The fifth edition of the Gjon Mili Jazz & Blues Festival brought international jazz performances to the “Mirush Kabashi” open-air theatre near Tirana’s Artificial Lake.
The festival welcomed artists from Italy, Austria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside some of Albania’s most renowned jazz musicians.
The evening opened with Austrian saxophonist and composer Yvonne Moriel, who performed in Albania for the first time. She joined forces with Albanian jazz artists Gent Rushi on piano and keyboards and Besjan Herri on drums, presenting original compositions that connected Austrian and Albanian jazz traditions.
The program continued with Gert Kapo Quartet, led by the Albanian-German pianist and composer, who blended Balkan influences, oriental rhythms, world music and contemporary jazz into a unique sound.
The festival concluded with a performance by Pierpaolo Petta & Andi Kongo Trio, a collaboration between Italian and Albanian musicians that combined Arbëresh and Albanian folk traditions with modern jazz improvisation.
The fifth edition of the festival strengthened its role as a platform for international artistic cooperation, bringing together musicians and audiences through the universal language of jazz.
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