“Balkan Jazz Connections” is the theme for this year’s 15th edition of the “Jazz Appreciation Month” festival in Montenegro, set to take place from April 1st to 30th. Drawing from our experience last year with the Balkan Youth Jazz Orchestra project, we aim to highlight individual composers and their ensembles, promoting their musical achievements. The concert program will feature, for the first time in Montenegro, the Vocal Quartet Ming from Belgrade, led by pianist and composer Nevena Pejčić, Gordan Spasovski Trio from Skopje showcasing their successful debut album “Light Pillar”, and Mimika Orchestra from Zagreb led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Mak Murtić. Additionally, making their debut will be an ensemble from Istanbul, a jazz trio led by pianist and composer Baturay Yarkin, with the participation of Nagme Yarkin, a vocal soloist and performer on the Turkish traditional instrument kemenche. The young Podgorica band Kuhinjazz will also present their original music. Before these young and promising musicians and groups, the SUper Sax 4 quartet from Subotica, consisting of experienced saxophonists: Jasna Jovićević, Adam Klem, Gabor Bunford, and Maks Kočetov, will perform.
As part of the regular “Jazz on Film” series, we will premiere a 2006 documentary about Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock: Possibilities) directed by Doug Biro and Jon Fine, and a 2017 French biographical film about Django Reinhardt (Django) directed by Etienne Comar.
Besides Podgorica, festival events will also take place in Cetinje, Bar, and Pljevlja.
We thank everyone who contributed as partners in organizing the largest jazz event in our country: KIC “Budo Tomović”, the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City, the Tourist Organization of Podgorica, the Museums and Galleries of Podgorica, the Royal Theater Zetski dom, the Cultural Center of Bar, the Municipality of Pljevlja and the Center for Culture of Pljevlja, Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish Airlines, and the French Institute.
The final week of the festival will be attended by representatives of the French radio Couleurs Jazz Radio.
We will conclude the JAM 2022 program by celebrating International Jazz Day on April 30th with a performance by Mimika Orchestra.
You can view the detailed schedule of JAM 2022 events here.
