Vive le Jazz!
French Jazz Festival at Opus Jazz Club
17-19. November

French jazz means a bright spot in the European scene, and this is celebrated by Vive le Jazz!, a joint festival of the Budapest Music Center and the French Institute, which will once again present three captivating ensembles on the stage of Opus Jazz Club from 17 to 19 November.

This year's festival programme explores the potential of acoustic and electronic sounds, and that the most ancient instrument, the human voice, in the creative music of the 21st century. On 17 November, the concert series is launched by YOU, a trio of musicians who are not afraid to turn to any genre from Maloya and jazz to post-rock. Linda Oláh's vocals go straight to the heart, guitarist Guillaume Magne's tone ranges from translucent to howling, and drummer Héloise Divilly, from Réunion, composes music open to all kinds of winds and currents. The sound of vocals, guitars and drums is at once raw and sophisticated, saturated yet empty, and this dizzying emptiness constantly keeps the listener on the edge.

On 18 November, they are followed by Mowgli, the electro-jazz trio of Ferdinand Doumerc, who may be familiar to the audience from Pulcinella, a band that has recorded three albums on the label of BMC Records. Mowgli's music mixes intoxicating and catchy riffs with experimental themes, asymmetrical yet danceable grooves – just as the hero of The Jungle Book explores life beyond the fringes of human society, Mowgli ventures into the depths of an imaginary jungle.

The festival comes to a close with French star trio Drôles de Dames on 19 November. Trumpet and flugelhorn, analogue synthesizer and tenor saxophone, vocals and alto saxophone, all accompanied by a host of effects. The wind instruments murmur or howl, the keyboard parts are constantly layered, and the vocals roll like a mantra, evoking sci-fi films as much as Sun Ra's retro-futurism and delirium.

Venue:
BMC – Opus Jazz Club
1093 Budapest, Mátyás utca 8.

Program:

Thursday, 17 November 2022 8 PM YOU

Friday, 18 November 2022 8 PM Mowgli

Saturday, 19 November 2022 8 PM Drôles de Dames

Tickets available at bmc.jegy.hu and on the spot.

Supported by Institut français de Budapest and Groupama.