In some moments, the music of the two finalists of the “BMW World Jazz Award” touched each other in a peculiar way: when the Israeli pianist Anat Fort found an oriental song quality and Marco Mezquida from Spain made the grand piano sound like an Arabic oud, the music of the both in the Mediterranean-Arabesque-Jazz style, somewhere between Tel Aviv and Menorca, Granada and New York. One, when he interprets flamenco sounds in a jazzy improvisation and manipulates the sound of his grand piano by dampening the strings of his instrument with his left hand, which he plays with his right. The other when she suddenly finds her way to a simple melody from her homeland from the thunder of keys and thunderous bass.
But the playing gesture of the two is very different: Anat Fort and her trio often grope and brood their way into the music – as if the goal was to reach a moment of internalized silence through the music. Marco Mezquida, on the other hand, and his two comrades-in-arms – Aleix Tobias on drums and percussion and Martín Meléndez on cello – play their music the way they take over the stage and audience before they’ve even played a single note: in a storm and with a big, world-embracing smile. The playful mood of the three Spaniards is rousing and contagious – as if they would like to outdo each other. Above all, Martín Meléndez smiles and enjoys the music as virtuosically and with relish as he changes roles on the cello: sometimes bustling jazz bassist, then – for a few bars – strings, then a kind of percussion cellist.
The timbres of the trio from Spain are more outrageous than those of the Anat Fort Trio
The percussive in general: while Anat Fort, Gary Wang (double bass) and Roland Schneider (drums) move in the familiar and tried and tested jazz piano trio, the three Spaniards expand this sound into percussive and world music. At the peak of their music-making, they sound as if they had merged into one. The timbres of the trio from Spain are also more colourful, diverse, varied and outrageous than those of the Anat Fort Trio – especially when Aleix Tobias pulls out a surprise from his percussion pool.
It’s no wonder that the audience’s favor fell audibly on the trio from Spain, who were only subsequently nominated for the finale after Giovanni Guidi canceled due to another concert engagement. In the end, not only the audience prize (1,000 euros) but also the jury prize (10,000 euros) went to the Marco Mezquida Trio: for its “grandezza on the piano” and the “bright, cheerful, happy side” of its music, which in his current album “Letter To Milos” revolves around his little son and great fatherly feelings.
Mezquida thanked him with a ballad, of which Anat Fort perhaps performed too many that evening to be able to win against the fiery competition. In his short acceptance speech, Mezquida pointed out in a forgiving manner that music is not actually about competition. And addressed charmingly forgiving words to the colleague. Normally at festivals he doesn’t listen to the band playing in front of his trio. For fear of losing your focus. For fear of sounding like the musicians before him. He made an exception for Anat Fort because he had admired his colleague and her recordings for a long time.
Of course, the Spaniard didn’t sound like the beloved Anat Fort. But quite unique like Marco Mezquida. A deserved, generous winner. Especially thanks to his fellow musicians and their irrepressible mood to play.