The Jazz Punt Big Band was formed in 2005 under the artistic leadership of trombone player Matija Mlakar. Ever since then the band members have spread their love of music in over 100 concerts at home and abroad. Some of the greatest achievements of the band include the gold prize and highest score at the international music competition in Budapest (2013), the title of grand winner in the over-25 Big Band category at the International Big Band Festival in Česká Kamenice, Czech Republic (2015), an appearance at the famous Nišville Jazz Festival (2016), and many more.
The name Jazz Punt Big Band came about for two reasons – the first being their love for jazz music, and the second the desire to pay respect to their home town, known for the great peasant’s uprising (or ‘punt’ in Slovene) of Tolmin in 1713.
Jazz vocalist Tanja Srednik has been working with the band since 2010. At Festival Lent, the Jazz Punt Big Band will host another amazing vocalist, Ana Bezjak.
Ana Bezjak is a jazz vocalist and music pedagogue, who first dabbled in music on the stage of the English Student Theatre of the Maribor II. Gimmnazija high school. Following her Bachelor’s studies in music at the Faculty of Education in Maribor, she took up jazz vocal studies at the Carinthian State Conservatorium Klagenfurt under the mentorship of Carolina de Rooij, majoring in 2009. Since 2011, she teaches jazz vocals at the jazz department of the Maribor Music Conservatory and leads vocals workshops in Slovenia and Austria. She is the singer of the successful Slovenian band Papir (also known as ‘Ansambel za prosperiranje poezije in glasbe Papir’ or the Ensemble for the advancement of poetry and music Papir) that released their first album Po viharju in 2010. She is the permanent guest singer of the tango ensemble Quintet Piazzolleky and part of the tango project of Marko Hatlak and Stefan Milenkovich – Tango Compas since 2014. Hatlak, Milenkovich and Bezjak regularly appear in various festivals in Slovenia and abroad. Ana Bezjak has also made a solo career by joining the RTV Slovenia Big Band in 2013 for the Brazil project, successfully touring all across Slovenia in the last years. In the academic year 2016/2017, Ana Bezjak completed her Master’s studies of jazz vocals at MUK Vienna (Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien – Music and Arts Private University Vienna) under the mentorship of Professor Ines Rieger.
Ana Bezjak & Jazz Punt Big Band:
- Ana Bezjak (vocals)
- Tomaž Rus (alto saxophone)
- Katja Carli (alto saxophone)
- Špela Čopi (alto saxophone)
- Grega Rodman (tenor saxophone)
- Teja Hvala (tenor saxophone, flute)
- Blaž Valentinuzzi (baritone saxophone)
- Domen Rovšček (trumpet)
- Miha Vehar (trumpet)
- Andrej Pavšič (trumpet)
- Jakob Kenda (trumpet)
- Rok Kaltnekar (trumpet)
- Matija Mlakar (trombone, bandleader)
- Tobi Gaberšček (trombone)
- Yulian Kapusta (trombone)
- Matic Kovač (bass trombone)
- Matej Zgaga (keyboards)
- Tomaž Mlakar (bass guitar)
- Mitja Jan (guitar)
- Martin Čujec (drums)
- Matjaž Gusak (percussion)
- Primož Podobnik (percussion)
- Tanja Srednik (vocals)
