We’ve said it before, and we’ll scream it until we’re hoarse; jazz is musicianship at its most exquisite. The darling island of Ist hosts one of the great festivals on Croatia’s jazz calendar, spread over two sumptuous nights in August. 2024 will be the sixth edition of the festival, and both nights promise something extraordinary. August 7 will be headlined by Joe Kaplowitz and the Keyboard Extravaganza, which is every bit as bombastic as it sounds. Kaplowitz collaborated with Croatian virtuosos on his latest album, touching on jazz, classical music, funk and elements of prog with spellbinding results. On August 8, the Davor Doležal Quartet will wow the audience, as arguably Croatia’s finest jazz guitar virtuoso blurs the lines between genres in a display of fretboard genius. If you’ve not heard “Strange Beauty” yet, you need to rectify that and then get to Ist for this special event. Entry is free, so there really is no excuse.