I dagarna slår Gamlestaden Jazz, eller ja, GMLSTN Jazz ner som en bomb på olika scener ut över Göteborg. Vi har därför pratat lite angående festivalen med Eric Arellano, en av arrangörerna, om vad det egentligen är som sker i en vecka framöver.
– Hi, my name is Eric Arellano, originally from California. I am the artistic director and initiator of Gamlestaden Jazz Festival since 2013. GMLSTN Jazz is a collaborative project with many of the vibrant jazz stages in Gothenburg.
Oh, nice … Something is happening this weekend. Can you tell me what?
– It’s a week long event with several stages around Gothenburg such as Stadsteatern, Nefertiti, Folk, Holy Moly, Kviberg, and the list goes on. From the beginning we started out as two musicians with a vision and an idea which I think actually was on the minds of Göteborg’s jazz scene for many years. We started out with two evenings out in East Gothenburg and now its all over the city for an entire week. The festival offers music that has influences from soul, r’n’b, hip-hop, indie pop, rock, electronic to funk.
Seven days filled with jazz, what shouldn’t we miss?
– I wouldn’t miss Hiatus Kaiyote at the City Theatre. It’s a killing band from Australia, two grammy nominations for best r’n’b performance, and to top it off, this is their first gig in Sweden. EVER. Additionally I’m looking forward to Sweden’s very own Isabella Lundgren with Calle Bagge Trio. It’s a great trio! She has a warmth about her on stage and has a great way of expressing lyrics. Also I really enjoy her album Somehow life got away which won best jazz album of the year in 2015.
”I really think there is
a jazz boom going on!”
What would you say of Gothenburg’s jazz scene today?
– It’s lively, vibrant and moving forward. It feels good. I feel truly privileged to experience the scene right now. It’s a rich and high quality music scene. Also, since I moved here in 2008 there has been wave of new jazz clubs in Gothenburg. I really think there is a jazz boom going on!
Do you see an increased interest from the younger generation?
– I really think so. We see a younger audience eager to come at our festival between the ages of 18-30. There are qualities in jazz that are relevant to all generations but really also in the younger generation. You hear cats like Flying Lotus and Kendrik Lamar incorporating elements of jazz in their music which is reaching a younger audience. But additionally I think we’re aware of the festivals’ role in reaching and expanding a younger audience for jazz. It’s in how we think about the artists, our collaborations, our team and overall how we think of the festival.
– Wow, tough question! First of all you should come and see Oddjob and Hiatus Kaiyote at the festival. But I would also recommend to listen to a few classics such as Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, John Coltrane Giant Steps and Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come.
As a final question, do you have any particular goals you want to achieve with this festival?
– We hope that we engage everyone’s curiosity, spirit and creativity while having a good time doing it.
