Bilal / 67. Jazz festival Ljubljana

Name: Bilal / 67. Jazz festival Ljubljana
Start: 2026-07-04T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Cankarjev dom, Presernova 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Schedule

Sat, 04 Jul, 2026 at 06:00 pm

UTC+02:00

Location

Cankarjev dom, Presernova 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia | Ljubljana, LB

📅 4. julij ob 18. uri / 4 July at 18.00
📍 Linhartova dvorana, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
🎟️ www.ljubljanajazz.si
predprodaja 25, 21* EUR, redna prodaja: 28, 24* EUR
*𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑧𝑎 𝑚𝑙𝑎𝑗𝑠̌𝑒 𝑜𝑑 25, 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑗𝑠̌𝑒 𝑜𝑑 65 𝑙𝑒𝑡
Festivalska vstopnica / Festival pass: 115 EUR
𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗟 (𝗨𝗦)
Zasedba: Bilal – glas; Conley "Tone" Whitfield – bas; Randy Runyon – kitara; Joseph Grissett aka Joe Blaxx – bobni

Čeprav se njegova dejavnost razpenja čez razne žanre - od novega soula do rocka -, pa Bilal zase pravi, da »čuti, da je najprej jazzovski glasbenik«. Da pridemo do te ugotovitve sami, je dovolj, da doživimo enega njegovih nastopov – ti so vedno delno improvizirani in vsakič drugačni, kar pri izvajalcih vokalistih ni ravno pogosta praksa. Seveda pa ima jedro njegovega izraza čisto konkretno podstat – jazz je študiral na New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music v New Yorku, kjer pa je od samega študija, ki ga ni dokončal, bolj pomembno to, da je tam spoznal Roberta Glasperja, s katerim je potem veliko delal in prek katerega je prišel do sodelovanj z imeni, kot sta Q-Tip in Mos Def.
Pevec, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist in producent, ki velja za enega bolj markantnih glasbenikov stičišča sodobnega r & b-ja, neo-soula in jazza v ZDA, je eden ključnih inovatorjev afroameriške glasbene sodobnosti. Cenjen je zaradi širokega razpona glasu in improvizacijske spretnosti, pa tudi zato, ker zna združevati in tekoče prehajati med raznimi žanri, predvsem pa zato, ker je edinstven performer nepozabnih živih nastopov.
Svoj prvenec »1st Born Second« je izdal leta 2001, na njem pa sodeloval z raznimi producenti, kot so Dr. Dre, James Poyser in J Dilla. Nadaljnjega spiska izvajalk in izvajalcev, s katerimi je ustvarjal, skoraj nima smisla naštevati, ključna opomba pa je, da je bil v prelomnem obdobju konca 90. let močno vpet v takrat izjemno živahno in mo(go)čno rap in neo-soul skupnost v New Yorku. Njegov nespregledljiv angažma mu je zagotovil članstvo v raziskovalnem kolektivu Soulquarians – skupini ustvarjalcev, ki je združevala vplive jazza, soula in hip-hopa (skupaj z imeni, kot so D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Questlove, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, J Dilla in Raphael Saadiq). To je bila res edinstvena, če ne kar revolucionarna druščina, ki je na novo definirala ameriško črnsko popularno muziko in katere inovacije odzvanjajo še danes.
Bilal je kot sodelujoči izvajalec pri skladbi “These Walls” Kendricka Lamarja prejemnik nagrade grammy (na albumu »To Pimp a Butterfly« je sicer sodeloval pri več posnetkih). Njegov nastop s skupino The Roots mnogi naštevajo kot enega najprepričljivejših celotne Tiny Desk serijalke, lani pa je izdal svoj zadnji album »Adjust Brightness«. A vse našteto so le drobci izjemnih referenc izjemnega performerja.
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Lineup: Bilal – vocals; Conley "Tone" Whitfield – bass; Randy Runyon – guitar; Joseph Grissett aka Joe Blaxx – drums
Linhart Hall, 4 July, 6 PM
Presale (until 30 June): EUR 25, 21*, regular tickets: EUR 28, 24*
*Visitors aged under 25, over 65 and pensioners

Although working across a variety of genres – from neo-soul to rock – Bilal says he is “a jazz musician first.” One only needs to experience one of his live performances to understand why: his shows are always partly improvised and never the same twice, something relatively uncommon among vocalists. Furthermore, the core of his musical expression, rests on a solid foundation. He studied jazz at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, where – perhaps more importantly than the degree he never completed – he met Robert Glasper, a frequent collaborator, through whom Bilal became involved with artists such as Q-Tip and Mos Def.
A singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer considered one of the United States’ most distinctive musicians at the intersection of contemporary R&B, neo soul and jazz, Bilal is a key innovator in contemporary African American music. Acclaimed for his wide vocal range and improvisational skills, as well as his ability to blend and seamlessly transition between genres, he has garnered particular praise for his unique, unforgettable live performances.
His debut album, 1st Born Second (2001), was released under the guidance of producers including Dr. Dre, James Poyser, and J Dilla. Any attempt to list all of his collaborators would be needless, but it remains important to note that during the pivotal late 1990s, Bilal was deeply immersed in New York’s vibrant rap and neo soul scene. His invaluable dedication earned him a place in the experimental collective The Soulquarians – a group of artists blending jazz, soul, and hip hop influences (alongside D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Questlove, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, J Dilla, and Raphael Saadiq, among others). This truly unique, if not revolutionary, collective redefined American Black popular music and left an enduring legacy of musical innovation.
As a featured artist on Kendrick Lamar’s song These Walls (as well as several other tracks on the album To Pimp a Butterfly), Bilal shares a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance, while his performance with The Roots is widely regarded as one of the most engaging in the entire Tiny Desk series. His most recent album, Adjust Brightness, came out last year. While all of this already sounds impressive, it offers only a brief glimpse into the remarkable credentials of this singular artist.