# From Boogie-Woogie Fire to Contemporary Elegance: The Seventh and Eighth Nights of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival 2026։ Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2026/08/06/307222/
- Published: 2026-08-06T05:54:12+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**At the enchanting Parc des Dryads, where towering trees seemed to form a natural
concert hall beneath the summer sky, music once again became the language through
which Europe celebrated its cultural unity. **

The seventh and eighth days of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival 2026 unfolded not merely
as concerts, but as two complementary artistic journeys—each revealing a different
face of jazz while remaining faithful to its timeless spirit of freedom, communication,
and joyful improvisation.

The first evening brought together two remarkable musicians whose careers have been
shaped by decades of dedication to the living tradition of American rhythm and blues.
Catalan pianist Lluís Coloma, one of Europe’s foremost ambassadors of boogie-woogie
and blues piano, joined forces with the legendary American saxophonist Blue Lou 
Marini, forever associated with the unmistakable sound of The Blues Brothers while
also possessing one of the most respected careers in contemporary jazz and studio
performance.

![Lluís Coloma — Piedmont Piano Company](https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.
com/content/v1/5ae79fa0506fbef80001147e/ec0f7809-19e4-4233-99aa-484df9d4d54b/231104lluis.
png?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1)

From the very first notes, Coloma transformed the piano into an entire orchestra.
His left hand established an irresistible rolling pulse rooted in the great boogie
pianists, while his right hand painted dazzling melodic lines that danced effortlessly
across the keyboard. Every phrase carried the warmth of New Orleans, the excitement
of Kansas City, and the exuberance of Chicago’s rhythm-and-blues heritage, yet his
performance never became an exercise in nostalgia. Instead, he breathed new life
into these traditions, proving that authentic blues remains forever contemporary.

Across the stage stood Blue Lou Marini, whose saxophone possesses that increasingly
rare quality found only in musicians who have lived inside the music for decades.
His tone was rich without excess, powerful without force, lyrical without sentimentality.
Every solo unfolded like a carefully crafted story—opening with elegant melodic 
simplicity before gradually expanding into sophisticated improvisations filled with
swing, blues inflections, and subtle harmonic surprises.

What made the collaboration extraordinary was the complete absence of ego. Rather
than competing for attention, Coloma and Marini continuously listened to one another,
exchanging musical ideas with the ease of two lifelong conversationalists. The piano
often anticipated the saxophone’s next phrase; the saxophone answered rhythmic accents
before they fully emerged. Their dialogue became less a sequence of solos than a
single, continuously evolving musical conversation in which every chorus invited
another chapter.

![Fusión al rojo vivo y fuego en las teclas en la clausura del Jazz San Javier](
https://i0.wp.com/estaticos-cdn.prensaiberica.es/clip/d2fde61a-80fb-4bc2-8e6c-c758079d757f_alta-
libre-aspect-ratio_default_0_x400y177.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

Behind them, the rhythm section provided far more than accompaniment. Bass and drums
established an elastic groove that breathed naturally, allowing every swing phrase
to expand and contract with remarkable freedom. Their understated precision created
the foundation upon which both leaders could explore spontaneous invention while
never losing the irresistible pulse that encouraged smiles, dancing feet, and enthusiastic
applause throughout the audience.

The atmosphere beneath the trees of Parc des Dryads became almost cinematic. Warm
evening air, gentle movement among the branches, and the glowing stage lights transformed
the venue into an outdoor jazz sanctuary where listeners were reminded that some
music belongs not inside walls but beneath open skies. Blues, swing, rhythm and 
joy merged into one unforgettable celebration.

![Blue Lou Marini Still Cooks | WBGO Jazz](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/
b80da71/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2700x1418+0+0/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url
=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc4%2F90%2Fcc00767f4c6090058086df7bed72%
2Fblue-lou-marini.png)

If the previous evening honored jazz’s enduring traditions, the following day offered
an entirely different emotional landscape with the appearance of the Pete Roth Trio.
Where Coloma and Marini celebrated extroverted groove, Pete Roth presented music
of intimacy, subtlety, and modern harmonic imagination.

Roth’s guitar possesses an unusually vocal character. Rather than relying on dazzling
technical display, every phrase emerged as though carefully spoken, allowing silence
to become as meaningful as sound itself. His compositions unfolded patiently, inviting
listeners into delicate musical spaces where every harmonic color mattered.

The trio functioned as a perfect example of democratic ensemble playing. No instrument
dominated. Guitar, bass, and drums shared equal responsibility for shaping each 
composition, continuously exchanging roles between melody, harmony, rhythm, and 
texture. This remarkable balance created performances that felt fluid and conversational
rather than hierarchical.

![The Pete Roth Trio featuring Bill Bruford - Visit Windsor](https://eu-assets.simpleview-
europe.com/windsor2017/imageresizer/?image=%2Fdmsimgs%2FPete_Roth_Trio_2024_297292134.
png&action=ProductDetailPro)

Roth’s harmonic language blended contemporary jazz with echoes of folk lyricism,
impressionistic harmony, and subtle blues sensibility. At moments the music floated
almost weightlessly; moments later it settled into gentle rhythmic currents that
carried the audience through landscapes of quiet reflection. The trio demonstrated
that modern jazz need not shout to command attention. Its greatest strength often
lies in restraint, patience, and the confidence to allow every note sufficient space
to resonate.

The audience responded with remarkable concentration. Rather than explosive applause
interrupting every solo, listeners became partners in the performance, following
the music’s smallest dynamic shifts and rewarding each completed piece with warm
appreciation. It was an evening where attentive listening became an essential part
of the artistic experience itself.

Together, these two concerts illustrated one of the defining achievements of the
EU Jazz & Blues Festival 2026. Within the space of only two days, audiences experienced
both the exuberant celebration of classic American rhythm and blues and the refined
introspection of contemporary European jazz. Such programming reminds us that jazz
is not confined to a single era, style, or geography. It remains a living, constantly
evolving language whose vocabulary continues to expand through every generation 
of creative musicians.

![Pete Roth Trio](https://i0.wp.com/www.peterothtrio.com/media/photos/home-hero-
pete-fukumasa.webp?w=640&ssl=1)

Such artistic diversity does not happen by chance. It reflects thoughtful vision,
deep musical understanding, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

For that reason, special recognition belongs to Olivia Peevas, Director and Artistic
Director of the EU Jazz & Blues Festival. Throughout this remarkable festival she
has demonstrated that successful artistic leadership is measured not simply by presenting
distinguished performers, but by curating meaningful conversations between musical
traditions, generations, and cultures.

Her programming reveals an instinctive understanding that a festival should tell
a story. By placing artists like Lluís Coloma and Blue Lou Marini alongside contemporary
voices such as the Pete Roth Trio, she creates an experience in which audiences 
travel naturally between history and innovation, exuberance and contemplation, American
roots and European creativity. Each evening becomes another carefully written chapter
in a larger artistic narrative celebrating jazz as a universal language without 
borders.

![No photo description available.](https://scontent.fevn2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-
6/497505668_122156542484428851_1117042967210175399_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx640x753&
ctp=s640x753&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=6ee11a&_nc_ohc=KQeBR189rLgQ7kNvwH0hSFu&
_nc_oc=Adq_GW_pY7fCWrJKl0G4IWJ5XsQiKVp0Nhk93aIPCtRHjCZht57bOjv_3v-n8_SJQM4&_nc_zt
=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fevn2-1.fna&_nc_gid=mFjJnPgyYnRlTW_ykj3pzQ&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_AQG5PHm3F7hz10SmKx9Zth7dSaqSOZ-
5F4MC3iK5qC64QQ&oe=6A7A0044)

**Olivia Peevas**‘ vision extends beyond artistic excellence alone. **The EU Jazz&
Blues Festival** has become a meeting place where musicians, audiences, cities, 
and cultures encounter one another through mutual respect and shared curiosity. 
In an age that often emphasizes difference, her festival quietly demonstrates the
extraordinary power of music to unite people through listening, imagination, and
common humanity.

The seventh and eighth days of the festival therefore represented far more than 
two outstanding concerts. They became living proof that jazz continues to flourish
when visionary artistic leadership brings together exceptional musicians within 
inspiring settings, allowing creativity to unfold naturally beneath open skies. 
Long after the final notes disappeared into the summer evening above Parc des Dryads,
what remained was not silence, but memory—the enduring resonance of artistry shared,
friendships formed, and music that continues to echo far beyond the stage.

**By Lauren Wulff**

![Lluís Coloma & Blue Lou Marini - We Like to Groove! (Digifile) - Blue Sounds](
https://i0.wp.com/d1esuhdk2480pn.cloudfront.net/70605/we-like-to-groove-digifile.
jpg?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1)

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