The other names on the bill will be announced in January and tickets will go on sale in February
It seems like only yesterday we closed the doors of an exceptionally magnificent 52nd Heineken Jazzaldia, and yet here we are already announcing our first names for the 53rd edition, to run from 25th to 29th July 2018.
Let’s start with the voices: last year’s huge sensation, Gregory Porter, who’ll bring his new project with the songs of Nat “King” Cole accompanied by a symphony orchestra; and two major new features: one, the singer in greatest shape on today’s scene, young, different, inventive, classy, Cécile McLorin Salvant; and the other, Jacob Collier, surprising, multi-instrumentalist and astonishing vocalist.
Europe will enjoy a multiple, varied and interesting representation: Michel Portal, the front-runner of Basque jazz musicians; the new stars of French jazz, Émile Parisien, saxophonist, Vincent Peirani, accordionist, Médéric Collignon, trumpetist and, above all, the guitar player Tom Ibarra, aged only 19 and winner of this year’s Rising Star contest; not to forget Britain’s GoGo Penguin and their new jazz trio concept.
Two of the pianists dearest to us will also perform at the Heineken Jazzaldia, Iñaki Salvador, with a homage to Mikel Laboa on the 10th anniversary of his death, and Marco Mezquida from the Balearic Islands, with his fascinating recreation of Maurice Ravel’s repertoire.
Two extraordinary Lebanese musicians will bring us their new projects. On the one hand, Rabih Abou Khalil, who plays the oud and has an extensive and marvellous production with some of the most outstanding contemporary jazz musicians. On the other, the flute player settled in France, Naïssam Jalal, with her proposal of unique beauty and strength, as oriental as it is jazz-flavoured.
Unique concerts will also come from two immensely attractive trios: one, the pianist Carla Bley, with her inseparable Steve Swallow and British sax player Andy Sheppard; the other, bringing a lineup of three monsters: Dave Holland, on the bass, Chris Potter, on the sax, and, on the percussion, master Zakir Hussain.
But that’s not all. Other top-notch artists will include the pianist Bruce Barth, with a jazz homage to the music of the Grateful Dead; California’s new guitar “wizard”, Julian Lage; a cult saxophonist: Dick Oatts, in a quartet with the Basque Víctor de Diego; and the group Endangered Blood, with members Chris Cheek, Oscar Noriega, Jim Black and Trevor Dunn.
Other impressive names to make up the bill of the 53rd Heineken Jazzaldia will be announced in January 2018.
Tickets will go on sale in February 2018.
