Louise Balkwill, Domo Branch and more dazzle on the Riga Jazz Stage

If the triumph of composer Lolita Ritmanis at the 2022 Grammys threw a bright spotlight on Latvia then this well conceived international competition for young jazz artists held in Riga, capital of the Baltic state, is a fortuitous rejoinder to her victory. The first prize is 10 hours worth of recording at the prestigious Latvian Radio studio, where Ritmanis’s Women Warriors-The Voices Of Change was captured for posterity. That may prove a good omen for Portland-born New York-based Domo Branch (pictured below), who was the overall winner, though he also triumphed in one of two instrument categories, drums, with the other being vocals, which was won by Leicester’s Louise Balkwill (pictured top).

Confident and focused on stage at the lavish concert hall Splendid Palace the victors ran the gamut of contemporary jazz. Branch had a stealthy, subtle approach to groove that made a virtue of space, on occasion slightly recalling the intricacy of Brian Blade while Balkwill was firmly in a swing-scat tradition, which she personalized with solos based on transcriptions of such disparate figures as Sonny Stitt and Avishai Cohen.

Among the runners-up Belgian drummer Yannick Ballman also drew plaudits from an international jury comprising programmers at A-list European venues (Ronnie’s in London and Nardis in Istanbul), as did the inventive Italian vocalist Valentina Fin.

Over two nights, the contestants, of which the starting number was 23, were backed by the Riga Jazz quartet, featuring pianist Kristaps Vanadzins and bassist Janis Rubiks, and the band proved remarkably versatile, adapting seamlessly to the style of each new arrival who trooped on stage with little changeover time. To bring down the curtain on the competition there was a concert by American star Jamison Ross, also a jury member with the ultimate credentials: a drummer who sings. Or maybe a singer who plays drums. In an imperious but joyous performance Ross was so adept at both instruments that he could put down his sticks and sing a cappella, or solo at length during extended interactions with organist Cory Irvin and guitarist Rick Lollar, without appearing contrived. On one hand he is steeped in gospel and soul reaching back to he likes of Sam Cooke and Donny Hathaway, and on the other hand he has a tight grip on rhythm as well as a sly, artful looseness in the way he negotiates song structures that would have made one of his key role models, Billy Higgins, proud.

Himself the winner of a major prize, The Thelonious Monk, no less, at the start of his career, Ross conducted a workshop for the contestants earlier in the day in which he gave invaluable advice about ‘turning off the noise’ during a performance, and his spontaneity, bonhomie and ability to bridge the art-entertainment divide bore that out in no uncertain terms. On danceable originals such as ‘Call Me’ and ‘A Mellow Good Time’ and the majestic standard ‘Don’t Go To Strangers’ Ross was never less than engaging, and it is to his credit that he brings a unique proposition to the audience, namely an organ combo with four focal points – voice, drums, Hammond, guitar – but only three people on stage. Then again improvisers always like to play with numbers.