Like A Jazz Machine Festival
(Operderschmelz, Dudelange, Luxembourg. 10-11 May 2024. Review by Oliver Weindling)

Like A Jazz Machine cleverly mixes higher profile acts with music of some of the leading and up-and-coming local bands in a five-day festival (I attended days 3 and 4). It takes place in a modern arts complex in Dudelange, about 20 minutes from Luxembourg City, with cinemas, an exhibition space and the national audiovisual centre. It’s all modern, spotless and a bit lacking in personality, but the audience and music were there to compensate. I also noted that the town of Dudelange spends around 15% of its annual budget on culture

The evenings (and Saturday afternoon) mainly included bands with Luxembourg connections, though interspersed with some strong European bands.

The trio led by the French bassist Claude Tchamitchian was a fitting start for the two days. A really well-matched trio with Christophe Monniot on alto and Eric Echampard on drums, they seemed totally at ease with each other. Clearly the bassist is the leader in giving a drive and energy, but without overpowering. And there seemed to be a subtle feel of Armenian folk, with the saxophone emulating the duduk, the indigenous reed instrument, probably reflecting Tchamitchian’s heritage.

Also, on the first night, there was the warm and sophisticated guitar of Dominic Miller, most known as the long-standing guitarist with Sting as well as his own albums on ECM. The driving drumming of Ziv Ravitz and the jazz-rock energy of ex-Level 42 keyboardist Mike Lindup acted as solid foundations for Miller’s melodism.

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Then, on the second day, we heard the band NOVA, of Belgian bassist Felix Zurstrassen. He had ‘upped the ante’ on his regular band, which itself has been going since 2021. Still there were regulars Nelson Veras on guitar and Ben van Gelder, both with as much fluency as ever. But, temporarily replacing Kit Downes and drummer Antoine Pierre, his two other band regulars, he was fortunate to have Jeff Ballard and Aaron Parks. It’s understandable that he needed two players of such touch and skill if one thinks of the usual members! And they certainly delivered, giving the group a different focus which one doesn’t hear on the album, for example on the tune “Kit’s Stones” (named after the pianist of course): Parks with the most caring interventions, never out of place, and Ballard more of a sonic wizard than just a drummer.

Airelle Besson is one of several female trumpeters lighting up the scene across Europe.The main focus of the two days was on bands from Luxembourg, and they interspersed the other bands. On the first night we heard two examples from the young scene – perhaps a sign that the baton is being passed. Claire Parsons, on vocals and keyboards, with her regular partner, Eran Har Even on guitar, they had the good fortune of Ziv Ravitz joining on drums. This created a more energetic performance than when I had heard her play in the duo before, with more complex and more driving songs. At just 31, she is “one to watch”!

The other band on the first night was a hard post-bop band led by Luxembourg trumpeter Daniel Migliosi, now just 20 and studying in Cologne. He included two UK musicians – Sean Payne on alto and Kai Craig, now resident in New York, on drums. Both showed the blistering imaginative skills that we’ve known for a while. One to watch.

The second day moved between the main stage and the nearby Kantin.

Airelle Besson interwove her trumpet sound with vocalist Lynn Cassiers, such that we couldn’t often separate out their separate sounds. Meanwhile Benjamin Moussay and Fabrice Moreau provided a great foundation from which they could build.

We saw on the main stage one of the more established stars in Luxembourg, and father figure of the present scene. Pascal Schumacher has wowed us for many years on vibraphone. Though the set he did, including Greg Lamy on guitar, Marc Demuth (bass) and Jeff Herr (drums) was more lyrical and generally ‘softer’ than I had perhaps expected.

As we had experienced with both Claire Parsons and Daniel Migliosi the night before, there seems to be in Luxembourg a new, diverse energy in the new generation in Luxembourg. The bands in the more club-like venue seemed at ease. More grooving and including additional ‘contemporary’ elements. This was noticeable in the band of drummer Michel Meis, which included Pol Berardi on bass and Jérome Klein on keyboards, both consummate band leaders in their own right. But also with Linq and Jambal who had performed earlier in the day. Indeed Jambal openly acknowledges the debt it has to the current UK scene. It will be intriguing to see if these bands are able to really develop an identity beyond the local.

LINK: Festival website