2024

The Manchester trio's trademark combination of minimalist piano themes, deep double bass lines, and electronic music-inspired percussion. Pianist Chris Illingworth founded the band GoGoPenguin in a city famous for alternative music rather than jazz. The group eventually became a flagship of the new British jazz wave, and has been an important part of the global progressive jazz scene for several years.

Prioritising feeling over perfectionism. This is the credo that drives the restless creativity of multi-instrumentalist, rapper and producer Alfa Mist. Since the release of his first full-length project Nocturne in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the UK’s most focused, in-demand and distinct musical voices. He has worked with the likes of Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch. Artists look to him for his unique blend of intimate bedroom production and expansive jazz group orchestration, since Alfa is yet to be boxed into a specific genre.

Bill Frisell is an American jazz guitarist who first rose to fame in the 1980s - he released his first three albums on the iconic ECM Records label. He later worked in a variety of musical contexts, most notably as a participant in the Downtown Scene in New York City, where he forged a long-standing working relationship with John Zorn. He was also a longtime member of veteran drummer Paul Motian's trio. Since the late 1990s, Frisell's work has included strong elements of folk, rock 'n' roll and Americana. 

Richard Galliano is undoubtedly the most famous living accordionist, a star not only of the jazz, but also of the classical and world-music scene. He is one of the few whom we invited to the Bratislava Jazz Days Slovenská sporiteľňa for the third time - the last time he played here in 2010 with his legendary project The Tangaria Quartet. This year's Jazz Days will feature Richard Galliano with his current New York Tango Trio, with whom he plays pieces from the repertoire of his friend Astor Piazzola, supplemented by his own compositions.

Steve Coleman has been a mainstay in the ever-changing jazz world since the 1980s. First as a sideman for stars such as Dave Holland, Cassandra Wilson, and Errol Parker, and later as the frontman of his own band. As a leader, he has released over thirty albums.

Bia Ferreira is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who defines her music as "Black Women's Music - Música de Mulher Preta". She is an original artist who adds elements of soul, reggae, blues, funk, R&B and gospel to her main inspiration, Brazilian jazz.