Titas Jukšta – drums
Artūrs Duckis – bass
Vytis Smolskas – keys
Matas Ričkus – guitar
Adomas Bitinas – sax

Event is free of charge

The first notes on the main open-air stage of Kaunas Jazz this year will be played by the Lithuanian jazz quintet, making their debut performance at the festival. It’s always exciting when programs created specifically for the Kaunas Jazz stage are featured—and this group’s formation was even directly encouraged by the festival itself.

Titas Jukšta is a drummer with solid experience in various musical groups and projects. His résumé includes performances with singer Mary Mo, the Vilnius Funk Collective, rock musician Gamka, the project Ritmas Kitaip, and many other musical adventures.

He is known for his energy, openness to different musical styles, and active concert schedule. He has played in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) Big Band, and his creative work has been recognized in competitions, including first place in the Drum Day drummers’ contest in 2022.

Titas has already performed on the Kaunas Jazz stage with other musicians, but this time the festival organizers invited him to present his own program after observing his final exams for his LMTA master’s degree.

For this project, the quintet leader invited experienced musicians. Bassist Artūrs Duckis, originally from Latvia, has performed on the Kaunas Jazz stage with several ensembles and is known for collaborations with numerous Lithuanian pop and jazz artists—from Linas Adomaitis to the band Duck Saved Jones, as well as the septet Jazz‘strada, which performed at the festival two years ago. Pianist Vytis Smolskas has stood out in many jazz projects and in long-running concert collaborations with singer Marijonas Mikutavičius. Saxophonist Adomas Bitinas is known from the LMTA Big Band, Vilnius Funk Collective, Bete Smate, and other projects. Guitarist Matas Ričkus has a rich and varied musical background, including jazz projects as well as performances with actor Dominykas Vaitiekūnas and Lithuanian rap star Kastetas.

The program to be performed in Kaunas consists of compositions created by various jazz drummers—music that has been an important source of inspiration for the quintet leader over many years. Playfulness and rhythm will certainly not be lacking in this concert—exactly the energy you want to kick off the main weekend of Kaunas Jazz fun and discoveries.