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Oct. 12 – 13, the Lithuanian Jazz Days, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Czech Republic together with the Jazz Dock and the conference Forum 2000, is the first festival to introduce the Lithuanian progressive Jazz scene to the Czech audience. Amongst the performers are locally and internationally acclaimed jazz projects: Liudas Mockūnas solo project as well as his jazz trio, Tree Stones Quartet, and Sheep Got Waxed trio. Over two days, four concerts will touch on a number of different genres ranging from academic music, to experimental jazz, to free improvisation.

“Such festivals are a point where valuable exchange between cultures, ideas and people takes place. We create a common cultural area - it includes the projects here representing Lithuania, and those who came to play with them from the surrounding region.” says instrumentalist and composer Liudas Mockūnas.

The festival will begin Oct. 12 with a discussion “Art under Totalitarian Regimes: a Lithuanian Jazz Story.” It is a part of the 18th annual Forum 2000 conference “Democracy and Its Discontents” and will recollect the jazz scene of the 1970’s Lithuania, the Singing Revolution and the significance of blending politics and the arts. Amongst the panellists will be Jiří Stivín, internationally acclaimed and award winning Czech multi-instrumentalist and composer. The discussion, solely dedicated to the topic of Lithuania for the first time in Forum 2000, according to Mockūnas, also a panellist in the discussion, is an opportunity to not only hear jazz, but to understand Lithuania from an entirely new angle.

"Jazz and democracy are brothers. Where one is denied, we can expect the imminent demise of the other. Several decades ago, jazz survived in the USSR giving hope and strength to people who eventually prevailed and brought about fundamental democratic change." notes the philosopher, cultural critic, and one of the discussion panellists Leonidas Donskis. He adds, that the Forum 2000 is “a timely and important event in our turbulent and disturbing times with high hopes to broaden our moral and political horizon and to strengthen our sense of belonging to Europe, one and indivisible."

Second year in a row, amongst the attendants of the Forum 2000 is the first Head of State of the independent Lithuania Prof. Vytautas Landsbergis. He is scheduled to join Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian businessman and Prisoner of Conscience, in a discussion on Russia’s involvement in the world stage.

In the line-up of events of the Lithuanian Jazz Days, the audience will meet Liudas Mockūnas, a holder of the Danish Music Award 2004, Vilnius Jazz 2006, and further prizes. In 2011, he was also awarded the Gold Cross for the best Lithuanian composer of theater music. In his trio compositions he involves the use of variety of improvised instruments such as bells, metal plates, chains, lids of pots, chopsticks, and real-time electronics. A noteworthy musician form the Tree Stones Quartet is Kęstutis Vaiginis, a talented saxophonist representing a young generation Lithuanian musicians, who holds the Europamusicale 2013 award. Dmitry Golovanov is an examplary jazz pianist who creativly crosses free jazz and classic jazz with electronic music, and the Sheep Got Waxed trio are masters of improvisation, brining a unique energy that often comes in burst of unexpected sonic eruptions.

Other Organizers of the Lithuanian Jazz Days are the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania, Lithuanian Jazz Federation and Lithuanian Jazz Gallery.

Program of the Lithuanian Jazz Days: http://www.jazzdock.cz/en/programme

Program of the Forum 2000: http://www.forum2000.cz/cz/projekty/konference-forum-2000/2014/program/