Jazz, as a major form of musical expression, has been for a century since its emergence in United States a symbol of musical creativity and energy. Improvisation, one of its key elements, makes it one of the most interesting musical genres. Ljubljana, Slovenian capital, is a city that breaths, sings and dances with jazz through many clubs as well as through festivals and even conferences.
Jazz nights in Ljubljana take place through all the week. After a meeting, a business guest eager to enjoy in jazz melodies created by skilful and master musical hands, should on Monday visit the Činčin club. The fresh venue which, appropriately so, hosts ‘best ice cold gin and tonics and serves steamy music selections’, offers Jazz Mondays. Činčin is located in a former Ljubljana’s Tobacco Factory (Tobačna Ljubljana) that has been through last two decades changed into a centre of creative and artistic venues. Činčin pleases with its industrial-retro and laid-back atmosphere.
Tuesday evenings, then, are for visiting the Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre‘s CD Club and its Tuesday Clubbing programme (Cankarjevi torki) that offers next to musical concerts also the view of the city skyscape and its castle. The visitor can enjoy either in the Slovenian jazz creativity, or in the star-studded line-up of contemporary bands presenting new music by established and exciting up-and-coming artists from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
On Thursdays, Du Bop that works as a coffee shop, art gallery and living room all in one, offers cool and exciting Jazz Jam Sessions of local jazz musicians.
While on all other days, it depends of the selected evenings and programme, Jazz Club Gajo, the most prominent and the oldest Ljubljana’s Jazz Club that has been written in Slovenia’s musical history, hosts jazz performances. Jazz Club Gajo offers indoor and outdoor edition. From spring to autumn, its summer garden is perfectly located in the vicinity of Modern and National Gallery and under thick impressive trees and romantic lights. Jazz Gajo Garden follows the famous Summertime song where ‘the livin’ is easy’ and shapes its days and nighs in the same spirit.
Another club that offers jazz experience on selected evenings is Repete – Jazz & Refreshments, located in the Old Town in a picturesque setting on top of one of the Old Town’s narrow and windy streets taking up the hill towards the Ljubljana Castle. The street rarely takes tourist crowds’s attention, despite its beautiful setting, so the location of Repete, which offers food and live accoustic jazz acts and DJs, perfectly so enables one to enjoy in music and hang out with local jazz enthusiasts.
Prulček bar, whose innovative decor is based on the principle of waste material recycling, can pride itself in hosting a vibrant daily programme of events. On any day of the year, its guests can enjoy a music concert, an exhibition or a theatre performance or take part in a workshop. The bar offers a wide selection of all styles of beer from around the world that can be leisurely drank in its summer garden.
From Repete, there is a nice walk towards the Ljubljana Castle, where another Jazz jewel is hidden. The word is about Ljubljana Castle Jazz Club that on weekends in its Rock Hall a creative guest can listen to renowned Slovenian and foreign artists.
Kino Šiška, the only place among the jazz venues in this article that is located out of the city center, but still easily accessible by bus or shared bicycle system BicikeLJ or by a pleasant 20min walk, is also called The Centre for Urban Culture. The programme of the Kino Šiška centre for urban culture regularly features big names in indie rock, hip hop, metal, electronic music, contemporary jazz, and other urban genres. Boasting one of the best and most well-equipped concert and theatre halls in Ljubljana, it also hosts several renowned music festivals, including Druga godba, as well as contemporary performing arts events.
Ljubljana has been for almost 60 years hosting Ljubljana Jazz Festival, one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe, which will this year, in its 59th edition, be held from 27 to 30 June.
Another Ljubljana’s prominent music festival is Druga godba which is also one of the most prominent music festivals in Central Europe. This year’s 34th edition will be held between 24th and 26th of May.
- The proof that the Ljubljana Jazz Festival trumpets alongside world renowned jazz festivals, is the recent win of the 7th European Jazz Network (EJN) Award for Adventurous Programming.
- The fourth European Jazz Conference took place in Ljubljana’s Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre between 21 and 24 September 2017. With 280 delegates from 43 different countries the Conference, that included the 30th EJN General Assembly, was the most attended EJN (Europe Jazz Network) Conference by then.
