as well.

Yes, we are in the North. We aren’t exactly keen on bossa nova rhythms because they require more sun. Yes, we are party animals as well since we’re not living on the other side of the Polar circle. And yes, we have something to say because talented musicians keep on growing just as the mushrooms after the rain. Mushrooms and picking them, by the way, is one of the most beloved pastimes of the Latvian jazzophiles and other inhabitants of the country, so one should never underestimate this comparison.

This year’s quite eclectic selection of Latvian jazz demonstrates quite a generous harvest. It contains the results of the work of approximately three definable generations of musicians that mark a musical territory from classical jazz to funk party and cool Nordic pastel color palette.

Honoring a so-called «older» generation, this year’s «Jazz in Latvia 2022» features the Latvian saxophonist Deniss Pashkevich whose active stage career is long past two decades. This phrase sounds quite scary, taking into consideration that Deniss is below the age of 50 and is still a true funker who was recently playing sparkling parties at the «Time After Time» band. When we realize it has been around the change of centuries, we get that the time wheel cannot be stopped. Deniss actually has long ago flown into experimental music fields with his «TEN KA» project, but in this selection, we can find other international jazz collaborations he does. This time – with a Finnish trumpet player Mikko Gunu Karjalainen. A deep, Nordically reserved, high-quality jazz example in the best tenor expressions of Deniss.
A so-called «older» generation in this selection is also represented by a trombone player Lauris Amantovs, who offers a high-quality arrangement for one of the most beautiful Latvian folk songs (and Latvians do have more of these than mushrooms in a forest), inviting a bright voice owner Rūta Dūduma Ķirse for making to join him. Here we can also hear the Nordically melancholic sentiment that is depicted in all the light nobility of the fusion genre in this composition.
And the main emphasis in «Jazz in Latvia 2022» is on the young generation of jazz musicians because it has grown up studying in all sorts of schools abroad and searching for new directions. Latvian jazz still is searching its path; however, there are no doubts it will become clearer in the near future. A bunch of young cats who are deservedly called jazz musicians can be heard in the majority of compositions here, and it makes a listener have a brighter look at the future of Latvian jazz.

So here we can see both cool tones, natural for our latitudes, and warming-up party elements, with the classic American swing and bop tradition that was distinctive for Latvian jazz for many years disappearing more and more. So this is the searching for our own handwriting, and the way of this handwriting is really pleasant. Here we can meet unhurried jazz moods (guitar player Davids Bejers, «Dream Teller», «Pulse Trio»), a more classical jazz comprehension (singer Jekaterina Sarigina), funk party (keyboardist Miķelis Dzenuška with friends), bossa nova-like sounds to remind that Latvia has some hotter nights, too (trombone player Vadims Dmitrijevs), classical music influences (trumpet player Kristians Kalva with his German colleague Simon Gelsdorf and a great pianist Toms Mikāls), as well as fresh searches of combining spoken word with free-flowing jazz musical lines (Monta Tupčijenko’s band with German colleagues «Lathyrus»).

A pleasant eclectic mood is brought by a so-called «middle» Latvian jazz generation. No way without a funk party here as well, along with an amazing Hammond organ sound (Atis Andersons is a young master of it here in Latvia). A party is also provided by electrofusion jamming band «LUPA» and «Very Cool People» who are ready to blow up no less than Balkans, meanwhile a pleasant lounge mood is, as usual, provided by «FunCOOLio». Some coolness on a jazzy theatrical note is brought by a charming singer Beāte Zviedre along with a double bassist Jānis Rubiks, and a bright accent on top of it is put by the free experimenters «Endless Roar» together with an internationally acknowledged pianist and classical music interpret Vestard Shimkus.

And, of course, there’s the Latvian Radio big band as well. A fantastic formation that can interplay and collaborate with the best ones from all over the world, which was also proven many times. This time the proof of it is a musically saturated carnival together with a bright French saxophonist Pierre Bertrand.

Colorful, powerful, and willing. And still on the path of searching, which can as well last forever, and this we can only wish for both musicians and composers of this selection and its listeners, too. Without searching, there’s no progress. Without progress, there’s no jazz. But without jazz, we cannot and don’t want to exist further at any time, under any circumstances.