Jazz I Am brings new connections and fresh talents to Barcelona

The 7^th edition of Jazz I AM confirmed its place among what could be called the hybrid festival-networking events on the European jazz scene. Its location, Barcelona, offers a setting with stunning architecture, bustling, tightly packed streets and a perpetual buzz that organically reinforces the spirit of the event. Taking place at El Molino, a well-appointed multi-purpose venue for concerts and meetings, Jazz I Am is indeed about discussion and performance.

The panels included Digital distribution for record labels and fittingly jazz in Catalonia while the Swedish pianist Lisa Ullen was in conversation to recollect her fascinating career. Otherwise artist showcases took pride of place. Lasting just half an hour these mini-sets could be seen as the equivalent of speed dating and offer a disadvantage to bands who need time to settle in but some performers rise to the challenge well. Two Spanish flautists Anggie Obin and Carmen Vela provide sharp contrasts in approach, the former being well rooted in a Rahsaan Roland Kirk-tinged territory with lots of explosive breathiness and hard swing, the latter has a softer attack, though her switch to clarinet and occasional use of flamenco rhythms raise energy levels. Born in Barcelona with Argentine and Swiss roots, pianist Lucia Fumero could be seen as the symbol of the local-international duality of Jazz I Am and her Latin melodic subtleties go down well while Nausyqa also impress with a haunting, moody at times quite Radioheadish sound.

Piano-drums duo Grabu are not so attention grabbing, primarily because they undermine their most interesting grooves with sedate, loungey melodies, breaking momentum just as the music is gaining it. Vibraphonist Andres Coll is quite the opposite. There is an exuberance if not frenzied energy in his trio, comprising Spanish drummer Ramon Lopez and Polish violinist Mateusz Smoczynski that threatens to boil over at times but is nonetheless well marshaled by players who have a good sense of dynamics and tread an astute path between avant-garde, folk and modernist vocabularies. Although bass-less the ensemble was not entirely low end-lite due to sturdy work on the kick by Lopez, an interesting dampened sound from the leader that was on occasion very close to a marimba, and Smoczynski’s effective use of a baritone violin. In any case when Coll switches to castanets and faces off with Lopez to create a percussive maelstrom that also has a spry, humourous theatricality there is a challenge to any notion of tradition, as they subvert as well as celebrate it, dashing expectations of what Spanish jazz might be and showing what it can possibly become.