World-Class Jazz Quartet Dazzles Studio 44

A Night of Spontaneous Brilliance: World-Class Jazz Quartet Dazzles Studio 44

On Tuesday evening, April 8, Studio 44 in Slovenia transformed into a vibrant hub of jazz expression as four internationally acclaimed musicians took the stage: Gašper Bertoncelj on drums, Renato Chicco on piano, Tony Lakatos on tenor saxophone, and Boris Kozlov on double bass. The concert, led by drummer Gašper Bertoncelj, celebrated deep musical camaraderie and spontaneous creativity.

At the very beginning of the concert, Bertoncelj welcomed the audience with a personal note—this was the first time all four musicians had ever performed together as a complete group. While they had collaborated in various formations over the years, this lineup was making its debut that night. The sense of occasion added an extra layer of excitement to the performance. This concert marked the start of a five-day tour, with performances also scheduled in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and three nights in Graz, Austria.

A Night of Original Compositions

The program reflected the individuality of each musician, as every member contributed one original composition to the set. The evening opened with The Loop, a modal piece by Renato Chicco, which immediately set a reflective yet energetic mood. Its gently shifting harmonies and cyclical structure invited the audience into the group’s sonic world with elegance and ease.

Gašper Bertoncelj’s own composition, Another Day, showcased a different dimension of the concert—a lyrical ballad that began with a collective free-form introduction. The open textures created a sense of space and anticipation, which resolved into a beautifully flowing theme. Bertoncelj’s sensitive use of brushes in this piece was a highlight—an area of his playing he is particularly known and respected for.

Boris Kozlov, who also collaborated with Bertoncelj on the drummer’s solo album Caution! Hard Hat Area, contributed Major Waltz, a jazz waltz built around a cyclical progression of major seventh chords. The tune’s elegant harmonic movement created a luminous backdrop for melodic improvisation. Kozlov’s bass solo stood out as a highlight—graceful yet rhythmically intricate—eliciting warm applause from the audience for its expressive depth and technical finesse.

A Moment of Virtuosity: “What’s New?”

A special moment in the concert was the performance of the jazz standard “What’s New?”, which provided an opportunity for some of the evening’s most captivating virtuosity. Both Chicco and Lakatos demonstrated their technical prowess and expressive abilities during the piece. Chicco’s piano solo was a brilliant mix of elegance and complexity, while Lakatos’s saxophone lines were full of energy and spontaneous flair, each playing off the other’s ideas in a truly dynamic exchange.

The Grand Finale: “Easy Wish”

The concert concluded on a high-energy note with Easy Wish, a fast-paced, vibrant tune composed by Tony Lakatos. The piece began as a duet between piano and saxophone, with Chicco and Lakatos engaging in a fluid, almost conversational exchange. Their solos sparkled with virtuosity and spirit, and the performance culminated in a thrilling drum solo by Bertoncelj that brought the audience to their feet.

Conclusion: A Remarkable Debut

Throughout the evening, the quartet demonstrated not only their mastery but also a rare level of musical empathy. Their interplay was organic, intuitive, and deeply communicative—a testament to years of experience and shared musical language. The intimate setting of Studio 44 only amplified the immediacy of their performance, creating a close connection between the artists and the audience.

This unforgettable concert reminded everyone present of what makes jazz so special: the ability to take risks, to listen deeply, and to create something completely unique in the moment. Krško was lucky to witness this debut collaboration—and hopefully, not the last. As the first stop of a five-day tour, this performance set a high bar for the shows that followed in Ljubljana and Graz.