On Saturday August 29th at 10:00 p.m., RNE's Radio 3 will air a special in the San Javier Jazz Festival.
Murcia'as regional television station 7RM will retransmit concerts from the 18th edition of the San Javier Jazz Festival 2015 on Saturdays after the Saturday night movie, at around 12 midnight, starting on August 22nd. The first concerts will be the following:
We will update more information on the remaining concerts when it becomes available.
The Festival del Cante de las Minas in La Unión, Murcia, currently hosting its 55th edition has honoured the San Javier International Jazz Festival with the 'Pencho Cros' award in the "Promotion of Music" category in recognition of the festival's "exceptional job in the spread and promotion of flamenco-jazz". On August 14th in La Unión City Hall, de Mayor of La Unión, Pedro López Millán handed the award over to the Mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luengo Gallego, as a representative of the town. Also present for the award ceremony were San Javier's Cultural Councillor David Martínez Gómez, and the Director of the Festival, Alberto Nieto.
Between September 1st and the 17th, TVE's La 2 will broadcast a total of 11 concerts from the 18th edition of the San Javier Jazz Festival as part of their special, "Summer Festivals", which includes the most important jazz and blues festivals in Spain. The concert will air in a varied schedule between 1:00 am and 3:00 am.
The schedule is the following:
A vintage style blues harmonica player created by applying several techniques to a photograph of two musicians is at the centre of this year's poster, and will serve as the festival's image. The poster was presented on March 18th by the festival's director, Alberto Nieto, who was accompanied by the Mayor of San Javier, Juan Martinez and the Councillor of Culture, Inmaculada García.
One of the most notable performers on the roster is Jackson Browne (1948), one of the great American singer-songwriters of the country-rock or ‘Americana’ genre. On his first visit to Jazz San Javier, he will present his new album Standing In the Breach (Warner, 2014). This best selling musician has sold over 18 million albums in the US alone, and had a worldwide hit with the famous "Stay" by Maurice Williams. Jackson has had a long career which began back in the 70s, and continues up until present day. With his latest recording he proves that his talent, as well as his social commitment remain intact.
The great lady of American jazz, Dianne Reeves, returns to San Javier after releasing her latest album, the first after a five year hiatus from the recording studios, Beautiful Live which has earned her the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2014. Hailed by critics as the "successor of Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae", after she emerged into the music scene in the 80s, Dianne is a particularly versatile singer, able to transition from classic jazz to R&B, to soul, to pop and Latin Music. Her latest album has a bit of everything, including versions of songs by Bob Marley like "Waiting in Vain" and Marvin Gaye's "I Want You", among many others.
Brad Mehldau, one of the great jazz pianists promises to be one of the most prominent presences of the next edition of the Festival, where he will perform with his official Trio. Considered to be the best pianist of his generation, he has defined the secret of the piano trio in recent decades, with his highly regarded trio. It is with this trio that he recorded a series of five albums under the title The Art of The Trio.
Crooner Tony DeSare (1976) who has been compared to Frank Sinatra and other revivalists like Harry Connick Jr., or John Pizzarelli, will perform for the first time in Spain preceded by great success in the United States where he has released four albums. Devoted to the Great American Songbook, Tony DeSare, who is also a pianist and composer, performs not only music by Gershwin and Ray Charles, but also Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney or Prince, whose song "Kiss" is included on the album Last First Kiss (2007).
The preview released by Alberto Nieto also includes the presence of two supergroups, the first, Network, formed by a quartet of stars led by the great bassist Charnett Moffet, who has performed with some of the greats like Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock. The guitarist Stanley Jordan, who is able to leave audience breathless ever since his famous "Magic Touch" (Blue North 1985); Jeff "Tain" Watts, one of the most popular drummers in the world, and pianist Cyrus Chestnut make up this luxurious quartet.
Another current group that will perform in Jazz San Javier 2015 is CMD & The Nomads. The group's formation includes its leader Chris Minh Doky, the most prestigious Danish bassist; drummer Dave Weckl; the brilliant jazz funk guitarist, Dean Brown, and George Whitty on keyboards. Four stars whose synergy gives rise to one of the best live sounds of electric jazz and funk of today.
As usual, since its inception, Jazz San Javier continues to pay special attention to Spanish jazz, and according to the director, Alberto Nieto, the next edition will feature two Spanish groups that are among the flamenco jazz elite. Catalonian Ginesa Ortega, one of the most interesting and versatile voices in flamenco, as evidenced when she performed with ‘La Fura dels Baus’, or interpreted "El Amor Brujo" de Falla. She will explore the fusion of jazz and flamenco alongside trumpet player Raynald Colom's quartet, also known as the "Catalonian Miles Davis".
A native of Cádiz, singer, saxophonist and composer Antonio Lizana, will debut in Jazz San Javier with his group. Not one for conventionalisms, this excellent saxophonist and singer offers a vibrant live performance, bursting with freshness and intensity, in his own unique style where he effortlessly transitions between flamenco and jazz. In 2012 he recorded his first album, De Viento (Flamenco de la Isla) and has already completed a second, but still manages to collaborate with other artists like Miguel Rios, Chambao, or Raimundo Amador, among others, as well as with groups like Afro-latin-jazz Arturo O'Farrill Orchestra at Symphony Place in New York.
The mayor of San Javier, Juan Martinez mentioned "the strong commitment between the entire municipal council and Jazz San Javier, which is a very important element for tourism promotion as well as a an income source for the township.
Councillor for Culture, Inmaculada Martinez highlighted everyone's commitment to continue with festival in recent years and the high level of quality of the roster announced in advanced. The councillor thanked the work of municipal staff working for the Festival, as well as the support of the sponsors.
The Festival does not have a definitive schedule yet but it could range from July 3rd to July 31st. The announcement of the full program is planned for the first or second week of April.
