Valencia Jazz Festival 2017 – Fun in the Sun

Written by | Artists, Festivals, News

An eclectic and popular festival, which brings you jazz all around the city of Valencia, Spain.

Jazz is rich and diverse; it’s a language that subdivides itself!  Having the ability to constantly craft new sounds and rhythms, appealing to a wide audience.  The XXI edition of the Valencia Jazz Festival shows this heterogeneity through a bunch of concerts that offer the opportunity to meet and explore different styles: fusion, flamenco, swing, contemporary and mainstream offerings.

This Festival, one of the most important in Spain, gave an opener last week having Paquito D’Rivera as a guest of the Osquestra de València. Together with this sax player, the authenticity of the octogenarian Archie Shepp is the highlight of this Festival. So from now (June) and during July, we will enjoy a quality program which shows stylistic variety and harmony between the great names like James Morrison Quartet and local bands like Tarquim.

In the Festival there will be a fusion with Michel Camilo & Tomatito, who  will present Spain Forever, the latest work of an accomplished duo that has been touring together for eighteen years. With this fusion you can experience the context and exploration of the sounds,  with the saxophonist and flutist Jorge Pardo , he will present Djinn, which is defined as metaflamenco that spreads with improvisation, groove and electronic effects. Another fusion proposal at the Valencia Jazz Festival is Bill Evans and Dean Brown Quartet project that leads jazz to the edges of rock and funk.

There will be an attractive night for contemporary jazz lovers with the drummer Mark Guiliana, one of the most powerful samples of the jazz avant-garde. Another concert of the contemporary trend will be Philanthropy, the new experimental project of the talented and multi-faceted artist Jorge Rossy.

Vocal concerts will offer two different moods: a travel across time to visit the golden years of the swing with Gunhild Carling & Le Dancing Pepa Swing Band and an invitation to explore African-American roots with the groovy voice of Charenée Wade.

This Festival has saved also two nights for big bands: the Sedajazz Big Band and the Gran Canaria Big Band which will give an open concert at the Turia gardens. This Festival has the commitment to bring jazz closer to the people with exciting concerts taking place with local musicians  at various street locations around the city.

This eclectic and popular Festival will give jazz and music lovers the opportunity to enjoy nights in a great atmosphere at Palau de la Música. So if you are visiting Valencia, have in mind that this city has culturally a lot to offer.

Text: Marta Ramón    

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Last modified: July 15, 2018