Christian Scott, Terrace Martin, Taylor McFerrin, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge & Justin Tyson: R + R = NOW
Well that’s a contemporary supergroup if there ever was one! What a fantastic gathering of young talent. The spearhead of new jazz. Robert Glasper is a keyboard player with complex musical ideas he clearly expresses as frontman of his group Experiment, this time at the service of his new project, christened R + R = NOW, a socio-political and artistic reflection on the situation of today’s world. The trumpet-player Christian Scott is another ground-breaking youngster, who drank from the jazz fountains in his native New Orleans to develop his own, almost arrogant style, which enjoys unquestionable attraction among both jazz purists and the hip-hop community. Terrace Martin is the musician of the moment: sax-player, composer, singer, rapper, producer (of Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes and Stevie Wonder, for example). We enjoyed seeing him at last year’s Heineken Jazzaldia with the Herbie Hancock quintet. The keyboard player, DJ and beatboxer Taylor McFerrin has inherited a fair deal of his father Bobby’s charm. The whole thing needs the backing of some very serious rhythm. That’s why we have the bassist Derrick Hodge, winner of the Grammy in the hip-hop and R&B categories, as well as the drummer Justin Tyson who, despite his youth, has already chalked up experience with Mos Def and Esperanza Spalding.
Salvador Sobral
Salvador Sobral (voice), Júlio Resende (piano, arrangements), André Rosinha (double bass), Bruno Pedroso (drums)
Thanks to the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest we discovered the enormous artistic sensitivity of a Portuguese singer who, despite generally concentrating on jazz, captivated audiences all over the continent with his unusual song Amar pelos dois, written by his sister Luísa, also a singer and composer. Salvador Sobral carried off the competition and immediately returned to what he loves most: jazz. In 2016 he released his first solo CD, Excuse Me, accompanied by Júlio Resende, Portugal’s top jazz pianist, with whom he will perform in San Sebastian. Trained at Barcelona’s Taller de Músic, his music has influences of bossa nova, popular Latin American music, and one of jazz history’s greats, the trumpet player Chet Baker, of whom Sobral is a self-confessed admirer.
Curtis Stigers
Curtis Stigers (voice, saxophone), Mathew Fries (piano), Cliff Schmitt (bass), Paul Wells (drums), John “Scrapper” Sneider (trumpet)
He’s one of today’s great vocalists. He’s up there with the standards of Kurt Elling and Gregory Porter. As well as singing magnificently, he’s an excellent sax player. He composes his own numbers, but shines with his own light in the jazz standards and adaptations to jazz of pop and rock numbers. He debuted in the record world in 1991 with the song I Wonder Why, which climbed high on the North American and British charts. His version of Nick Lowe’s Peace, Love and Understanding could be heard on the movie soundtrack of The Bodyguard. He has collaborated, among others, with Elton John, The Allman Brothers Band, Prince, Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton. Stigers originally hails from Boise (Idaho), home to a large colony of Basque origin.
All of the previously announced big names have been confirmed
The programme of paying concerts is now closed with the new additions listed above.
An announcement had already been issued on the presence at the 53 Heineken Jazzaldia of Gregory Porter, Chick Corea, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Brad Mehldau, Kenny Barron, Carla Bley, Holland/Hussain/Potter, Benny Green, Caetano Veloso, Michel Portal and Maceo Parker, among others.