Bassist Mingo Rajandi and saxophonist Ben Wendel wow at Jazzkaar

The Jazzkaar festival in Tallin, Estonia is an important showcase for local and international artists, who appear either in the large concert hall, Vaba Lava or the smaller adjacent venue Fortografiska over an action-packed week. But this 34^th edition excitingly blurs that line with a series of cross-border collaborations. The ensemble led by the imaginative Estonian pianist-composer Kirke Karja is a kind of ‘New United Nations’, which includes French bassist Etienne Renard and German drummer Ludwig Wandinger, as well as Austrian, Korean and Finnish artists. It is the talk of the town, but while the septet ‘goes XL’ a size S ensemble also makes a big splash. Estonian double bassist Mingo Rajandi’s meeting with Polish duo DEAE (drummer Ole Rzepka and flautist Zofia Ilnicke - all pictured below) is the fruit of a joint project between Jazzkaar and Katowice Jazz/Art in Poland and has a further pan-European dimension insofar as one of the key sources of inspiration is the German abbess-philosopher-composer Hildegard Von Binken, who wrote monophonic spiritual songs in the 12^th century. These original melodies, which are discreetly rhapsodic, are dotted throughout a suite that sees the three players move through shifting soundscapes that have a darkly enigmatic character. While electronic hisses, squelches and slithers enhance the ensemble voice it is the deep draught of Ilnicke’s bass flute that catches the ear, with the precise restraint of Rajandi’s bowing and Rzepka’s cymbal scrapes giving more space to the woodwind, which drifts across the stage like mid-winter fog.     

Furthermore, the concert is a sign of the notable gender balance at the festival that has a number of female leaders, from Holland-based American gospel diva Michelle David to Portugese fado star Sara Correia to several Estonians, pianist Rahel Talts and singers Kadri Voorand and Liisi Koikson. As for Finnish alto- baritone saxophonist Linda Fredriksson she impresses with a mostly ambient, wholly contemplative set that has frequent references to the beauty of nature as well as potent improvisations from drummer Olavi Louhivuori, keyboardist Tuomo Prattala, bassist Mikael Saastamoinen and Fredriksson herself, who does fine work on the lower horn. Music aside, her dedication of the concert to the courage of the trans, non-binary and queer communities is a heartfelt statement that is met with very fulsome applause.  

Tributes are also a major part of the great performance of Canadian-American tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel, who leads an excellent band – drummer Nate Wood, bassist Harish Raghavan and pianist Taylor Eigisti – that strikes a balance between serious chops and appealing themes. The material is inspired by stars such as Bill Frisell, Terence Blanchard and Ahmad Jamal, whose recent passing makes ‘Song Song’, based on the pianist’s timeless ‘Poinciana,’ all the more appropriate. More North American representation comes from bass guitarist-vocalist Chris Morrissey, whose artful blend of indie-rock, pop and jazz has echoes of Meshell Ndegeocello, though the lyrical content is very much his own. As for The Baylor Project, co-led by wife and husband, Jean and Marcus Baylor, they bring a capacity crowd to its feet with a set that maintains and develops the important historical link between, gospel, blues and jazz. Jean’s vocal is outstanding while the quartet helmed by Marcus’s zestful rhythms astutely stretches the arrangements beyond a straight verse-chorus model.

No greater contrast could exist between this and several of the concerts that came before and after, which is testimony to the inclusive ways of Jazzkaar and its audience.