Festival News

Django Reinhardt's gypsy rhythms live on

Source: Michael Ricci
July 19, 2010

The Edinburgh Jazz Festival celebrates the guitarist a century after his birth.

If there's a gig at any jazz festival which is guaranteed to attract and delight punters who ordinarily wouldn't touch jazz with a five-foot pole, it's the one with the Django Reinhardt-inspired band. Thanks to the fact that, over the last 25 years, the genius gypsy jazz guitarist's extremely accessible style of music has been heard on everything from Renault Clio adverts to movie soundtracks (Belleville Rendez-Vous, Chocolat), ...

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Greater Hartford Jazz Festival Strikes A Chord With Music Lovers

Source: Michael Ricci
July 19, 2010

HARTFORD--Bushnell Park was filled with the sounds of jazz in the summer sun Sunday as the three-day Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz brought thousands of music lovers to the capital city. Bands belted out songs on a stage near the Memorial Arch as vendors nearby sold everything from hats and handbags to shirts and jewelry. The Ross Novgrad Latin Jazz Quintet brought smiles to the crowd by finishing their set with the popular “Oye Como Va,” a tune written by ...

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Mario Pavone Orange Double Tenor at Litchfield Jazz Festival August 7th

Source: Improvised Communications
July 19, 2010

One month from tonight, veteran bassist/composer Mario Pavone will perform at the Litchfield Jazz Festival with his newest ensemble, Orange Double Tenor. The group, which features trumpeter Dave Ballou, tenor saxophonists Tony Malaby and Jimmy Greene, pianist Peter Madsen and drummer Gerald Cleaver, will play Pavone's new extended work, ARC SUITE T/PI T/PO. This is only the third live performance of the five-part suite, following two nights at New York's Cornelia Street Café in early June, which was commissioned by ...

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1st Kalamata (Greece) Jazz Festival

Source: Konstantinos Yaxoglou
July 19, 2010

Kalamata's first ever summer jazz festival! Amazing musicians from Greece, Holland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Sweden, New York and Mani come together to celebrate good music and groove! Miyagis' Dream, Freak Brothers Band, Harris Lambrakis Quartet, Tzoum, Dimitris Pantelias Group, Blazin' Quartet from Amsterdam and the enigmatic NOW vs. NOW with Jason Lindner, Panagiotis Andreou and Mark Guiliana from downtown New York will make this a musical experience to remember! The festival starts after the 16th International Dance Festival of Kalamata and ...

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Director Polanski appears at Swiss jazz fest

Source: Michael Ricci
July 18, 2010

MONTREUX, Switzerland--The film director Roman Polanski, free after nine months of detention, arrived Saturday at the Montreux Jazz Festival in his first public appearance since being released this week from house arrest.

Polanski, 76, arrived Saturday evening in a sport utility vehicle with tinted windows. When he emerged, he brushed his fingers through his hair--a trademark gesture--then was ushered into an elevator. Security personnel protected him from an eager crush of photographers.

Polanski's wife, the actress and singer Emmanuelle Seigner, ...

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Brubeck's Newport Magic

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
July 18, 2010

Every time Dave Brubeck plays the Newport Jazz Festival, he breaks his own record.

The pianist, who will turn 90 this December 6, has performed at Newport more than any other jazz artist in the festival's storied, sometimes roller coaster history. He was there for the first festival in 1954--and has been back more than 30 times since.

Last year, Brubeck's quartet played at Newport--and a later in the day he added a footnote to the Newport history book by ...

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Boston's Festival Betances 2010 Celebrates Latino Arts and Culture, July 16-18

Source: MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts
July 17, 2010

The annual Festival Betances at Villa Victoria in Boston's South End starts today and runs through Sunday, July 18, 2010. The festival includes exciting music and dance performances, delicious food and activities for all ages. This year's music features Puerto Rican salsa stars Paquito Acosta and Michael Stuart, plus the US premier of Venezuelan harp virtuoso Leonard Jacome. Other performers include Sociedad Latina, Sierra Brothers, Lengua de Mi Barrio and more. For a full schedule click here.Villa Victoria ...

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Dave Brubeck Celebrates 90th Birthday with Wynton Marsalis

Source: Michael Ricci
July 16, 2010

Dave Brubeck has been thrilling fans in Newport for more than half his life, and George Wein is proud to announce that the legendary pianist is returning to the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival to celebrate his 90th birthday as a special guest with his friend Wynton Marsalis on Sunday, August 8. Making a unique appearance with the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, Brubeck comes to Newport fresh from a performance at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, where the festival's 15th anniversary is dedicated ...

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