To celebrate Estonia’s first Presidency of the European Council as well as the 100th anniversary of the country, jazz concerts organised by the Estonian Jazz Union and Jazzkaar will take place in Belgium, England, Finland, and Germany. First we will visit B-EST Jazz Fest 2017 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where Estonia is represented by Maria Faust’s collective Maria Faust Sacrum Facere, and the ensemble of bass player Peedu Kass – Peedu Kass Momentum.
B-Est Jazz Fest 2017 is taking place on 12 – 13 September in the Flagey concert hall in Brussels where Estonian artists will perform back to back with famous Belgian musicians. On 12 September, Maria Faust Sacrum Facere and De Beren Gieren (Belgium) will take the stage. On 13 September, Peedu Kass Momentum and LG Jazz Collectif (Belgium) will provide an entertaining concert. Tickets are already on sale and jazz friends can find them here – https://www.flagey.be/en/group/3733-b-est-jazz-fest-2017.
“Years of effort into export is finally starting to bear fruits. We are on the brink of one of the biggest international collaborative projects. It means that Estonian jazz is on the map of the world, and our musicians have been noticed,” said Laura Põldvere, the chairwoman of the board of the Estonian Jazz Union.
The chamber jazz project Maria Faust Sacrum Facere of the Estonian saxophone player and composer residing in Denmark, Maria Faust, is untraditional in terms of both instrumental makeup and musical composition. Lacking a bass and drums, the collecive is given its tone by the contrasting sounds of the zither and a brass ensemble. The music is inspired by Estonian folklore and spiritual folk songs. The author won the 2014 Danish Music Award for the jazz composer and crossover album categories. In 2016, Maria Faust won the renowned Danske Jazz Award in Estonia and the Niels Matthiasens Mindelegat culture award in Denmark.
Bass player Peedu Kass is invited to B-Fest Jazz Fest 2017 festival with his ensemble Peedu Kass Momentum. There’s sharpness, intense rhythm and surprising finesse in their music. It’s clear-sounding contemporary jazz full of effervescent emotionality. The trio’s jazz magic is brought together by the founder and bass player Peedu Kass, pianist Kristjan Randalu and drummer Toomas Rull. In 2015, Peedu Kass Momentum was the first Estonian jazz collective to perform in the main programme of Europe’s biggest jazz music fair Jazzahead. The trio has won over jazz enthusiasts in 12 European countries and more often than in Estonia, they can be heard on stages abroad. With their album ‘Peedu Kass Momentum’, the trio was nominated in the best jazz band category at Estonian Music Awards 2016, and at this spring’s Jazzkaar, they were awarded the Jazz Album of the Year 2017 title.
The aim of the collaborative project of Estonian Jazz Union and Jazzkaar – Jazzpresent for Europe – is to introduce the unique jazz creations and musicians in Estonia at renowned festivals in Erurope. Jazzpresent will reach Belgium, England, Finland, and Germany to introduce our music on the occasion of Estonia’s 100th birthday. The festival series starts with B-Est Jazz Fest 2017 on 12 – 13 September.
The project Jazzpresent is made possible with the help of the Estonian Presidency of the European Council, Estonia 100, Enterprise Estonia, Estonian Embassy in Brussel, Flagey concert house and the devotion of Estonian Musicians.
Estonian Jazz Union / www.jazz.ee
Jazzkaar / www.jazzkaar.ee
Estonia 100 / https://www.ev100.ee/en