14,500 visitors celebrated the resurrection of festival culture and the 30th anniversary of JazzBaltica in Timmendorfer Strand from June 24 to 27. A total of 37 concerts, talks and sessions met with great interest and also attracted many passers-by spontaneously to the festival site.
Only one week before the festival started, the organizers had received the permission for JazzBaltica. This was linked to a number of conditions, such as wearing a mouth-nose protection on the festival grounds up to the seat, registering on site, e.g. via the Luca App or arriving particularly early to avoid queues. "I am highly satisfied - the audience behaved respectfully and responsibly. Despite the restrictions, the mood was relaxed at all times, so we were able to enjoy an unrestrictedly wonderful festival atmosphere," says Jörg Plagmann, head of concert organization.
Jazz greats in the main program
Not only the good weather contributed to the festival atmosphere, but also the location of the new MainStage in the Strandpark: between tall trees, which were colorfully illuminated at a late hour, the visitors sat in airy duo seats and finally experienced the concerts for which they had purchased tickets about 15 months ago. At that time JazzBaltica was postponed to 2021 due to corona, the tickets kept their validity.
After a one-year delay, jazz greats such as Wolfgang Muthspiel, Viktoria Tolstoy and Raul Midón now performed on the MainStage. Ensembles such as the Fabia Mantwill Orchestra, 4 Wheel Drive, the quartet KLARO!, the duo Tonbruket and the NDR Bigband, which had invited the American guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel to join them on stage, could be experienced. The family concert also took place on the MainStage - the story of Erwin the coati, who can trumpet with his nose, was accompanied musically by the NDR Bigband and told with great enthusiasm by actor Jörg Kleeman. The special concert on Thursday evening, June 24, featured first jazz pianists Rainer Böhm and David Helbock and then the JazzBaltica Ensemble Special Edition, which celebrated the festival's 30th anniversary until late in the evening.
The concerts on the MainStage were sold out. The artists on stage were exuberantly celebrated by the audience. Because there was no dancing due to the corona, there were all the more standing ovations, feet bobbing in time and clapping hands.
On Sunday afternoon, June 27, the young Swedish composer Joel Lyssarides and his trio performed at Strandpark, as well as Stockholm Underground - an ensemble with former members of the Nils Landgren Funk Unit, complemented by singer Ida Sand, flutist Magnus Lindgren and special guest Raul Midón. The main program concludes at 8:30 p.m. with the Jazzrausch Big Band.
You can find the whole article together with photos here: https://www.jazz-fun.de/jazzbaltica-2021.html
