The regional television channel 7RM will rebroadcast all performances from the 2017 edition of the San Javier Jazz Festival on friday nights starting on October 7th. The performances are scheduled to begin from 12:00 am to 1:00 am.
Schedule:
The rest of the program (January 6 - May 26th) will be announced at a later time.
The San Javier Jazz Festival will be dedicated to the saxophone and will include some of the best jazz and blues saxphone players in the world . Throughout this edition of the Festival, which will come to an end on July 30th there will be numerous performances by great jazz sax players like Charles Lloyd, Houston Person, Kirk Whalum, Jorge Pardo, José Luis Gutiérrez, Jim Tomlinson and Ray Gelato. R&B and Blues will be represented by greats like Sax Gordon and Dani Nel.Lo.
As is customary, the 2017 edition of the San Javier Jazz Festival will be dedicated to the memory of musicians who have performed in San Javier and who have passed away in the last year like Al Jarreau, Boby Hutcherson, Larry Coryell, Toots Thielemans, and musical promoter Manolo Serra.
Due to health problems, guitarist Chuck Loeb, member of the super-group Fourplay, will not be able to take part in the group's European Tour. The group will proceed with their scheduled tour with three original the members, Bob James, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason who will be joined by the prestigious sax player Kirk Whalum, one of the most notable virtuosos of the fusion tenor saxophone in the U.S. Fourplay will perform at the San Javier Jazz Festival on Saturday July 22nd.
The San Javier Jazz Festival will bestow the Festival Award for the 20th edition upon the American guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli. Son of the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli is one of the best represetatives of the neotraditionalism in the school of Italian American jazz singer, whose maximum representatives has been Frank Sinatra.
One of the most beloved artist by the Jazz San Javier public, John Pizzarelli will receive the award after the concert dedicated to one of his greatest musical loves, the Bossa-Nova, where he will perform side by side with Daniel Jobim, grandson of the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim in a duet inspired by 1967's mythical album "Sinatra - Jobim".
For reasons outside of Jazz Festival's control, pianist Ramsey Lewis has cancelled his performance which was to take place on the night of July 8th of this year. The performer has been replaced by the new trio of the Swiss pianist Thierry Lang, who will be joined by a special guest, Olivier Ker Ourio, a virtuoso of the chromatic harmonica .
The second performance of the night by American singer Stacey Kent remains unchanged.
Additionally another performance has been added to the ones previously announced, saxophonist José Luis Gutiérrez and his trio will perform before George Benson on Thursday July 20th.
The Teatro Circo de Murcia was the chose venue to present the program for the 20th San Javier Jazz Festival. A preview of the program which included George Benson, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' and Charles Lloyd Quartet had previously been unveiled. The full program will consist of 29 concerts which will take place throughtout 17 nights between June 30th and July 30th of this year. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Enviroment, Javier Celdrán accompanied the Mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luengo, the councillor of Culture, David Martínez, and the director of the Festival, Alberto Nieto in the presentation of the festival which celebrates its 20th edition and more than 400 nights of concerts which has included more than 2,000 elite jazz artist. David Martínez announced an exposition which sums up the 20 years of the festival which can be visited throught the next edition.
Javier Celdrán closed out the presentarion, which also included the General Director of the Instituto de las Industrias Culturales, Marta López-Briones, who praised the San Javier Jazz Festival for its "investment in excellence and for being able to put San Javier and the Region of Murcia on the front row of Jazz festivals in Spain, with a modest budget." For the Minister, events like the San Javier Jazz Festival "also reenforce, the image as quality destination of the municipality and the entire Region."
Alberto Nieto was in charge of presenting the latest news regarding the festival, which will begin on June 30th with the Mediterranean Jazz guitar of the Spanish composer Ximo Tébar who will present his latest album Soleo, alongside the singer Carmen Rodríguez. One of the most admired voices in Spain, Sole Giménez will be the second performer of the night to present her most recen album Los Hombres Sensibles, who will be joined by Antonio Carmona to pay tribute to Manolo Tena.
On Saturday July 1st it will be a night of new discoveries with North American singer Charenee Wade, the new voice of Jazz Soul with a tribute to the poet Gil Scott-Heton. Chant Powell, trumpet player, singer, dancer and multi faceted artist part of the new generation of musicians out of New Orleans will perform along his band from Barcelona Shakin' All, a production of the Festival designed to get the audience out of their seats.
The New York singer, Allan Harris, located among the top Jazz crooners will perform on July 5th in a night that will come to a close with two giants of Jazz, guitatist Lee Ritenour and pianist and composer Dave Grusin, to present the latest Lee Ritenour's latest album A Twist of Rit.
The Spanish presence will return on July 7th with a proyect sponsored by the San Javier Jazz Festival which joins Blues Express and the great Spanish Blues musicians: Mingo Balaguer, Francisco Simón and Lluis Coloma, alongside Calfornia Blues singer Tia Carroll. The second performance of the night will feature pianist, composer and singer, Ivan Lins, one of the most prestigious Brazilian musicians in the world of Jazz and an old friend of Jazz San Javier.
North American singer Stacey Kent, one of the most respected voices in the Jazz world, will perform accompanied by her husband, British saxophonist Jim Tomlinson on July 8th, followed by Ramsey Lewis, one of the greatest Jazz pianists of all time and creator of Jazz-Funk, who returns to San Javier with his Electric Band.
Pegasus, a historic Jazz group in Spain, formed in Barcelona in 1981, returns after their successful performance in Jazz San Javier in 2014, and for the first time they will include the voice of the American singer Monica Green to the instrumental Mediterranean sound. The night of the 14th of July will close with two great legends of Blues, guitarrists Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' who will present their new album with their band Tajmo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band.
The son ofthe great Thelonious Monk, drummer T.S. Monk leads a sextet which on July 15th will present a concert to celebrate the centennial of the great pianist, called "Monk on Monk: A Centannial of Thelonious S. Monk", with a special guest, the presitigious vocalist Nnenna Freelon. The second concert of the night will star guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, and pianist, guitarist and singer Daniel Jobim, grandson of the great Antonio Jobim, who will be remembered with a tribute to the album "Sinatra-Jobim" which turns fifty.
The night of the 20th of July is reserved for George Benson, an icon of the San Javier Jazz Festival where he has performed on five occassions and has received the love of the audience which awarded him the Festival Award of during the XIII edition. Benson returns to Jazz San Javier with a magnificent band.
Percussionist Jorge Pérez leads the Fusion supergroup Patax which on the night of the 21st of July will present their intense Latin Jazz, Funk and Flamenco proposal which includes special guest, American violinist Maureen Choi. On the same night we'll be able to enjoy saxophonist Charles Lloyd, a living legend of jazz, who visits San Javier for the first time where he will present his new album I Long to See You accompanied by three great musicians, Gerald Clayton, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland.
The program for the 20th edition of the festival also includes the supergroup Fourplay which returns eleven years later to San Javier, with their well known and admired Fusion proposal which incorporated R&B and Pop to Jazz. On the same night of July 22nd, Texas guitarist Buddy Whitington one of the main figures of U.S. Blues and Souther Rock will perform with the Blues Rock musician from Murcia, Santiago Campillo, founder and ex-guitarist of M-Clan, and pianist Mauri Sanchis.
On the next to las night of the Festival, July 29th we will receive the Barcelona Big Blues Band with their energetic Blues, R&B, Swing and Jazz proposal with special guests, saxophinist Dani Nel.lo and British tenor saxophinist and singer Ray Gelato. The night will be completed with the most distinguished vocalist in Boston Blues, Toni Lynn Washington who will be accompanied by Italian Luca Giordano's superband with Sax Gorgon on the saxophone.
The closing night of the festival, July 30th wil be dedicated to one of the European Jazz greats, French Michel Legrand, pianist, arranger, and composer of more than 200 soundtracks and songs which have become jazz classics. Michel Legrand, winner of 3 Academy Awards and 5 Grammy Awards, is the most important living French musicians and along with Chales Aznavour, the top current representatives of the golden age of French music.
FREE OUTDOOR CONCERTS
After last year's success, the San Javier Jazz Festival returns to the streets with free concerts in Santiago de la Ribera, La Manga del Mar Menor and San Javier. The first of the concerts will be on July 12th in San Javier's Plaza de España with Funkystep & the Sey Sisters, a band of six formidable musicians with a vocal trio formed by the three Sey sisters. On July 18th the septet of musicians from Murcia and Alicante, Zoot Suiters will take their festive Swing and Jazz to the Barnuevo boardwalk in Santiago de la Ribera. On Sunday July 23rd it will be Sammy Miller and the Congregation's turn, a band lead by drummer and singer, Sammy Miller, composed by different and talentes young musicians who perform a joyous and virtuoso jazz. FInally, on July 26th the Cuban pianist, singer and composer Lucrecia will in the Barnuevo Boardwalk in Santiago de la Ribera, "America cómo te adoro", a selection of her favorite Latin American songs, accompanied by great musicians like Cuban pianist Ramón Balle, bassist Yeltsi Heredia and German percussinist Nils Fischer.
TICKETS AND SEASON TICKETS
Tickets and season tickets will go on sale on May 11th through the festival website www.festivalessanjavier.com and in the Festival Offices. The price of the season pass will be 120€, which will not include the George Benson concert which will cost 40€, or Tajmo: Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band which will cost 25€ and 20€ for season ticket holders. The price of the rest of the performances will be 15€ for six of the nights and 20€ for the remaining five nights. The four concerts which will take place outside of the Auditorium will be free.
El músico norteamericano George Benson, “un icono para el Festival del Jazz de San Javier”, donde ha actuado en varias ocasiones, no podía faltar en el 20 aniversario del Festival, según adelantó su director, Alberto Nieto, durante la presentación del cartel junto con un avance de la programación en la que habrá presencias destacadas como la de dos grandes leyendas del blues, los guitarristas Taj Mahal y Keb Mo’ que presentarán un nuevo disco con su banda 'Tajmo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo’ Band'.
Otra de las confirmaciones en el XX Festival Internacional de Jazz de San Javier que se celebrará del 30 de junio al 29 de julio, es la del saxofonista Charles Lloyd, una de las leyendas vivas de la historia del jazz que el pasado año se cayó del programa a última hora y que se ha recuperado en esta edición a la que llega con nuevo disco “I long to see you” que presentará en formación de cuarteto con tres grandes músicos Gerald Clayton, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland.
El Festival que, a falta de cerrar la programación contará con unas trece noches de conciertos en el auditorio, y cuatro en exteriores de San Javier, Santiago de la Ribera y La Manga del Mar Menor, contará, como es habitual, con música de jazz, principalmente, sin olvidar el blues, el soul, y la bossa nova con actuaciones como la de John Pizzarelli y Daniel Jobim, nieto del compositor brasileño Antonio Carlos Jobim. Juntos ofrecerán un concierto en el que sonará el legado del gran Jobim, junto a clásicos del American Songbook, con arreglos de bossa nova, y un homenaje al álbum “Sinatra-Jobim” del que se cumplen 50 años.
Ramsey Lewis, otro viejo conocido y Premio del Festival, volverá a Jazz San Javier con la Electric Band con la que recrea el genuino jazz soul del que fue uno de sus creadores. La fusión del jazz y la bossa nova también estará presente con la cantante americana afincada en Inglaterra Stacey Kent, amante de la música brasileña, que actuará acompañada por su marido el saxofonista tenor Jim Tomlinson.
La fiesta de aniversario llegará con Jorge Pardo, músico de jazz y flamenco, saxofonista y flautista, reciente Premio de las Artes, en España, y Premio al Mejor Músico de Jazz Europeo, en Francia, que estrenará un concierto único concebido para Jazz San Javier acompañado entre otros músicos por Niño Josele, el guitarrista actual más brillante del flamenco jazz, Tomasito al baile y cante y el pianista Albert Sanz.
La cantante Toni Lynn Washington, considerada “la reina del blues de Boston” figura también en el avance de programa, junto a una superbanda encabezada por el guitarrista italiano, Luca Giordano, con Sax Gordon como invitado especial al saxofón, instrumento al que está dedicada la presente edición del Festival.
Una de las constantes del Festival de Jazz es la de apoyar a los nuevos valores, como la nueva voz del jazz soul Charenee Wade, profesora de canto de jazz, con dos discos editados, que ofrecerá un homenaje a la música de Gil Scott-Heron “el poeta maldito del soul”. Entre los tesoros a descubrir en la próxima edición de Jazz San Javier también se encuentra Allan Harris, el cantante favorito de Tony Bennett, uno de los últimos grandes crooners en activo.
El jazz fusión llegará con Patax, un supergrupo de fusión liderado por el percusionista Jorge Pérez, con una propuesta trepidante en la que se dan la mano el latin jazz, el funk y el flamenco, que en esta ocasión contará como invitada especial con la violinista norteamericana Maureen Choi.
De los cuatro conciertos que saldrán del auditorio se ha conocido el que se ofrecerá en la plaza de España: Funkystep & The Sey Sisters, con una banda de seis músicos que empezó con Etna Sey como cantante y que más tarde incorporó a sus dos hermanas, Cathy y Yolanda, formando un formidable trío vocal con el que rinden homenaje a los grandes de la música negra.
La primera teniente de alcalde Teresa Foncuberta y el concejal de Festejos, Pedro López acompañaron al director del Festival en la presentación, que tuvo lugar en el Ayuntamiento de San Javier, en la que se descubrió el cartel de la presente edición, obra de Ramón Torres, que muestra a un trompetista abrazado a una farola, con el que se hace un guiño al cine y al jazz de los años 30 y 40.
El edil Pedro López reiteró la apuesta municipal por el Festival de Jazz “que está entre los mejores de España y que ya es un referente también en Europa”, y felicitó a su director, Alberto Nieto “no solo por la programación de este año sino por las 20 ediciones”.
Nieto aprovechó los 20 años del Festival para agradecer la labor de todo el equipo “anterior y actual” del Festival, así como al equipo de Gobierno y a todos los grupos políticos de la corporación municipal “por el apoyo que siempre han mostrado hacia el festival”.
