Lakecia Benjamin, Bilal and homegrown stars get Bulgaria’s A To Jazz fest grooving

People will pay to hear music that is worth it, but the very idea of the free festival is still something quite priceless. The dividend is democratic. Access for all. A To Jazz, which has been held in the Bulgarian capital Sofia for the past 12 years, is a prime example of an event that upholds that ideal in the best possible way, meaning there is no compromise on artistic standards. A sea of faces heartily responding to a high-grade quartet in intense deconstruction of the masterwork of John Coltrane is good for the soul. This is where you can hear ‘A Love Supreme’ without a cost increased.  

Festival director Peter Dimitrov has thus been true to his mission statement of taking jazz out of “red carpet, elitist” settings and into a place with no such airs and graces, making it available to audiences who might not think they like jazz. It helps that he has chosen South Park, near the city centre, with its open expanse of green grass and small clusters of trees that mean that hammocks can be strung up for those who want to give new meaning to the word swing, whether they be adults or children. Perhaps with sustainability in mind, there is not a huge number of stalls on site, even though the Aperol Spritz bar, where orange cocktails are flowing freely, does a very brisk trade. It is easy to see why audiences peak at 20,000. There is every reason to attend. Even the heavy storm on the opening day gives way to glorious sunshine thereafter.

Held over four days that feel like a long weekend, A To Jazz strikes a balance between domestic, regional and international acts that cover a fair amount of ground stylistically. The new series of World Music showcases give an interesting overview of the variety of South Eastern and central European traditions, with Hungary’s Ephemere standing out for its blend of Hungarian and French influences, as well as impressive soloing by trumpeter Patrik Sebestyen. Greek ensemble Argalios also plays an interesting set in which folkloric percussion instruments and vocals sit well with piano and double bass that both have passing flourishes of improvisation.

As for Bulgarian bands there are several of them throughout the festival, all playing to high standard, from electric bassist Evdn to soulstress Krista and hip-hop jazz combo Bobo & The Gang. While they go down well enough the group that gets the originality prize is Clavexperience, a trio fronted by vocalist Pavel Terziyski that weaves together scat, beatboxing and live looping with a rainbow of keyboards and electronic soundscapes to create music that channels the spirits of Bobby and Taylor McFerrin. Moving seamlessly from dreamy ambient grooves to choppy drum & bass, the band has an intriguing sound that stands as an almost unbroken improvisation rather than a collection of songs, and, if properly produced on a studio recording, should raise its profile and do Bulgaria country proud. Which is food for thought, given that, in a fascinating afternoon panel discussion, a compatriot, singer Ruth Koleva made a shocking revelation about the unfiltered discrimination she has faced from Dutch promoters who feared that too many Bulgarians would turn up to her gig.

Bilal in Bulgaria - Photo by Lubomir Vassilev / LAVA

It is deeply ironic considering the faultless behaviour of the A To Jazz audience, which requires minimal security and stewarding. In fact, this is a distinctly family friendly event, where pick-nick blankets and coolers are commonplace. Yet serious music heads have much to enjoy when the headliners take to the stage for the final slot of each evening. If one wanted to pinpoint the longstanding and ever evolving relationship between gospel, soul, funk and jazz then Bilal could well be a suitable standard-bearer. Although less commercially successful than his talent warrants the Philadelphian singer-composer remains one of the most significant arrivals in black music in the last two decades, and although the mix could have been a touch kinder to him at times he is on imperious form. His three-piece band – guitar, bass, drums – has a hard edge in the absence of an expected keyboardist or backing vocalist, providing a sound that compares with Bilal’s sanctified screams and contrasts with his ethereal sensitivity. In an intriguing scramble of historical sources, the group sets one of the vocalist’s enduring anthems, ‘I Really Don’t Care’, to the break of hip-hop icon Nas’s ‘The World Is Yours’, but Ahmad Jamal’s wily piano sample takes on an even more wistful resonance when recast through Randy Runyon’s distorted six-string.

As for the funky solidity of ‘Back To Love’ it highlights the bebop liquidity of Bilal’s fine phrasing, which would have done both Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks proud. Alto saxophonist-rapper Lakecia Benjamin has a similarly wide cross-genre approach even though her instrumentation is markedly different. Fronting a classic acoustic quartet with synthesizer acting as an occasional additional harmonic colour she swings the hardest of anybody at the whole festival, reaching creative high ground with a cover of Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme.’ However, if Trane is one of her key role models then so is Maceo Parker, whose presence is felt vividly on Benjamin’s heated rhythmic trills over the beats of James Brown and The Meters.

While the set is undeniably strong it is topped by Judith Hill‘s for her all too rare combination of musical excellence and five-star entertainment. With charisma that almost makes the stage lighting redundant Hill stands in a long lineage of soul-funk divas who can move you to tears with a single holler let alone a confessional whisper in the dark. There is the lifeblood of the black church running through her vocals but Hill’s musicianship also turns heads. She plays piano well and her guitar playing is outstanding. She is a bonafide lead rather than rhythm player whose solos upend the traditional image of the female singer handing the spotlight to a male hotshot for pyrotechnics. Hill lights her own fire. Her energy burns starry bright among the mass waving of iPhones. 

Late night jam sessions at the indoor hall Toplocentrala keep the vibe going but perhaps the greatest achievement of A To Jazz is the creation of an atmosphere that is conducive to engagement with music that varies from enticing to challenging. This is a vibrant festival that makes no cheap shots while being easy on the pockets of all.