Djabe@ BodøJazzOpen2024 feat. Steve Hackett, Dama Di (English)

Djabe has been touring successfully for almost thirty years and has released over 20 albums. Their music contains elements of jazz with various elements of traditional Hungarian music, world music and progressive rock. In other words, it is stylistically very flexible and open,

Bands from countries on the other side of the former Iron Curtain usually have highly trained musicians who play at a very professional level. This also applies to this band, which is certainly one of the reasons why Steve Hackett works so closely with them.

In contrast to the concert in the main hall, where Steve Hackett was the leader, Djabe is presenting her own music tonight. First of all, we get to hear some really groovy jazz rock. Keyboard, trumpet and guitar often come into their own, but bass and drums aren't just in the background either. There are also pop songs and ballads. The playing is very clean and no one falls into a routine.

Tamás Barabás' funky bass characterises the sound, as does Ferenc Kovács' often muted trumpet. Stylistically, they fortunately don't play quite as smoothly live as on their studio albums. They were obviously more attuned to a jazz-rock audience.

Steve Hackett only came on stage at the very end, after his personal assistant had played the guitar. And how he played!

When the master, his guitar carried behind him, came on stage, all he had to do was plug in and off he went. At the age of 74, he still makes a very fit impression, at least musically, and delivers what you would expect from a Hall of Fame guitarist. It's a pleasure to listen to him and watch him perform.