Baku Jazz Festival: Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2

Baku Jazz Festival
Various Venues
20th edition, Days 5-8
Baku, Azerbaijan
October 24-31, 2025

Driving around Baku the brightly colored dayglow signs advertising Baku Jazz Festival 2025 catch the eye at every turn. So do posters for COP 29, the international climate conference held in traffic-choked Baku in 2024.

Baku nestles on the western edge of the Caspian Sea. The shoreline is skirted by a six-kilometere promenade lined with palm trees, flowers, cafés, a giant chess set, museums and sculptures. It is an idyllic feature of the city.

But the Caspian Sea is in trouble. Rising temperatures and reduced fresh-water inflow—due mainly to Russian hydropower and agricultural projects—has seen the Caspian Sea recede at a worrying rate. The difference in just seven years since All About Jazz last covered the Baku Jazz Festival is visible. It is not inconceivable that if left unchecked, the Caspian Sea could go the same way as the Aral Sea and become a giant desert. They will write songs about the Caspian then.

Whether navigating Baku's dense, unrelenting traffic on the slow crawl to and from BJF gigs, or whether strolling along the promenade by the Caspian Sea to catch an evening gig at Jolly Joker, COP 29 posters served as reminders that all our actions—and inactions—have political, social, economic and environmental consequences.

Muhammad Allahverdiyev Trio, I Am Jazzman

Tuesday, October 28, ADA University

Right from the start of the 20-year adventure that is Baku Jazz Festival, Artistic Director Rain Sultanov has given a platform to young Azeri and international jazz musicians through the I Am Jazzman competition. Held over two weeks in April, it coincides with the global celebrations around UNESCO International Jazz Day.

Sultanov's investment in young jazz talent has paid dividends, helping to launch the careers of several musicians. One example is the ridiculously talented accordionist Seymour Hasansoy—a prize winner in 2017—who was invited to play with Richard Galliano on BJF's main stage that year. "This is why we hold the I Am Jazzman competition," Sultanov told AAJ in 2018. "There is a lot of talented jazz youth that we can help develop."

The 2024 I Am Jazzman winner, pianist Nurlan Huseynzadeh, played with Ipek Dinc on the third day of BJF 2025. Clearly investment in the talent development programme is bearing fruit.

For its 20th anniversary edition, recent I Am Jazzman prize winners and laureates gave a free performance at ADA University—a modern campus with a reputation for academic excellence, located opposite Qarabag's football stadium.

First, however, was an hour-long concert by the Muhammad Allaverdiyev Trio. Classically trained, 17-year-old pianist Allaverdiyev discovered jazz aged eight and has not looked back. Runner-up in the 2021 I Am Jazzman competition, Allaverdiyev has since gone on to play with the likes of Chris Jennings and Jeff Ballard. His trio featured electric bassist Kamil Tazakhanashvili and experienced drummer Hasan Bilalov.

Switching between Nord electric piano and concert piano, Allaverdiyev impressed with his virtuosity and a broad stylistic vocabulary. In between opener Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" and the set-closer, Juan Tizol's/Duke Ellington's "Caravan," the pianist unveiled a charged, Latin-tinged version of "Poinciana," spiced up Miles Davis' "All Blues" with rollicking barrelhouse bookends, and gave a modern jazz twist to a national Azeri folk tune—terrain pioneered by Vagif Mustafa Zadeh in the 1960s and 1970s. On the latter tune, Tazakhanashvili stepped up with a rippling solo, for Bilalov to then steal the thunder—at least for the audience—with a meaty solo over Allaverdiyev's vamp.

Juggling harmonic counterpoint and percussive rhythms with his left hand, and quicksilver runs with his right, Allaverdiyev exuded both technical control and a confidence way beyond his years. If he can develop an identifiable voice on his instrument then it would be a surprise if he does not become better known in the years to come.

A jam session followed with various graduates of the I Am Jazzman competitions taking their turn on the stage. Of note were the aforementioned Nurlan Huseynzadeh, who dazzled on electric piano, 17-year-old pianist Mirsamad Novrasli and 13-year-old pianist Madina Pasahayeva, the latter who carved an enticing, bluesy route evocative of Red Garland. Not too many students had turned up for this event—exams were looming, after all—but those in attendance showed their appreciation for the outstanding local talent.

The Bop Paintings of Jazzamoart; Andreas W. Andersson: Viaticum; David Linx

AZ State Musical Theatre

After four days in Jolly Joker the main action of the BJF shifted to the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre, a handsome edifice in the Italianate Renaissance style typical of downtown Baku.

On the first floor of the theater an exhibition of jazz-inspired paintings greeted concert goers. Jazzamoart is the professional name of Mexican painter and sculptor Francisco Estupiñán. Born in Irapuato in 1951, he adopted the name Jazzamoart at the age of 20. For over half a century his paintings have been the subject of over 400 exhibitions around the world.

Influenced by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rufino Tamayo and José Clemente Orozco, his style—a visceral blend of impressionism and abstraction—is primarily influenced by jazz. The dozen or so paintings in this exhibition depicted jazz musicians performing. Unifying features included strong colors and a kinetic energy that alluded to jazz's rhythms and tones. It came as no surprise to learn that Jazzamoart's favorite jazz artists are Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. (For examples of the paintings displayed see slideshow at the top of this article).

The exhibition underlined jazz's credentials as a multi-media artform—one influenced by other art forms, and a constant source of inspiration for artists working in different mediums.

The first concert of the evening introduced a band from Sweden. Not to be confused with Esbjorn Svensson Trio's Viaticum (ACT Records, 2005) Swedish saxophonist Andreas W. Andersson's project of the same name showcased compositional elan and his melodious approach to tenor and soprano saxophones. Double bassist Thommy Andersson, pianist Andreaz Heden and drummer Michala Østergaard-Nielsen were sympathetic accompanists to music that ploughed meditative furrows for long stretches.

Though Andersson can be heard in diverse contexts both as a leader and a collaborator in his native Sweden, his affinity for classical and hymnal music suggested itself in music of solemnity and minor-key melancholy. For the most part the rhythm section treaded the same gently rippling waters, with Østergaard-Nielsen 's percussive rustlings and brushwork underpinning the contemplative mood.

Thommy Andersson's "Falling" injected more urgency and invited greater individual expression, beginning with a robust tenor solo from the leader followed by lyrical turns from bass and piano. Seamlessly, the tune segued into Østergaard-Nielsen's "Decay," the quartet's rhythmic drive easing up, and soprano saxophone softly lowing as the music returned to a calmer ambiance.

"Through Cloud Words," inspired by English poet Adrian Pass, was an exercise in understated lyricism led by saxophone and piano. A more animated, vamp-driven piece burned with a groove reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's European Quartet—the leader switching between tenor and soprano saxophones. Andreaz' Heden's "All The Time" moved gradually from introspection to rumbling crescendo and ended the set on an uplifting note.

With some coaxing the quartet returned for an encore—a short though satisfying gospel-blues of cheery tenor saxophone melody and deep-seated groove. As is often the case, it was only when the music had finished, and one could reflect on its unfolding, that its beauty fully declared itself.

Veteran singer/composer and multi-instrumentalist David Linx is one of Europe's most garlanded jazz singers. In a forty-year career he has sung with Johnny Griffin, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Clark Terry, Sheila Jordan, Ibrahim Maalouf, Ivan Lins and Omou Sangare, to name but a few.

Perhaps his most celebrated partnership has been with pianist Diderik Wessels, actively touring and recording together since 1992. For this BJF concert the bulk of Linx' music came from Real Men Cry (Cristal Records, 2025). Accompanying Linx were pianist Leonardo Montana, double bassist Jérôme Regard and drummer Arnauld Dolmen.

Though Mark Murphy seemed a reference point, Linx possesses a style all his own—sensitive, intimate, powerful and playful. His craft was most compelling when veering from the lyric path, improvising with fearless abandon on "Chroinho para um novo dia," a breathless Brazilian choro delivered with bebop intensity. That said, songs like "From Prince to King" and the ballad "She's a Cloud Over the Desert" proved persuasive, with wiggle room aplenty for meaty contributions from Montana, notably on the visceral group workout that was "Real Men Cry."

In an engaging set there was a dedication to Azeri jazz pianist and singer Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, striking contrasts between blistering vocal scat, burning trio interplay and delicate French chanson. With a dramatist's sense of choreography Linx and band finished with the rousing "Azadi," where lively vocal, scat and instrumental lines intertwined to thrilling effect.

Wednesday, October 29, AZ State Musical Theatre

Enzo Favata:Atlantico

Not much can be said about Italian reed player Enzo Favata that has not already been said. Suffice it to say, the anticipation around the appearance of this modern jazz great was significant.

The Sardinian's career has been one marked by diversity, both in the medium he chooses to work in (soundtracks for films, theatre, radio and television) and the set up (big band, small ensembles, acoustic, electronics etc.) From Sardinian to Persian folk influences, and from Argentinian tango to the music of John Coltrane reimagined, each project of Favata seeks new alignments, new sounds. It is not his custom to dwell on his musical past. All the more surprising then, that Favata should revisit Atlantico (Il Manifesto, 1999) for the first time in nearly two decades.

Without preamble, Salvatore Maltana's bass ostinato, guitarist Marcello Peghin's acoustic arpeggio, and the overlapping melodic lines of Daniele di Bonaventura's bandoneon and Favata's soprano saxophone launched "Atlantico"—a mellifluous narrative of converging folkloric influences and subtly shifting dynamics.

With a suite-like momentum the quintet slipped into "Milonga Del Sol," the music developing from chamber refinement to tango-fueled passions where di Bonaventura and Favata came into their own. Drummer Umberto T. Ghandi was a rhythmic bellwether, his swapping between brushes, sticks and mallets reflecting the rising-falling contours of the music.

Pointillistic detail was juxtaposed with flowing melodic lines, bitter-sweet melancholy with dancing folkloric flare, and individual virtuosity with ensemble cohesion. Favata—on soprano saxophone and bass clarinet—and di Bonaventura may have enjoyed most of the solo limelight, but no less captivating were Peghin's balancing of fleet-fingered play with rhythmic guile. Equally felt were the buoyant rhythms and deft colorations of Maltana and T. Ghandi. In Favata's world, and like all great groups, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

After an hour Favata took the microphone to address the crowd. "Atlantico is a story of immigration, in Latin America of Italians. Immigration is the soul of Italy, the soul of Latin America... maybe the soul of this place." With that, the quintet bid adieu to Baku with a composition based on a traditional Sardinian dance—a celebratory canvas of bright colors to gladden the soul.

In Favata's Atlantico the strains of Sardinian music and Argentinian music converged, and so did Jewish, Arabic and pan-Mediterranean traditions. Favata was spot on when he suggested that the story of immigration might also be Azerbaijan's story. It is every country's story, is it not?

Antonio Lizana

Shur Music Club

Flamenco-jazz as a sub-genre of jazz has been around since the late '60s when saxophonist Pedro Iturralde recorded the groundbreaking albums Jazz Flamenco Vol 1 and Jazz Flamenco Vol 2 (both Hispavox, 1967) with 19-year-old flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, who went uncredited on the original release.

Those albums would inspire future jazz-flamenco musicians such as Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent—both of whom went on to play with de Lucia—double bassist Javier Colina, trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez, singer Irene Ribas and pianist Chano Dominguez, among others. Antonio Lizana, an alto saxophonist and singer of rare talent, is continuing this tradition. Appearing with Lizana at BJF were double bassist Manel Fortia and drummer Raphaël Pannier.

With five albums as leader under his belt—and the splendid flamenco-jazz collaboration with Chano Dominguez, Estándares (Altafonte, 2021)—Lizana is no newbie. For the wining-and-dining crowd at this restaurant-cum-music club, Lizana paid tribute to the music of Paco de Lucia. Lizana's piercing vocals, rooted in Andalusian cante jondo, launched "Alcázar de Sevilla." This vocal incantation was transformed by Fortia's and Pannier's entrance, their rhythmic fury propelling Lizana into a solo of matching intensity.

Beautiful and bruising the trio's lyricism and power on the soleá/bulería "Antonia." A bass and vocal duet introduced Cuban pianist Julio Gutiérrez' bolero "Inolvidable." With Fortia settling into a fast-walking-bass pattern and Pannier injecting fiery rhythms, Lizana soloed with an emotional intensity evocative of Charlie Parker's blues-laced bebop.

Throughout his career de Lucia frequently played with jazz musicians such as Chick Corea and John McLaughlin. It was to the Lucia/Corea collaboration "Zyryab"—named for the ninth-century Bagdad poet—that the trio next turned, blurring the lines between flamenco and jazz in a thrilling kaleidoscope, before Lizana's haunting vocals retuned the song to its roots.

After fifty minutes of burning trio intensity, Lizano's switch to flute on de Lucia's seductive ballad "Cancion de Amor" brought a timely change of tone. Lizana's vocals, to spare rhythmic accompaniment, soared like an Iman's call to prayer. An unforgettable performance concluded with a blistering version of the tanguillos "Peroche" that bordered on free jazz. Against feverish bass and drums, Lizana saved his most impassioned soloing to last, tipping a wink to John Coltrane on the way.

Earlier in the set Lizana had paid tribute to de Lucia's influence: "He opened up flamenco to the world," he told the crowd. Lizano has picked up de Lucia's torch, and it has never burned more fiercely or more brightly.

The BJF's first jam session sparked to life almost immediately, with Lizana, Fortier and Pannier sharing the stage with a revolving cast of local musicians. Mirsamad Novrasli impressed on piano, as he had at ADA University the day before, and then sat in on drums—far too much talent for one individual.

Thursday, October 30, Kurban Said

German-Azerbaijan Cultural Bridges

To fully appreciate the historical development of Baku and Azerbaijan it is important to know something of the role that German migrants have played. Fuad Akhundov—an expert on Baku's architecture and history—gave a fascinating slide-talk on the subject in the cozy surroundings of Kurban Said, a traditional Azeri restaurant of vintage charm in the heart of Baku's Old City.

The Old City, a remarkably preserved citadel, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The gated sandstone fortress walls and towers date to the 11th century. The Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshas and the caravanserai date to 15th and 16th centuries. Tourist shops and restaurants aside, the maze of narrow, cobblestoned streets is home to 3,000 people. This is a living, breathing town within a city, with mosques, hammams, small parks and squares fringed with trees and cascading flowering plants... and funky modern art murals.

On the corner of an inconspicuous narrow lane a raised bust denotes the house where jazz pianist Vagif Mustafazadeh lived—now a museum in his name. Music is never too far away in Baku.

The restaurant Kurban Said is named after the author of the novel Ali and Nino (E.P. Tal, 1937), a stormy tale of two lovers from very different backgrounds. Set in Baku against the backdrop of World War One and the Russian Revolution, the book became an international best seller. Ali and Nino has been translated into over forty languages, exemplars of nearly all of which lined the bookcase of the restaurant. Kurban Said (the author) was a pseudonym, though the real identity of the writer is disputed. The book was originally written in German.

In a fascinating talk Akhundov explained that the roots of German migration to the Caucasus and Azerbaijan stemmed from the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars. The Russian Empire welcomed German immigrants, who moved eastwards with messianic belief in a better future than the brutal recent past they were leaving behind.

In Azerbaijan German settlers built the foundations of the country's wine industry. When the gubernatorial capital of Azerbaijan moved from the earthquake-damaged Shamakhi to the citadel Baku, its first municipal architect was the German Karl Gustav Hippius. Another German to leave a lasting impression on Baku was Nikolaus von der Nonne. Chief urban engineer of Baku, he paved the city's streets, was the architect of numerous significant buildings and was the man chiefly responsible for modernizing the city's sewage system.

And according to Akhundov, the first jazz band in Azerbaijan was a German jazz band in the settlement of Helenendorf (Goygol today) in the 1920s. German jazz bands have featured regularly throughout the first 20 years of BJF, and with the German ambassador to Azerbaijan in attendance at the talk, the BJF is actively promoting harmonious international ties that seem set to continue into the future.

Quentin Dujardin; Sorin Zlat; Antoine Pierre

Shur Music Club

As a musician, BJF's Artistic Director Rain Sultanov understands how important good sound is for both the musicians and the audience. So important, in fact, that he brought one of Europe's best sound engineers to Baku to oversee the majority of the concerts.

Reinhard Buchta has been sound engineer at Vienna's Porgy & Bess jazz club for decades and is respected by legions of musicians for his auditory skills. This was his sixth time working for BJF, but even he could not work miracles against the tidal wave of relentless chatter from the dining tables of Shur Music Club, which rendered Quentin Dujardin's chamber-esque jazz-folk practically inaudible.

It was necessary to stand right beside the stage in order to cut through the worst of the continuous chin-wagging racket. For the majority of punters in Shur Music Club this was background music—an unfortunately common perception of jazz held, it seems, by many people globally. It was their loss. Dujardin's elegant compositions drew on pan-European folk influences, from the Mediterranean to Andalusia. His melodies, chordal progressions and riffs on nylon-string guitar were buttressed by double bassist Boris Schmidt's grooving lines and accordionist Didier Laloy's mazy improvisations.

The compositions presented to cloth ears were from the forthcoming album Saison Orange, an album produced by Lee Townsend. Like Enzo Favata's concert the previous evening, there were shades of tango in Laloy's phrasing, as well as hints of gypsy music. The accordionist swayed and bent to the music's push and pull, arching his body as he stretched the bellows to arms' length. Watching his gyrations it was clear that this was as close as it is possible to get to dancing while sat upon a stool.

The musicians played gamely and professionally through the din, completely focused on the task in hand. In the end, they were probably playing mostly for themselves. With the greatest will in the world those who wished to listen to Dujardin's alternatively graceful and stirring music faced an uphill battle. Little wonder that Rain Sultanov gently scolded the crowd at concert's end by informing them that at Porgy and Bess—where he has played and recorded—the people listen to the musicians.

Perhaps multiple-award-winning Romanian pianist Sorin Zlat had caught Quentin Dujardin's set and decided that attack was the best form of defense. He did not silence the crowd, whose chatter continued like it was a Saturday-morning market, but, if one was close enough to the stage the music did cut through the hubbub.

With degrees in both classical clarinet and jazz piano, Zlat has all the tools in his kitbag—phenomenal technique, surgical articulation and a love of Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson. All this filtered through on the opener, "Sparkling Water," where his lightning-fast runs on the venue's concert piano were spiced by playful rhythmic punctuation.

Undeterred by the evening's acoustic challenges, Zlat, bassist Adrian Flautistu and drummer Julian Nicolau pressed on with two tunes from Endurance (A&A Records, 2015): "Roxanne," which walked a line between ballad and mid-tempo stroll, featured a fine intervention from Flautistu, while the boppish burner "Little Maximus" saw Zlat—in breathlessly expansive mode—channeling his inner Bud Powell. Nicolau also got to strut his stuff, trading back and forth with the pianist in an exhilarating finale.

Zlat's solo introduction to the next piece brought unexpected, near-unanimous applause. Could it be that they crowd had interpreted Zlat's folksy, micro-tonal foray as a tribute to Azeri mugham? If so, they may have been disappointed to learn it was actually a Romanian gypsy melody. On continuation Zlat and co dazzled with a virtuoso jazz-folk brew of emotionally dark hues—how could it be otherwise on a tale of love spurned and curses cast?

A fine ballad, its spare architecture stark against the churning chatter, was testament to Zlat's determination not to compromise his set. The trio wrapped up with a stormy dialog of charging rhythms and slippery piano glissandi, culminating in Nicolau's pyrotechnics over a Latin-tinged piano-cum-bass vamp. The trio took its bows to enthusiastic applause. At least the crowd did not miss that cue.

Last into the cauldron was the quartet of drummer Antoine Pierre. As a sideman the Belgian has worked with musicians of the caliber of Philip Catherine, Philippe Aerts, Logan Richardson, Enrico Pieranunzi, Didier Lockwood and Jacky Terrasson. But it is as a leader of moveable feast Urbex and the trip-hop alt-jazz outfit Next.Ape that he has earned a reputation as an original voice on the Belgian jazz/improvised music scene.

Pierre's driving polyrhythms were central to this bassless quartet, though saxophonist Bo Van Der Werf's gutsy riffing and guitarist Reiner Baas' deft chordal play helped carry the grooves. Flautist Ketija Ringa Karahona alternated between harmonic lines and melodious soloing. A member of Jasper Hoiby 's Fellow Creatures, Ringa also leads her own quintet and, if her performance with Pierre was anything to go by, hers is a name to watch out for.

Pierre's original compositions were characterized by a lively, contemporary sound where form and freedom went hand in hand. Even the one jazz standard, "All the Things You Are" was skinned, gutted and cooked to the point of being unrecognizable—a kinetic scramble of combustible rhythms, melodious interweaving lines and free soloing. It was exhilarating stuff, but just as compelling was the quartet chemistry on a slower tune where Baas' ostinato provided a delectable groove and launching pad for flights by Van Der Werf and Ringa.

The leader unleashed a monster of a drum solo before the quartet finished with another belter—riffing saxophone motif and counter flute motif, a terrific solo from Ringa and a heady charge to the finishing line with extended unison riffing over double-time groove. Seriously good stuff.

Interplay

Friday, October 31, Heydar Aliev Centre

The curtain came down on BJF 2025 with a performance by American group Interplay. Interplay is keyboardist Tomasz Bura, drummer Nathaniel Townsley and double bassist Chelton Grey—subbing for the unavailable Anton Davidyants. Joining the trio was special guest, vocalist Cheryl Pepsi Riley. The singer is no stranger to the band, having sung on Interplay's album Live at Animaton Studios (Self Produced, 2025).

The venue for the final concert of BJF 2025 was the Heydar Aliev Centre—a dramatic symbol of the modernization of Azerbaijan since gaining its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Designed by Iraqi British architect Zaha Hadid, this national cultural centre is devoid of straight lines. Constructed from thousands of curved panels, the building flows like a continual wave—a reference to Islamic calligraphy.

Walking around the exterior one's perspective of the building is also in constant flux as curves rise and fall, and as the sunlight plays on its satin skin. Inside, its eight floors—with no columns in sight—house conference rooms, art galleries, a museum and a 1,000-seat auditorium. Both inside and out, Heydar Aliev Centre is a wonder of modern architecture.

The contrast between this gleaming, futuristic edifice and the drab Soviet-era residential tower blocks that surround it is striking. Building of the Heydar Aliyev Centre was not without controversy. Forced evictions and demolitions preceded construction—actions roundly criticized in a damning report by Human Rights Watch.

Security was tighter than usual at most jazz concerts as one of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev's daughters was attending the concert. Passport/ID details of all attendees had to be submitted beforehand. State security acted as the doormen. Everyone passed through a body scanner. It felt like travelling to a different country.

But for the full house in the Heydar Aliyev Centre's spectacular auditorium, music was the only thing on their minds. The show began with a trio instrumental. Burra drew dreamy ambient soundscapes from his synthesizer as former Joe Zawinul Syndicate drummer Townsley unleashed a pulverizing barrage on his kit. With Grey holding down a steady funk groove Burra carved a beautifully keening solo that evoked Pat Metheny at his most searching. The juxtaposition of spare groove, ferocious drumming and deeply lyrical keys made for a winning intro.

The mood changed to one of sensuous r&b with the arrival of Cheril Pepsi Riley, who revealed a soulful voice of terrific potency on the Roberta Flack hit "Feel Like Making Love." A sustained note belted out in the free-spirited finale made one's hairs stand on end. A fairly routine version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" did not trouble the same hairs. More satisfying was the slow-burning soul-funk of "Inner City Blues," with Bura and Townsley once again combining in a captivating passage of free improvisation.

There were more soul-funk fireworks on "Cherish The Day"—a summer anthem if ever there was—and "Ain't Nobody" by '70s funksters Rufus—the band that launched Chaka Khan. Dancing broke out below the stage. The musicians chose to exit on a high, their stage-exit-left departure after 50 minutes a tease all but guaranteeing collective braying for an encore. It duly came, accompanied by crowd participation. Interplay was probably the least jazzy of the several jazz-adjacent concerts at BJK 2025, but the musicianship was out of the top drawer and the performance impassioned and highly enjoyable. It sent everyone home—possible even the State security men—in a feel-good mood.

Wrap-up

Eight days of concerts, talks, workshops, jam sessions and exhibitions brought jazz up close and personal to people from all walks of Baku life—from political big cheeses and embassy ambassadors to university students, and from people with disabilities to foreign residents and tourists. That young adults with disabilities were part of the main stage program on the first night, rather than simply passive invitees, speaks volumes for BJF's ethos in viewing jazz as a music of inclusion.

Musicians from 21 countries portrayed jazz in its myriad forms—from bebop to fusion, with a significant variety of folkloric colors underscoring jazz's ability to absorb locally and evolve transnationally. Refreshingly, there was harldy a laptop or a MIDI in sight.

Not everything panned out as planned. Jam sessions failed to spark at the Jolly Joker, only kicking in on days six and seven at Shur Music Club—an indicator that an intimate venue is a prerequisite for such spontaneous sessions.

Back in 2005, this same locale was home to Baku's dedicated jazz club—run by BJF's Artistic Director, Rain Sultanov. The jazz club only ran for a couple of years before market forces prevailed. Since then the jazz club has gone, BJF host venues have come and gone, and sponsors have come and gone.

The challenges of keeping BJF going for 20 years—and thriving—have been enormous. But Sultanov has never lost faith. A clearly moved Sultanov recalled those heady days in an address to the crowd after one of the gigs in his former club. "We began the Baku Jazz Festival here," he said. "Thanks to the energy of the planet and God we are here 20 years after, " he said. "We are still here."

Comments