Ottla

After a superb performance that wrapped up the 2022 edition of Ljubljana Jazz Festival, one of Europe’s leading jazz ensembles and proud exponents of Belgium Booms, which is what they call that fresh, vital and compelling Belgian scene that has been such an integral part of new European jazz since the turn of the millennium, make their long-awaited return to the Slovenian capital.

Ottla marks the latest iteration of lead man, guitarist, vocalist and composer Bert Dockx. Here he is, back at the heart of the Sogodbe concert series, which is where we first encountered him as part of the Flying Horseman and Dans Dans projects.

What began as a modest proposal or an ambiguous plan, to start playing jazz again, developed into a separate sextet very much with its own identity. Setting off in 2019 with a debut album, followed by a bit of a break, Ottla (Franz Kafka’s beloved sister and the name that a young Mr Dockx once gave his bicycle) saddled up again with a glorious second album Vogel (Bird). They’ve now morphed into a four-piece with an intense and multi-coloured exploration of jazz, improvisation, electronics, noise, prog, Afro, blues, groove, punk and krautrock. Ottla’s journey is captured in a record that contains all the spontaneity and dynamism of their live shows. The result is a thrilling and transformative musical experience that you miss at your peril.

Pre-sales: EUR 18 EUR, EUR 15*
On the day: EUR 22
*Under-25s and over-65s

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