Last year, Kaz Hawkins played with Tico Tico at De Radstake Heelweg.
Jazz Blues EU magazine published an interview with her there, in addition to a concert report. Her live album “Live in Brezoi” came up, and I asked if there would be another “Live in Brezoi” next year.
They wanted to do that this year, but due to a storm, recordings couldn’t be made, and it was postponed until 2025. She then said it would be great if Jazz Blues EU magazine could be there, represented by me. Of course I wanted that.
According to Kaz, who is performing there for the fourth time this year, it’s an incredibly well-organized, fun, and very friendly festival. Her nickname at the festival has become Mama Kaz. After contacting organizer Mihai Razvan Mugesca, it was quickly arranged!
The festival has been held for years in the beautiful, green village of Brezoi. It’s situated in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and is quite high, making it pleasantly cool in the evenings, especially when the sun sets behind the mountains.
As a result, it was quite bearable this year, despite a heatwave. The first impression is fantastic: a beautiful, spacious site with stands along the edges for food, drinks, LPs, jewelry, and more. There’s even a climbing tower for children.
Large covered areas for seated dining. A suspension bridge over the river leads to a relaxation area with hammocks and seating, and you can sit in the river, where many children play in the water.
There’s a small stage there, the Forest Stage, where an intimate acoustic performance takes place every day.
The festival is quite large, I’m told it holds around 8,000 people, but there’s more than enough room for everyone.
In front of the stage, there are plenty of oil drums serving as standing tables, plenty of pallet seating, and guests are welcome to bring their own.
The organizers and the audience are incredibly friendly, relaxed, and peaceful. It’s more than just the music; there’s a distinct atmosphere, respect, and camaraderie.
It strongly reminds me of the atmosphere at the Schöppingen Blues Festival, only bigger. There’s respect for the musicians, and little to no chatter in the quieter passages.
The main program begins promptly every day for six days on the Main Stage. Five bands play each evening.
Afterward, there’s a jam session in the large tent at the back of the venue, featuring artists who want to join in, and there are plenty of them every evening.
This also says something about the atmosphere among the musicians.
In total, including the Forest Stage, over thirty bands are playing, and reporting on every single one would be a bit much. A brief addition to the name, with some notable highlights. Many bands have already published concert reports, interviews, or album reviews in Bluesmagazine. Pure blues: Kirk Fletcher (top blues, accompanied by the German Ozdemirs), Kenny Neal (fantastic showman with beautiful Louisiana blues), Keb’ Mo’ (solo performance, beautiful deep voice), Altered Five Blues Band (wonderful blues with top voice and guitar playing), Sue Foley (clear voice and partly electric and acoustic guitar), Connor Selby (beautiful, quiet blues with a soft voice), D.K. Harrell (moved to the tent and started singing with the horns and drummer during a power outage. Didn’t stop, just kept going. Top).
Artur Menezes (rocky with heavy riffs and long solos), Ben Poole (with guitarist Guy Smeets and organ), Erja Lyytinen (the slide queen), Hamburg Blues Band featuring Vanja Sky and Willie Wilde on mouth harp. (Steamy performance in the tent, postponed due to bad weather).
Crow Black Chicken (beautiful trio, wonderfully Irish), The Damn Truth (more punk blues, great singer), Stef Paglia (great performance), The Animals (familiar music with fire-breathers on stage), Zac Schulze Gang (great guitarist, dynamic show), Orianthi (all rocky and heavy with guitar dominating and a great rhythm section), Green Onions Experience (much rockier than in the Blues Challenge).
Multiple musical styles interwoven with blues, rock, rock and roll, country, and funk:
Tora Daa (not blues, with a loop station, but innovative), Fantastic Negrito (world music, fantastic show), Kaz Hawkins (what a voice and band), John Montana (blues, rock, soul), John Nemeth (wonderful voice and mouth harp), Blackburn Brothers (with talkbox, funky, reggae-swinging finale).
There was a very emotional moment on the first day. Suddenly, after The Damn Truth’s show, a large photo of Ozzy Osbourne appeared on the back wall of the stage. He had just passed away, and the festival reacted immediately, with thousands of spontaneous chants of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy,” echoing for minutes on end. It was very moving, and many a tear was shed.
The weather also cooperated, but on the last evening, during Connor Selby’s show, a massive storm suddenly struck out of nowhere, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms.
That evening, the entire village lost power due to the rain. They stopped the performance, waited for over an hour, and then decided to move the next performances by Hamburg Blues Band, D.K. Harrell, and Orianthi to the tent. Quick action!
The organizers hope the festival will attract people from all over Europe. They’re doing a great job, and it’s definitely worth a visit. The lineup is fantastic, and it could easily be a longer holiday just for the festival.
Some people were making it their summer holiday, and Romania is relatively cheap!
Kaz Hawkins
Kaz Hawkins en Ben Poole
Keb Mo
Stef Paglia
