London Jazz Festival| Various articles | 2003-12-15 |
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| The London Jazz Festival in association with Radio
3 is delighted to announce the programme of events now in place
for November 2003. With one of the most exciting line-ups in the
Festival's history, this year is packed with big names, rising stars
from the UK and abroad, new commissions, exciting collaborations
and a fantastic festival's worth of free events, not to mention
the Festival's outreach work, all taking place across the capital,
on air and online. The London Jazz Festival is fired by the spirit of discovery that has kept it fresh from the very start, exploring a music that's always on the move, as well as taking a new and affectionate look at a rich tradition that continues to surprise and excite. There's a constant pull in jazz between structure and spontaneity, composition and improvisation, and that's the central theme of this year's Festival. We present the first British performance by the Charles Mingus Orchestra; bring together a multi-national ensemble to play the complete repertoire of Thelonious Monk (for free!); celebrate the inspiration of Martin Luther King with the music of Denys Baptiste and the words of Ben Okri; and welcome John Scofield, Joe Lovano and a host of stars to perform at the Barbican with Tommy Smith. Andy Sheppard, Shri Sriram and Joanna MacGregor explore Bach's Art of Fugue, charismatic saxophonist David Sanborn celebrates the release of his new record with renewed energy and characteristic style, hiphop composer/creator Kid Koala makes jazz out of materials that the jazz scene never knew existed, e.s.t. and The Bad Plus map out a new future for the piano trio, and adventurers like Tim Berne, Elliott Sharp, David Binney, Joel Harrison, Ken Vandermark and Jason Moran are featured in clubs and concert halls. Watch out for shows large and small that take a new look at Wayne Shorter, Hermeto Pascoal, Joe Harriott, Carla Bley and the music of Radiohead (the creators of this century's new standards!), and Jamie Cullum, Bobby McFerrin and Dianne Reeves taking a new look at the song tradition and the voice in the Royal Festival Hall. Since the London Jazz Festival began ten years ago, we've always programmed 'world music' and looked at the roots of jazz. This year, we're particularly interested in how musicians and composers like Dhafer Youssef, Rabih Abou-Khalil and the fabulous acoustic improvisers of Ghazal have explored the traditions of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia within a jazz framework. Other international projects include the first European performances by tango singer Sandra Luna, Brazilian legend Johnny Alf and the fabulous voices of Oumou Sangare and the Blind Boys of Alabama. There's a rich vein of new writing from established British musicians - Courtney Pine, Mike Westbrook, Alan Skidmore and the duo of Jason Rebello/John Law are just a few of the many - and there's a great surge of creativity from some of the younger artists: Gareth Williams hosts three special concerts on the PizzaExpress FreeStage, Soweto Kinch and Jade Fox hit the Royal Festival Hall, and Tomorrow's Warriors tour clubs all over London. The London Jazz Festival encompasses the largest concert halls and the smallest clubs, all committed to presenting new work of the highest quality, with an education programme that runs across the year and an award-winning Audience Development scheme that means thousands of young people have been able to hear jazz live for the first time. None of this would be possible without our funders and sponsors who share in the passion and excitement of the Festival, and the support of BBC Radio 3, who broadcast many of the concerts on radio and the internet, helping to make the Festival into a uniquely international event - not just in its immense spread of music, but accessible throughout the world on the BBC website. |
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. |
EJN - Europe Jazz Network - Europe-wide association of producers and presenters of creative jazz and improvised musics
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