SlovenijaJazz & Beyond
February 1-2, 2019 at Opus Jazz Club

The two-day SlovenijaJazz & Beyond mini festival at Opus Jazz Club is yet another step to present the latest trends and most original artists of European jazz to the Hungarian audience. Although Slovenian artists have already played in the club before, this new focus event brings together three eclectic and exciting acts as a co-production between two longtime members of Europe Jazz Network, Budapest Music Center in Hungary and Cankarjev Dom in Slovenia. With Cankarjev Dom's perspective and support, BMC was able to select bands who approach the genre with an open mind and speak to a wide variety of audiences. All artists programmed in the two days of SlovenijaJazz & Beyond were also selected performers in the Slovenia Showcase program at the European Jazz Conference in Ljubljana 2017.

SlovenijaJazz & Beyond sets off on February 1, 2019 at Opus Jazz Club with a solo piano performance by Drago Ivanuša. The program is built up from compositions with improvised parts, all of them energetic, full of harmonic textures and polyrhythms. Ivanuša’s music is expressive, eclectic and unpredictable. He makes good use of his experience in theatre and film, which gives his music a strong, exact dramaturgy and exciting content. He is drawing inspiration from different jazz and classical composers and performers, like Bill Evans, Cecil Taylor, Luciano Berio, Vinko Globokar or Tomaž Grom.

Also appearing on February 1, Kristijan Krajnčan’s one of a kind manifestation of sound is bringing together two diverse musical worlds. Drums and cello, sticks and strings in one skilled, versatile and genre defying performance, in a true one-man-duet. Rhythm, harmony, melody and improvisation carefully shaped within an unique musical vision by Kristijan Krajnčan, a drummer, cellist, composer and filmmaker. Distilling contemporary jazz, classical, film music and other genres are melting into complete sounding storytelling, DrummingCellist presents an exciting, fresh, daring, colorful and out of the ordinary approach.

On February 2, the festival takes another musical turn by presenting Teo Collori & Momento Cigano. The band plays an extraordinary medley of gypsy and swing music. It is a project where nostalgia blends with new stories, as the boys perform fresh, original songs, in a style that takes us back to the era of ballrooms, cigars, Charleston and lacquered shoes. Their first record, Hot Club Piran, was chosen as “Album of 2015” at the online music portal of the Slovenian coastal area, Muzikobala. In 2016 their quality was recognized in the USA as well, where the album was published on the renowned Lowtemp label. Their second, Kamerato Muzikante was released recently, in October 2018. The new songs still have roots in gypsy jazz but they also flirt with classical muisc, ethno and even film score.