Three generations of jazz on one stage: The 32nd Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival will bring together the city’s legends, their students, and the new generation!

Do you remember the days when Klaipėda jazz was just beginning to make its mark? When the first improvisations were heard in student auditoriums and small concerts, and every performance became a minor cultural event in the city?

On June 27 at 6 p.m. in Theater Square, the 32nd Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival invites you to an exceptional concert that will bring together the past, present, and future of jazz in Klaipėda.

This will be a vivid account of a city that has been nurturing jazz for decades and passing on its spirit from one generation to the next.

The Klaipėda traditional jazz group “Memeland” will take the stage, carrying on the legendary traditions of Klaipėda’s Dixieland scene. The core of the group consists of long-time masters of the Klaipėda jazz scene, Professor Saulius Šiaučiulis and Edmundas Federavičius. Their traditional jazz sounds lively, authentic, and modern, while preserving the most important value of this music—the freedom of improvisation.

The stage veterans will be joined by musicians of the younger generation and the girls from “Swing Sis,” a favorite among audiences. This group of professional singers, whose core consists of members of the vocal ensemble “Cappella’A,” has earned recognition both in Lithuania and at international competitions. Their music blends the elegance of swing, vocal improvisation, and stage charm.

The evening will also bring to life an important chapter in Klaipėda’s jazz history. The city’s Dixieland tradition is inextricably linked to the ensemble founded by the legendary Pranciškus Narušis, whose musical spirit lives on today in various projects and ensembles.

These traditions were carried on by the Klaipėda University student dixieland band “West Coast Band.” Festivalgoers will also have the opportunity to hear the band’s leader, Latvian trombonist Lauris Amantovs—founder of the “Mirage Jazz Orchestra” and one of the most prominent jazz musicians in the Baltic states.

An integral part of this history is the Department of Jazz Music at the Faculty of Arts of Klaipėda University. Over more than four decades, a strong jazz school has developed here, producing numerous performers, educators, and composers whose works are heard today not only in Lithuania but also on stages around the world.

Performers:

Kristina Jatautaitė – vocals

Aušra Smičiūtė – vocals

Rasa Serra – vocals

Laimonas Urbikas – saxophone

Lauris Amantovs – trombone

Vykintas Aleksandras Jasaitis – guitar

Saulius Šiaučiulis – keyboards

Antanas Balsys – electric double bass

Edmundas Federavičius – Percussion

This concert will remind us that the history of jazz is made on stage—through teachers and students, friendships, improvisations, joint performances, and a love of music.

On June 27, those who have shaped the history of jazz in Klaipėda and those who will shape it in the future will gather in Theater Square.

This is an evening where every note tells a story about Klaipėda, and every improvisation serves as a reminder that true traditions live on as long as there is someone to pass them on.

Full program – www.jazz.lt

The festival is funded by:

Klaipėda City Municipality

Lithuanian Council for Culture

Port of Klaipėda

The educational space is provided by Ignitis Renewables.