Quite naturally, there were high expectations for the very first Sofia concert of Jan Garbarek and his quartet. It is inevitable, after all – the Norwegian master cemented his reputation long time ago: not only is he a praised jazz musician, but also a fearless experimenter who cares little of the written and unwritten rules of the genre. His beloved tenor and soprano saxophones sound really specific – if you have listened to a Garberek record once, there is no way you can mistake his style for anyone else’s.

As we soon find out, forty years of praise have been absolutely deserved – even though a lot of great musicians already played Sofia, the unique approach of the tall, pale and grey-haired northerner deserves anyone’s undivided attention.

Jan Garbarek is an incredible storyteller. Without a single word the Norwegian weaves a beautiful Scandinavian tale. At this he is assisted by the all-star trio Rainer Brüninghaus, Yuri Daniel and Manu Katche, each of them a great musician, and the three of them plus Garbarek – a well-oiled dream factory.

The main part of this concert consisted of hypnotic mid- or slow-paced pieces in which backed by bass, keyboards and subtle percussion, saxophone melodies soared high in the hushed Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Garbarek is especially picturesque when playing his very small soprano saxophone – before the end of the concert he would even play a small folk number on a flute. His stage style is very restrained and concentrated – his parts and improvisation are well planned and always effective, greeted with loud applause from the audience.

Slower moments are often followed by more dynamic and energetic musical passages where Brüninghaus’ piano and keys, Daniel’s base and Katche’s drums are left to roar wild and free. All three of them get their own solo but though interesting, none of those are quite as impressive as their coordinated interaction with Garbarek.

The story goes on with virtually no pause for more than two hours, after which the band bows and leaves the stage quietly, leaving us with a good deal of great memories and one more reason to quickly listen to “Twelve Moons” or “In Praise of Dreams” as soon as we get home.

Words: Nikola Shahpazov

Photos: Victor Alexandrov

More photos are available in the GALLERY.