Before I would conclude my going-to-every-possible-concert-I’d-be-interested-in tour for this year, there was one final stop – Jazz in the Park. Held in the hilly heartland of Romania, at Cluj, the festival celebrated its tenth birthday this year at one of the best spots in the city – Romulus Vuia Ethnographic Park. I haven’t visited the city much before and I’ve never visited the Ethnographic Park, so it was time to fix this. Seeing some great bands in the process is something I'm also looking forward to – or was it the other way around?
I had no idea what I was in for, musically, nor in terms of experience. After a not-so-short car ride with a couple of friends to Cluj, hastily settling in my accommodation and grabbing a quick bite, I found myself on my way to the fest. A terrible day in terms of weather, all gray and cloudy with a slow drippy drizzle accompanying the general gloom for good measure. Despite that, I kept my spirits high, it’s not like I’m going for a fourteen-hour shift in a salt mine.
Having arrived at the fest, it appeared that I was quite early, as the volunteers were still setting up shop and people were still running around getting the finishing touches ready, in order to kick things off. I had to wait for quite a while until my press pass was found and until the gates opened, but it was alright as I knew that I wouldn’t be missing anything. As soon as I walked through the gates, I felt something that’s quite difficult to put into words.
Walking along the dirt and gravel path, something soothing and welcoming was emerging. Looking around very curiously I was taken aback with the unbelievably neat and trimmed look of everything. Highly polished, well maintained, and crisp, yet organic, rustic, and warm. In the distance, the rolling hills of the city leaning into the forested outskirts, as well as its outlying residential areas stretching loosely into the landscape made for one hell of a scenic view – particularly after sundown.
The Ethnographic Park feels like an authentic pinch from the past brought to present. This is easily achieved, what with it being filled with rural buildings, dating back to the period between 1720 and 1790 set against a lush pastoral background. As it would only make sense, the centerpiece of this architectural whole is a wooden church from 1773, which has an oddly satisfying charm, small and cramped as it may be, boasting some truly lovely murals painted right on the wooden walls and ceiling.
Amidst all of this, the modern and functional edge of the fest’s décor was incorporated very nicely, blending in seamlessly with everything around. As I took a couple of laps around the park to map out where everything is, I could only grin with satisfaction. The stages were fairly far apart, without even so much as to make one think there would be overlap between bands. The scheduling also further favored this aspect by having very few gigs happening at the same time. This obviously shows a kind of care towards the audience which isn’t manifested by fests in general.
Thursday
At the Young Stage, the smallest of the five stages, Paperjam opened the festival with an improv set. Due to inclement weather and being a Thursday, attendance at that moment was scarce at best. It was just a handful of us watching Paperjam do their thing. While it could look a little disheartening from the outside, the band put on a performance as if there was an audience of hundreds and the few of us there were really engaged. It made for an intimate kind of setting, the kind you’d witness in a small, murky, and smoky jazz café. A very fine way to kick things off.
Catching up with the latter half of Bogdan Vaida’s set at the Backyard Stage, which in spite of its somewhat ironic namesake, was more or less the main stage of the fest, I was quite surprised. My surprise arose mostly from the tunes being pretty removed from a jazz context. We were treated with a lone grand piano giving life to experimental tunes alongside Frederic Chopin bits and Clara Schumann nocturnes. So, obviously, something more at home in a classical concert hall, instead of out in the open in this setting. It was a delight nevertheless, in spite of the odd contrast. Vaida has great control of his instrument and plays the part.
Up next, at the same stage, Trigon went on to give us a wild performance. I had never heard of them previously, much like with most of the fest’s lineup. Hailing from Moldova, they are made up of some of the finest musicians in the genre and the area. I can’t really pin precisely what they do, but you’d have to imagine a mixture of ethno/world music, folk, jazz, and some progressive leanings. It’s a highly volatile, yet organized and nuanced display of such disparate musical ends. The band’s performance was nothing short of stellar, pouring their hearts out on stage. Although, with some thirty odd years of experience as a band, it would’ve been impossible to get anything else. The highly intricate, evocative, and charming musical blend on display was an absolute treat for us in the audience and it really stirred the atmosphere in an electric manner. Never even mind the cherry on top, the wildly melismatic and scatted vocal delivery, which, I feel amplified said mood. When I say evocative though, I really mean it. You really felt taken back in time to an extent. The way they conjured arcane periods and places alongside fresh and modern tones was a perfect synergy with the fest’s setting and style. It was easily one of the highlights of the festival.
After this, it was time for a well-deserved break for food and a walk around the fest grounds, as well as chatting around with friends and other people. There were plenty of choices for food and drinks and virtually all the options were good. There were also many small local producers who brought all sorts of home-made goods like spirits, jams/marmalades, even potted hot pepper plants, various confectionery, sweets, honey, vintage clothes, and whatever else. It was yet another delight and it just further confused your wallet, because you can’t get everything right?
The Vinyl Stage featured a small vinyl fair, where you could find quite a variety of things, both old and new. On the stage there, a DJ was always having a set from the very start of the day, well into the night. It made for a lively ambiance whenever you were grabbing a bite, as the “food court” was right next to it. There was also a stand from Meze Audio, a local brand that produces headphones from affordable to ultra high-end. I had to slake my thirst and tried out all the gear they had up on display, it was a very nice treat for me as a former audiophile.
That church from 1773 I mentioned earlier was fitted with a professional/audiophile level tube amplifier and speakers which were playing music in tune with the festival. It was presented as ‘The Listening Church’, something of a micro lounge as I perceived it. It was a pretty neat idea, and it would’ve been nice if on the next day it wouldn’t have closed. Between murmurs I eventually found out that the Romanian Orthodox Church took an offense to the church being used as such. So, they did what anyone would do in that situation, they effectively banned entry to anyone for the rest of the duration of the festival and had the entire setup removed from within. Why have nice things when you can not have them, am I right?
While these little distractions had me miss out on Shay Hazan, Andrei Petrache Trio, and Mircea Tiberian Trio, I did manage to catch bits from Shay Hazan and Mircea Tiberian Trio as I was going about, setting a nice mood for my activities. So, while I can’t really offer a proper account, I can say that both bands were sweet to have on stage. Before I even knew though, it was time to hurry up to get to the Church Stage for The Comet is Coming.
The Comet is Coming was one of the main reasons I was there…and…it soon turned into something of a disappointment. I was really eager to witness the greatness of Shabaka Hutchings and his fellow bandmates, Danalogue and Betamax. It didn’t start well as I could barely hear Betamax for the first few minutes. I’m still not sure what the issue was there, but I highly doubt it was the people working at sound as all the bands sounded great on that end across the festival. Hutchings had intermittent issues with his sax, adjusting the neck and mouthpiece quite often and it seemed like the intonation was off too. The low end in the mix was incredibly loud, at one point all I could hear was the rumble from Danalogue’s rig. The overall sound was disproportionately loud compared to what I feel would’ve been loud enough and the cymbals were quite harsh throughout. The set itself wasn’t doing any favors to the whole situation. It felt a lot like a party mix, rather than what we know The Comet is Coming for. It felt kind of out of place in that sense. The performance aspect was mostly alright as Danalogue and Betamax pretty much shouldered the brunt of it. I was underwhelmed with Hutching’s stage presence, despite his immense standing as one of UK’s finest on the jazz scene. So, yeah, it was a bittersweet experience. As the soft shower/rain kept going at it throughout the entire day, and we were tired, me and my friends left before the end of the set. On the plus side though, there were a lot of people at the gig, and they seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
Friday
Up and about the next day, properly refreshed after a good night’s sleep and a hearty meal, I was on my way back to the fest. Even though I left on time, with a little to spare, I somehow missed the beginning of Marta Popovici’s set at the Backyard Stage. It may have had something to do with the weather being even worse than the day before, which really doesn’t make things easier at an outdoor fest.
Marta Popovici was the perfect opening to help us greet the second day of the fest. She and her band graced us with some highly soothing vibes and smooth layers. The general direction of the band seems to take a fusion kind of trajectory, with the occasional borrowed influence from soul and R&B. The lighthearted demeanor of the tunes may divert attention away from the intricacies and nuances, but they’re there nevertheless and make for a rich tapestry of sounds. Their performance was without reproach, and I had a great time seeing them.
Since I couldn’t settle between Luiza Zan Duo and Sidewalk Troubadours, I just concluded “why not both?”. So, I was basically walking between the respective stages where they were performing the entire time as their set times aligned perfectly. Festivals will make you do some weird things sometimes. Luiza Zan Duo was extremely lively, even when things were on the down low in terms of delivery. It was definitely the kind of jazz that kept you on your toes, which made perfect sense in my particular situation. Otherwise though, I can’t say there was anything especially outstanding in terms of tunes or performance. Sidewalk Troubadours were also sitting on the upbeat and energetic side of the emotional spectrum, although with fewer intricacies and a steadier, straightforward type of delivery and a more rock influenced sound. Although, similarly, I didn’t feel like I witnessed anything exceptional. However, the crowd absolutely benefited from the sunnier and more vigorous vibes what with the dark weather.
While I missed out on Erik Truffaz Quartet, due to being human and requiring some rest and sustenance, I was glad to hear from others that their fusion driven style of nu-jazz dazzled all around. Heading to the Church Stage for my next aural treat and continuing the stark contrast between musical mood and weather temper, the Hungarians from Jazzbois kept it kicking properly. Jazzbois put up an impeccable performance, with a sterling sound and a sweet balance from every point of view. Veering slightly into acid jazz, I can’t say they’re quite there, but the psychedelic influence is clear as day. Running a kaleidoscopic gamut from densely populated, to sparse and groovy, the band’s sound had a little bit of something for everyone. It was a highly entertaining set, with plenty going on at any given moment. It was also obvious that the whole band feels quite at home on stage, with the instruments serving as natural extensions of their musical ethos. It’s not often that you actually get to feel this as an audience member.
It was now time for Yussef Dayes. I just knew without a doubt from the start of the day, that this would be the highlight of the day. I wasn’t wrong. Even though attendance was rather scarce this day as well, by the time I got to the Backyard Stage, it was stacked to the brim with people at the stage – unsurprisingly so. While it rained the whole day, by the time Dayes and his band took the stage, the rain eased up. I guess, even the elements wanted to witness the magic without any interference, because it stayed like that until the end of the set.
The set was simply unbelievable. All the instruments were played with a refinement and a softness just out of this world. Even so, you could hear a veritable cornucopia of nuances and accents, so, there were no sacrifices made to the dynamics. Loud isn’t always better, people. The live mix was simply perfect. Even though I was all the way out in the back, I could hear everything perfectly and even got the feel of the stage placement of the instruments in the musical image in its entirety. The material that was played was basically a smoothness overload. Melodies to die for, gaps of silence like punchlines, and grooves to keep heads bobbing till dawn. There was no way such concise, punchy, and articulate songwriting could have been better voiced. It all amounted to a superlative and lascivious experience in the most elegantly minimalist sense, which I will not forget anytime soon. Judging by how people were reacting, it feels like they were on the same page as me.
Even though my evening in terms of attendance ended here, I was still around chatting with people until after the last bands as I just felt like I couldn’t focus on anything else after Yussef Dayes. You know the set killed it when your brain can’t comprehend following that up with anything else. Although this was earlier, I did catch some of the things played through the almost day long set of The Electors at the Vinyl Stage during breaks for food and such, and I very much enjoyed what I heard. That being said, I called it a night, much like on the first day, with nothing to share about the Night Stage and the adjacent afterparties.
Saturday
I woke up without much hope, meteorologically speaking. As I was looking out the window and sipping from my coffee, lo and behold, the rain vanished and out came the sun. While it was still a tad overcast, I remained optimistic. Arriving at the fest was quite a sight for sore eyes. There were at least five times as many people compared to the first two days, and everyone was cheerful. It finally started feeling like a festival in the realest sense.
Among the many things present besides the stages with the bands, there was a small tent where a minimal rig was set up, consisting of a drum kit, a bass, a guitar, and a keyboard. It was helmed by a few people who were teaching on each instrument. If you wanted, you could just pop in there for impromptu lessons, or just to toy around if you can play. I think that this was by far the nicest thing outside of the music at the fest. Seeing that I have some time to spend before the first band, I decided to ask for a short drum lesson. After I got the hang of one of the most basic rhythms, I just straight up asked the dude teaching me if he can break down a groove I like and help me kick it. It’s the intro from Toxic Garbage Island by Gojira. He heartily laughed and said it’s unrealistically beyond what I could do, so chuckling we settled on something easier but just as groovy. It was lots of fun and I wanted to give a particular shoutout to the people teaching there – they were super nice.
On my way to the Backyard Stage, I heard in the distance that 7th Sense started playing. No better way to jumpstart the third day than with 7th Sense. I say that in retrospect, because, yet again, I had no idea what I’m in for, as this was the first I was hearing of the band. Let me say right off the bat, 7th Sense were one of the finest acts at the fest, easily at the top of the musical food chain. The live mix was perfect in relation to what they played, so in that sense, the experience was airtight. In terms of what and how they played? Even better. There’s a genuine warmth behind the easier going segments which is only comparable to the embrace of the sun after two days in the cold and the dark. Yes, it was a match made in heaven. The more intricate bits retain some of the polished character of this warmth, while engaging plenty with the listener to keep things entertaining. As things get more energetic, there’s plenty of good taste in the arrangements and the general flow is never affected, offering a streamlined experience. This translates very well at an emotional level as well. You can imagine that the band’s performance and stage presence was simply flawless, as it would stem from all of the above. 7th Sense is one of the best discoveries in a concert context in recent memory and I’m very happy to have seen them.
After this, I spent some time chatting around and having a drink so carelessly that I just outright missed Funk You!, so, I stayed more or less where I was and found myself at Ganna’s set. It was a very interesting experience, even though musically it didn’t bring anything particularly riveting to the table. I may have not been in the right mood for that type of musical exposition as it relied a lot on a storytelling style which I’m not fully attuned to. Before each song, bandleader and vocalist Ganna Gryniva would present a short introduction of how the respective song came to be. They are heavily inspired by folk tales she has personally gathered from people and digging in archives. The tunes conform to what we mostly know as a jazz framework, with lyrics in Ukranian and English, borrowing elements from Ukranian folk. The folk element seems to translate for the most part in a melismatic vocal delivery rich with ululating and onomatopoeic stylings. All in all, it was a compelling performance and I definitely recommend catching the band if you have the chance.
I headed to Zaharenco at the Young Stage as per the recommendation of one of my friends with whom I attended. Not that he knew their material but heard that they should be good from a reliable source. By the end of their set I felt like they deserved a spot on one of the bigger stages. I was surprised to see that Laura Benedek, bandleader and bassist of 7th Sense was on stage with them on bass. I found out later that evening that she’s also in a few other bands as well. It was a pretty sweet performance overall, with great material in there. There was a certain lack of cohesiveness between certain segments, something that kind of impeded flow, although, I was too drawn by the ideas thrown around to care that much about said aspect. It was a very engaging and proggy kind of deal, kind of all over the place, yet somehow focused. The tunes came with a lot of smooth and rolling melodies, which sometimes devolved into tasteful noodling, but it would equally dive on the groovy side of things. They definitely have the hots for fusion and have the feel for it as well. There’s something in the band’s energy that I also vibed with a lot and I guess it kind of biased me towards loving their stuff more than I probably would have, had I heard said songs on a CD. Something was a little off in the mix, the guitarist was a bit too loud next to the rest of the band and some of the higher register bits were piercing, but it was only visible in a few moments, so it didn’t detract from the general enjoyment.
No time for breathers, off to see Skalpel. Skalpel were all about the textures. We witnessed a very psychedelic twist on an ultra lush mixture of nu jazz, electronic music, old hip hop beats, EDM, and downtempo. Not something exactly fitting for a jazz festival if you take it on paper, but in practice it was just great. At one point I was so mesmerized by the music that I was just staring through the stage, into infinity, contemplating pensively on nature-of-existence type of things and other wild things. So, you know, pretty compelling. I’m pretty sure though that the band could’ve benefited from being placed later in the evening to get their lightshow the treatment it deserves, so it can further complement the music. The textural depth of the music sometimes made me think of post rock, as they kind of alluded to a similar style of layering. Even though it sounded great and all, I feel like the set could’ve used a bit more variety in terms of dynamics. Everything was basically hitting the same marks in that sense, making it all feel a tad monotonous by the end of the set.
Following a brief break to replenish forces, I posted myself again at the Backyard stage to see Avishai Cohen Quartet. Now, before I go on, I have to say hand on heart, I initially felt a little cheated. Why? Well, when the lineup for the festival was announced there was no clear delimitation, so, it created confusion as to which Avishai Cohen is playing. It turned out it’s the trumpeter, even though I was super hyped it’s the contrabassist. I’ve heard some people around the fest having a similar train of thought, so a clarification would have been nice. Putting that aside, the set was quite solid, and it worked wonderfully as the band started playing after sunset. The entire mood of the set was a uniform stream which hearkened fully to some noir, art deco, arcane New York mood. Languid, oozing, yet coherent and neatly articulated. Heavily relying on textures to send its message across, as well as a very diaphanous and satisfying harmonic and rhythmical resolve, it delivered the goods.
In the latter quarter of the set, I spotted the Alexandru Zaharencu (pianist) and Sergiu Părgras (drummer) from Zaharenco in the audience near me so, I figured I’d pop by and tell them I liked their set. The conversation flowed freely, covering a plethora of subjects (but mostly music adjacent) well after Avishai Cohen’s set and it trailed on alongside drinks, past Asaf Avidan’s set and through most of Ufe & Karak’s afterparty set. Lots of laughs and fun were had and I have to say, I really had one hell of an end of an evening with the lads and some of their friends. Ufe & Karak’s afterparty set ended at some point and it was a free for all jam session. There, some of the musicians from earlier, as well as those who were teaching at the learning tent and really, whoever still had energy and a modicum of skill, went on stage to have some fun. It was a brilliant atmosphere there and it was close to dawn when I decided to turn in for the night.
Sunday
Up and barely about on the final day of the festival. Honestly, even setting aside the entire summer of running from concert to concert, four days of festival isn’t too kind on the listener. I was pretty tired and despite my relentless and undying love for music, I pretty much would’ve liked to go home and just sleep. I decided to fight that feeling and pull through. Having arrived at the festival, everyone seemed to be on the same page, more or less. Attendance wasn’t at the height of the day before, but still, there were a lot of people as the weather continued on the kind and warm side. Right about then I started missing the somewhat deserted feel of the first few days. Ironic, isn’t it? Anyway, the main thing that kept me going was the promise of Dhafer Youssef closing the festival, which was bound to be one of the highest points of the festival. A few more hours and a few more bands until then though.
Maria Șimandi’s set was first up this day. It was a gentle starter and a very tasty one too. While conforming to the usual jazz standard of performance and songwriting, I was compelled by the rhythmic layer of the music. It rolled of so neatly and so fluidly with lots of very satisfying grooves and fills. Otherwise, I can’t say I was particularly moved by the songwriting, but it was a welcome mood and delivery, meant just to be relaxed and lighthearted. Șimandi’s easy going timbre and lovely vocal lines eased us all into this tempered Sunday and prepared us for the rest of the day.
Skipping Iulian Matei at the Young Stage, I remained at the Backyard Stage lounging around, where Elena Mîndru Quartet came boasting with a highly progressive sound, feeling less like what you’d imagine a traditional jazz band, rather more like an art rock band adopting modern classical and jazz elements with a hybrid tonality. The blend presented itself on stage with a dynamic demeanor, drawing very expressively and vividly with the present instruments all kinds of emotional landscapes. On top, everything was adorned with Elena Mîndru’s rich and powerful vocal delivery. They gave us a highly immersive and compelling show, which would need its own space to fully get into.
Walking around, continuing my slow pace, I took my sweet time getting ready for the next band, at the same stage. Theodora Enache Brody maintained the mood initially set by Maria Șimandi, although not quite as creatively or necessarily tastefully, for the lack of a better word. It’s not that the music or the performance was bad, it’s just that compared to everything I’ve seen in the previous days, it felt rather lackluster, save for a cover of Moonlight Sonata which had my eyebrows raised.
I can’t say I was floored by London Afrobeat Collective afterwards either. Although, I must hand it to them, they put up a killer live show with a crazy happy and colorful energy. People seemed to love their set a lot, understandably so. I didn’t necessarily vibe with the whole afrobeat/funk type of thing they had going on. That’s purely on me, because they had one of the most solid sets and performances and I unfortunately can’t go at further length on this, since I lack the emotional investment in the whole thing. I’d rather leave at that, than to spread empty and generic platitudes.
Roberto Fonseca Trio was unfortunately underwhelming. I mean, there’s not much to discuss in terms of stage presence, as the music didn’t particularly allow for a bombastic manifestation. The delivery was on point, I have nothing but good to say in that sense. Every member was spot on in terms of performance. The general demeanor of the show was highly elegant and refined, so I have to give them props for that. Everything played, was played with grace and finesse. The thing which I felt was lacking was the composition aspect, which didn’t really resonate with me in any sense. Thankfully, probably no one else, or maybe barely a handful of people concur with me as they cheered wildly for the band’s set. So, people went about happily and that’s what matters most to the fest experience as I see it.
At long last, Dhafer Youssef. I was beyond ready to see the legend take the stage. I basically sat motionless in a lawn chair with my eyes and ears peeled to the bit of stage I could see from that position. It was even better than I expected. There aren’t a lot of musical experiences, even in a live setting which will leave people speechless. You guessed; it left me pretty much speechless. No matter how much I’d want to nitpick I couldn’t say anything besides overwhelmingly positive remarks regarding the show. It was transcendental, a nigh religious/spiritual manifestation, like a megalith of shimmering light bathing everything in cosmic serenity. Words are basically superfluous, honestly. It’s a you-had-to-be-there type of situation. It’s simply not possible to convey the contents of that performance in any way to someone else. So, I think it would go without saying, if you ever have the chance, go out of your way to see Dhafer Youssef live. It’s also a you-have-to-witness-that-regardless-of-musical-preferences kind of deal.
As the festival concluded, save for the afterparty, I dredged my tired feet across the gravel, staring at the clear night sky, feeling exhausted, but fulfilled. The experience at Jazz in the Park is one I would gladly repeat at the drop of a dime. The organization was top notch, and the atmosphere was ecstatic in its positivity even at its lowest. I arrived home, still smirking when recalling moments from the fest. Even now as I wrap this up I can’t help but smile.
