Mingus Big Band (USA / France)
Mingus Big Band is the first American big band at the Belgrade Jazz Festival since 1990. The composition of first-class New York musicians under the artistic direction of Mingus’s wife, Sju, is not only about reading the legacy of the legendary double bass player, but authentically interpreting it with original arrangements of compositions from Mingus’s oeuvre. Their appearance has a real connection with the beginnings of the event: Mingus himself performed at the inaugural edition of 1970, as well as 1972 and 1975, and the smaller legacy formation of Mingus Dynasty in 1982. We will now hear the celebrated repertoire for the first time in full orchestral splendor, performed by one of the best big bands on the planet, seven times nominated for a Grammy. The leader of the orchestra’s current lineup is experienced alto saxophonist Alex Foster, with prominent members include trumpeter Alex Sipyagin, tenor saxophonist Wayne Escofery, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Donald Edwards. The composition program consists of famous compositions from the Mingus repertoire, including “Fables of Faubus” and “Ysabel’s Table Dance”.
Charles Lloyd Kindred Spirits (USA)
Saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd is a living icon of jazz, one of the greatest leaders and improvisers of all time, an indefatigable thinker and innovator. The fervor of his improvisations and his interest in merging jazz with non-Western musical styles established him as one of the key figures in the spread and advancement of this art. He was among the first jazz artists with a million records, as well as a rare jazz artist to play in front of a rock auditorium in the legendary Fillmore East. After two unforgettable concerts at the festival, in 2011 and 2014, stepping into the ninth decade of his life with unbridled performing energy, he returns to Belgrade with a new lineup, with guitarist Marvin Sewell playing a prominent role. On a fall tour, they are promoting a new Kindred Spirits album, exploring the blend of modern jazz with blues and ghosts, which in some ways is a return to their own roots. Specifically, at the very beginning of his career, Lloyd worked with the greatest blues artists of the time, Bi King, Haulin Wolfe and Bobby Blu Blend, among others.