Jure Pukl is one of the most prolific and creative saxophonists of the younger Slovenian jazz generation. In 2015, he was awarded Slovenia’s highest national honor for artistic achievement, the Prešeren Fund Award, for his contribution to the arts.
Jure Pukl received his formal musical education abroad, studying classical and jazz saxophone at the University of Vienna and the Royal Conservatorie in The Hague, before earning a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with renowned artists such as Joe Lovano and George Garzone. He completed his Master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.
Throughout his studies and professional career, Jure Pukl has been an active performer and recording artist, leading his own ensembles and collaborating with an exceptional range of musicians, including Dave Liebman, Branford Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, George Lewis, Maceo Parker, Vijay Iyer, Nasheet Waits, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Joe Sanders, Gregory Hutchinson, Sullivan Fortner, Justin Brown, Damion Reid, Han Bennink, Peter Evans, Thomas Gansch, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott, Darius Jones, Gerald Cleaver, Adam Rogers, Melissa Aldana, Marcus Gilmore, Philip Dizack, Alex Sipiagin, Johnathan Blake, and many others. He has also performed with ensembles such as the RTV Slovenia Big Band, the European Movement Jazz Orchestra, and the Vienna Saxophone Quartet.
Jure Pukl has toured extensively across Europe, the United States, and Asia, appearing at prestigious venues including The Village Vanguard, Blue Note(s), Ronnie Scott’s, The Jazz Standard, Bimhuis, Unterfahrt, Smalls Jazz Club, The Jazz Gallery, Porgy & Bess, and Stadtgarten, as well as major festivals such as the Winter Jazz Festival NYC, Moers Jazz Festival, Vienna Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, Ljubljana Jazz Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival, Batumi Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, jazzahead! Showcase and Cairo Jazz Festival.
As a leader, Pukl has developed distinctive projects such as Doubtless, Broken Circles, Abstract Society, Sound Pictures, Anorok and latest Analog AI through which he explores contemporary approaches to jazz and improvised music. His work blends modern jazz, avant-garde and free improvisation, and impressionistic contemporary music, with a strong emphasis on interaction and collective expression.
He has released twelve albums as a leader, all of which have received international acclaim, with reviews in DownBeat, The New York Times, The Guardian, JazzTimes, Jazzwise, Jazz Podium, and portals like All About Jazz. In addition, he has appeared as a sideman on more than 50 recordings, establishing himself as a significant voice on the international jazz scene.
Pukl is also a producer and the founder of the Creative Jazz Clinic Velenje, a series of concerts and workshops held in his hometown of Velenje, Slovenia. CJCV has developed into a leading festival and educational platform in this part of Europe. Since 2015, it has attracted students and professional musicians from all over the world each year. In recent years, artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joe Sanders, Gregory Hutchinson, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Melissa Aldana, Antonio Sánchez, Peter Evans, Han Bennink and Sara Serpa have been part of the program.
Since 2023, he has also been a professor at the Academy of Music at the University of Ljubljana, where he teaches saxophone, improvisation, ensemble performance and music business.
Explore Jure’s discography for his latest recordings.
