The main band of the evening Spice'n'Space is an Israeli jazz and funk band led by flautist Mattan Klein and drummer Uria Mader (they will play in Šiauliai for 4 sets). The band was formed after a chance meeting in a Tel Aviv club, where they decided to create a new band that would combine their favourite harmonies of jazz, fusion and funk music. The band's musical style can be described as "The J.B." a mix of old school funk, late 60's Lou Donaldson and Grant Green recordings, Herbie Hancock's complex harmonies with modern Vulfpeck groovy sounds. This blend of many influences creates a delicate balance between the old and the new, the simple and the sophisticated, which is a key part of the band's musical vision. In June 2023, Spice'n'Space took part in the Tel Aviv International Flute Festival and headlined the Klaipėda International Jazz Festival in Lithuania. Spice'n'Space has performed at venues such as the London Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Albanian International Jazz Festival, Red Sea Guitar Festival and many more... In January 2023, the band recorded their debut album, which was released on the London-based Ubuntu Music label. Mattan Klein is a jazz/world music flutist and composer who has worked with some of Israel's most renowned artists such as Tom Oren (winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute Piano Competition), Gadi Stern (Shalosh), and Avri Borochov. Mattan has performed in the most prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Uria Mader is a rising Israeli percussion star, extremely versatile and at home in both jazz and rock genres, who has performed at Israel's biggest venues and festivals, such as the InDnegev Festival (Israel's biggest music festival) and the Red Sea Guitar Festival. Francesco Beccaro - Berlin-based bass guitarist, composer and teacher. Originally from Italy, Francesco is a graduate of the Collegiate School of Music in New York (USA) and is one of the soloists at the Victor Wooten School of Music.His keen musical sensibility allows him to be at home in a wide variety of musical styles. And this has guaranteed him concerts at prestigious venues and festivals on 5 continents with artists as diverse as Savion Glover, Jimmy Cobb, Popa Chubby, Oz Noy, Screaming Headless Torsos, Sean Wayland, Ed Palermo Big Band, Magro, Leona Berlin, Krisper and more. Francesco's first solo album, UPWARD, was released in May 2021 on Auand Records. As a composer, he has composed music for dance performances and music videos that have been screened at various international festivals. Francesco was on the faculty of The Collective School of Music (New York, USA) from 2010 to 2018. Tal Yadin is a masterful, versatile guitarist, composer and producer. He is both the leader of his own band and a guitarist in various other bands across a wide spectrum of musical genres. Born in Jerusalem and raised on a remote kibbutz in the Israeli desert, he received his first classical guitar lessons from an Israeli-Argentine guitarist and discovered jazz and electric guitar as a teenager. He graduated from the prestigious Rimon Jazz Institute in Tel Aviv and studied jazz performance and composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. In 2016, Talis moved to Berlin, Germany to pursue a musical career in Europe. His debut album, In & Out, was released in 2019. All tracks were written and produced by Tal and the album features Israeli bassist Michael Edwards and New York-Israeli drummer Yaaki Levy. Tal is currently working on his second studio project, alongside the Big Berry Duo, recording and performing with various artists in Israel and Europe. Media coverage of Spice'n'Space THE JERUSALEM POST "Israel's Deputy Ambassador Erez Golan expressed his admiration for the performance, saying, "We had a wonderful experience with Spice'n'Space Jazz, which introduced the people of Lithuania to the beautiful Israeli music of jazz and funk. The talent and passion of the band resonated with the audience, creating an electrifying atmosphere throughout the festival." "BLUES & SOUL MAGAZINE The album fuses old school moves with subtle hints of pop and reggae elements, while paying homage to the ancient sounds of keyboards and percussion. The result is nothing new, but it's a charming and refreshing mix that really works well together. PRESTO MUSIC Exploring the crossroads of soul-jazz and old-school funk, Spice'n'Space was born out of a chance encounter between two passionate cats on a night in Tel Aviv. Putting their combined skills to the test, the Israeli band's debut album has sophistication and groove. Elegant, memorable and altogether fun, The Funk Thingwell has indeed arrived and looks set to stay. YOSI HERSONSKI - THE ULTIMATE CRITIC OF ISRAELI JAZZ This album made me fall in love with funky jazz all over again! More: https://www.spicenspaceepk.com/ , https://youtu.be/efs1weC3cGo, https://youtu.be/q5QMBIE2A1w 


The concert will be opened by a band already famous everywhere... Vilnius Galera (Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys) They are a group of five or six like-minded people who are trying to expose the alternative youth music scene. They don't pigeonhole themselves into one genre, but jazz-rock'n'roll with elements of improvisation, indie and progressive dominate. Members. Emilis Šarinskas - keyboards. Ugnius Zigfridas Betingis - bass guitar. Jokūbas Kokanauskis - synthesizer, trombone. Gabrielius Gribauskas - saxophone Domas Kazlas - trumpet. This is a young and ambitious band, which was encouraged to create and continue playing by winning the first place in the band competition "GARAŽAS'24", thanks to which they received funding for the recording and publishing of the album. They will surely bring a lot of energy and music to the stage, which will make you feel the individuality and interconnectedness of each musician, and the audience will feel a complete bliss. Be on the pulse, or in other words the vibe. More: https://www.instagram.com/galera_grupe?igsh=aTAwcW5iOHZzc3c5 Sponsors: the first concert of Šiauliai Jazz XXIII is presented by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and Šiauliai City Municipality Partners: the Embassy of Israel in Vilnius, naktys, sixteen.media, interscalit, Splius, Owexx, Generalis, Elga, Giftika, BasaMedia, AVA buhalterija, Linkana, Šiauliai KC, Vilniustech, the Jewish Community of Šiauliai, Žemaitis Restaurant. Balticum, miestonaujienos.lt, siauliaijazz.lt Organizer.