"Live Jazz on a Summers Night" - A selection of albums by Djabe reviewed by Alan Hewitt.

To run alongside the interview with Attila Egerhazi which feature later in this edition I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at a few of the band’s albums.

Djabe first came to my attention through their association with Mr Hackett but there is much to the band than that as this feature will hopefully demonstrate.

DJABE were formed in 1995 and have since gone on to become one of the majority jazz acts in Europe with a string of albums and successful tours both at home and further afield under their belts. However, unlike many of their compatriots in the jazz field, DJABE have managed to incorporate elements of Prog into their music making them somewhat unusual in the jazz world. I admit that the idea of Jazz + Prog would have been anathema to me before I heard Djabe. Now it seems the most natural thing in the world.

The best way to experience Djabe is live but sadly the band have yet to grace a UK concert stage with any performances, a situation made even harder by Brexit! However, thankfully there are several live albums and DVDs and Blu Rays available as part of their catalogue so I will be examining some of them in this feature.

The first of these is the Sipi Benefit Concert performed as a memorial to founder member, Sipos Andras. This is a mega concert film which, when all the extras are included, weighs in at over four hours of viewing time! Here we see the band in their natural environment: the concert stage. The gig itself gets off with (to us at least) and unconventional start with Djole a solo drum and vocal performance which is listened to in absolute silence. Sheafs Are Dancing shows the melodic side of Djabe with a delightful bass performance from Tamas Barabas. As you will soon discover when you begin exploring the band’s extensive catalogue, their form of jazz is like no other. Free form extemporisations abound but they are built on the firmest musical logic and above all demonstrate that the Musicians in the band are of the highest calibre.

Of course, for us, the main interest in this performance is the presence of one Mr Stephen Hackett who joins the band for an acoustic medley performance including Classical Gas, and the Skye Boat Song amongst others which you will know from his acoustic trio shows. It seems incongruous at first but then you realise that it fits perfectly within the ethos in which Djabe exists which is to embrace many different musical forms...or as Mr Spock might have said...”It’s Jazz Jim, but not as we know it...”

Djabe: Sipi Benefit Concert. GRAMY GR- 081.

The title of the next album sounds like something from Rick Wakeman but In The Footsteps Of Attila And Genghis has nothing to do with the caped crusader and everything to do with Hungary’s finest proponents of Prog Fusion: Djabe. Slick, polished and melodic throughout this will come as a surprise to many. Mr Hackett’s contributions are liberally spread over both discs and the enhanced video footage makes fascinating viewing. Steve’s performances will be the main focus of interest for our readers but the experience of hearing Djabe will be a surprisingly enjoyable one for you – it was for me!

Djabe: In The Footsteps Of Attila And Genghis. Gramy GR-094.

The next album is the one that really began my re-evaluation and appreciation (or lack thereof) of jazz. From the wonderfully atmospheric opener, City Of Habi this is music of the highest quality into which young Mr Hackett inserts himself seamlessly. Watch the accompanying DVD to see how well Ferenc Kovacs’ violin replaces the flute on The Stepped whilst for me, the outstanding Hackett related track is the superb Last Train To Istanbul but this is a Djabe album and their own compositions are every bit as impressive. Dark Soup for example, a middle eastern tinged jazz classic is a delight and as for the performance on the Anklung well...watch the accompanying DVD!

Djabe: Summer Storms And Rocking Rivers. EANTCD21065.

One of the most recent live offerings from the band is Djabe & Steve Hackett Live In Gyor. This one features some real gems featuring visits to several favourites from Djabe’s immense catalogue. Not least the superbly jazzy Distant Dance and Clouds Dance. Mr Hackett is present throughout and once again there are several magical moments from his back catalogue too not least a superb, jazzed up Ace Of Wands and once again, the star of the show for me: Last Train To Istanbul which I am sure I have said on numerous occasions, I wish Steve would perform at his own gigs.

The album is accompanied by a Blu Ray which comprises the entire gig plus a treasure trove of extras including a fascinating documentary about the tour and video clips for several tracks from the band’s In Search Of The Stag album. An absolute gem of an album.

Djabe: Live In Gyor. EANTCD31094.

The most recent (thus far) live collaboration between Djabe and Steve is 2023’s Where The Sound Turns Sweet, a clever pun on an early pre-Hackett Genesis song title. Once again we have Djabe at their jazzy best getting things under way with the polished Could Have Been featuring some excellent trumpet playing from Aron Koos-Hutas and rhythm guitar from Attila Egerhazi. This one really swings – if you can say that about jazz? Before is the title track to the latest studio album and is a mellow, totally mesmerising offering with lead vocals from Peter Laszas.

Steve gets a large chunk of the limelight in terms of material with a wonderful reading of Camino Royale amongst others – an incredibly off the wall version. Other Hackett highlights include the evergreen Horizons performed on an ELECTRIC guitar! Along with a truly magnificent Hairless Heart, Firth Of Fifth and Carpet Crawlers and the by now ubiquitous Last Train To Istanbul which just gets better every time I hear this combo perform it.

But the stars of the show (it is their show folks) are Djabe and their material scrubs up very well. Take it from a beginner in the world of jazz, if all jazz was as good as this, I would be a very happy chap!

Djabe: Where The Sound Turns Sweet. Gramy. GR-174.