Artist: Djabe
Label: Self-released
Release: 2009
Rating: 4.2/5
Djabe are an outstanding jazz fusion band from Hungary, weaving jazz, rock, world music, Gypsy motifs and a whole lot more into their compositions. In recent years they’ve become even better known, thanks to guitar giant Steve Hackett (Genesis, GTR) taking an interest in them. He plays with them quite often and has even guested on a few of their albums.
July 17 was the day Djabe were billed to play Slovenj Gradec, more specifically the courtyard of Rotenturn Castle, a truly idyllic spot. Us Slovenian fans got to look forward to a one-of-a-kind musical adventure with the one-of-a-kind Djabe. But that wasn’t all. Their longtime friend Steve Hackett joined them on stage too, which made the local music crowd even happier. The show was special for one more reason, though. A key member of the band was missing – bassist Tamas Barabas, whose twins had been born just a week before the gig. Gabor Vermes had to learn all the bass parts in three days, but the task wasn’t too much for him and he slotted into the band’s songs without a hitch.
The CD kicks off with the best of the lot – Steve’s phenomenal solo from Firth of Fifth, which Hackett has recently been playing in full at his solo shows. Of Steve’s own pieces, we also get the hypnotic The Steppes and In that Quiet Earth (from Genesis’ album Wind and Wuthering). In between come some excellent Djabe tracks that hold their own against Steve’s material in terms of innovation, composition and arrangements. And when the former Genesis guitarist himself jumps in on guitar now and then, those tracks come off even better.
Djabe shine in both their lively jazz-rock stretches and their slower, ambient moments. There’s always plenty of world music influence too, and of course Romani melodies (that goes especially for Ferenc Kovacs’ violin). Djabe are truly outstanding composers and musicians, and they can win you over with faster and slower moments alike, but when guitar virtuoso Steve Hackett adds his bit, bringing a touch of symphonic rock and blues, it all comes off even better. No matter how good Djabe are, Steve overshadows them every time he grabs a guitar, but that’s the whole point of these joint shows, since Djabe are well aware of how much bigger a name the English gentleman is. For me, the highlights of the album are definitely Hackett’s pieces, if only because I know them best, but Djabe are growing on me more and more too. There are quite a few goosebump moments – the guitar parts I already mentioned, both trumpeters playing at once, a few violin passages, excellent ambient sections on keyboards and acoustic guitar, and so on.
Not all the material we heard in Slovenj Gradec made it onto the CD. Due to time constraints, Djabe left out Sheafs are Dancing, Erdo Erdo and the intriguing Angklung, which was played on an Indonesian instrument of the same name as the track. It’s a shame we can’t relive the whole concert (or, if you weren’t there, hear it in full on disc), but Djabe went with their strongest cards.
This live album really shows how special Djabe are. Their music is full of different emotions, very varied, draws on many sources and is simply the kind of thing you don’t get tired of any time soon. Their show alone would have been enough, but add Steve Hackett on top and it’s truly something else. This CD really brings back fond memories of their gig and of the trip back in time with Steve Hackett, who picked only older pieces from his own catalog.
Lineup
Égerházi Attila – guitar
Kovács Ferenc – trumpet, violin
Kovács Zoltán – keyboards
Banai Szilárd – drums
Gabor Vermes – bass guitar
Steve Hackett – guitar
Aron Koos-Hutas – trumpet
Production
Djabe
Track List
1. Intro
2. Firth of Fifth
3. Underwater Sunlight
4. The Steppes
5. Afro Dance
6. Clouds Dance
7. Winter Forest
8. Blues in Slovenj Gradec
9. Distant Dance
10. In That Quiet Earth
11. Behind The Veil
