Dani džeza u Novom Sadu, prvi novosadski džez festival, na žalost za samo deset godina trajanja, uspeo je da predstavi impresivna imena džez nasleđa: Četa Bejkera, Lua Donaldsona, Bada Šenka, Reja Brauna; najvažnije predstavnike eksperimentalnog i avangardnog džeza osamdesetih: Sema Riversa, Arčija Šepa, Entonija Brekstona, Čikaški umetnički ansambl kao i nekrunisanog lidera world music trenda (koji je eksplodirao osamdesetih godina XX veka) kvartet Oregon. Ništa manje značajan doprinos festivala, čiji eho i danas odjekuje, bila je snažna podrška mladim džez muzičarima sa celokupnog prostora Jugoslavije. Neki od tinejdžera i dvadesetogodišnjaka koji su na Danima džeza u Novom Sadu načinili prve džez festivalske korake danas su respektabilna imena regionalne i evropske džez scene: Renato Kiko, Bojan Zulfikarpašić, Lojze Krajnčan, Saša Nestorovičć, Elvis Stanić, Vladimir Krnetić…
Prva festivalska fotografija: Plesni orkestar RTV Novi Sad, dirigent Stevan Radosavljević, otvara prvi festival 1979. godine. (voditelj Vitomir Simurdič) Foto Laslo Dorman
The Days of Jazz in Novi Sad, the first Novi Sad jazz festival, for a regrettably short period of just ten years, succeeded in presenting some impressive names of jazz heritage: Chet Baker, Lou Donaldson, Bud Shank, Ray Brown; the major representatives of experimental and avant-garde jazz of the eighties: Sam Rivers, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago; as well as the uncrowned leader of the world music trend (which had its boom in the 1980s), the Oregon Quartet. No less significant contribution of the festival, the echo of which can still be felt today, was the strong support for young jazz musicians from the entire Yugoslav area. Some of the musicians who took their first jazz festival steps at the Days of Jazz in Novi Sad when they were in their teens or early twenties are respectable names of the regional and European jazz scene today: Renato Chicco, Bojan Z., Lojze Krajnčan, Saša Nestorović, Elvis Stanić, Vladimir Krnetić...
The very first festival photo: The RTV Novi Sad Dance Orchestra conducted by Stevan Radosavljević as the opening act of the 1st festival in 1979 (emceed by Vitomir Simurdić). Photo by Laslo Dorman