Getting it together....through Jazz

In the past I have blogged about all kinds of music related festivals that take place during the summer months, however, what I'm going to impart today is a little different in that the festival I'm going to tell you about doesn't take place in the summer. Unfortunately for me I had never been able to take the time off to visit that festival when living in Ukraine, but from the looks of things it is shaping up to be an extremely interesting cross-border and regional project.

Quite a while back when I was much more predisposed to being able to get around Ukraine, I had written about an ethno-Jazz group from L'viv called Shokolad. They got their start at the festival which is going on as I write this, that is definitely worth while attending if you are one who appreciates Jazz. In fact the Jazz Bezz Festival in L'viv is now in its tenth year and opened on December 2^nd and runs through to Sunday December 12.

While, it is unfortunate that I won't be there for any of it let me just give you a little bit of a taste of what is up from today through Sunday.

The main line-up for the following days is as follows and most events take place at two different venues over the next six days. Either the Jazz Club at 35 Virmenska Street or at the L'viv Philharmonic at 7 Chaykovsky Street.

Today December 6^th at the Phiharmonic at 19:00:

Pervoe Sonce (First Sun) from Russia followed by Full Blast: Broetzman - Pliakas – Wertmuelle from Switzerland.

Wednesday December 8^th at 20:00 @ the Jazz Club – Kvartyra 35 Second Floor – 35 Virmenska presents Music Hole from Ukraine.

Friday December 10 ^th at the Philharmonic starting 19:00

The Alex Maksymiv Project – including musicians from Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal and Argentina. This will be followed up by Yaremchuk & Lapin, another cross border project but between Ukraine and Russia.

Saturday Decmber 11^th gigs will also be taking place at the Philharmonic with the same start time and will feature the Joachim Mencel Trio from Poland followed by Tetyana Balakyrska & the Free Spoken Band. Another Ukraine-Russia project.

The final night, Sunday December 12 will feature the LeLa project – Krunk an Armenian Ukainian project and Portrety: Ross Quartet with musicians from Ukraine and Poland.

The project has clearly brought together musicians and those who enjoy jazz,and as a little treat here are a few things pieces brought to you due to the courtesy of contemporary technologies.

First there's the Second Approach Trio at Jazz Bezz 2010.

Then there is also something that you can take a look at featuring a Jam Session which took place on Thursday December 3^rd at Kvartya 35. These Thursday night events are a regular happening for Jazz lovers in L'viv. That night bass player Ihor Ivanushkin from Second Approach and and fiddler Mateusz Smoczyński from New Trio joined in. You can check it out here:

So if you are in the vicinity of L'viv in the next couple of days this may be something you may want to check out. I know if I were closer I sure would.