Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
July 11th, 2011 | 
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Michel Portal: Wikipedia Commons
After years of complaints by residents of the Cimiez neighbourhood, the Nice Jazz Festival packed its stages and moved to the much more centrally located Jardins Albert 1er. There’s no question that the site is easier to access, especially by visitors. Naturally, parking is a nightmare but cyclists and walkers will have no problem getting to the venue from anywhere in downtown Nice. For those coming from further afield, there’s always the Noctambus to return you to your digs when the festival ends around midnight.
After several years of toying around with pop, R & B, soul and rock, the festival’s new shortened schedule puts the emphasis squarely on jazz in all its permutations from electro to blues to classic jazz. Last night, Michel Portal delivered a soaring performance of cuts from his new CD, Bailador, in the festival’s Teatre Verdure venue. Of the two venues, this is the one with seating– essential in order to relax and fully enter the music. Unfortunately, the mood was occasionally interrupted by the sounds drifting over from the other venue, the Scene Matisse.
The “festival seating” in the Scene Matisse was the only disappointment in this revamped Jazz Festival. The open field of Cimiez dotted by olive trees provided a certain romantic ambience. You could stand in a crowd in front of the stage or spread out a blanket in the field and gaze at the stars while listening to the music. Here, the only choice was to remain standing, mostly on concrete, for the duration of the concert. That’s fine for a pulsing rock concert that impels dancing, but it’s unnecessarily tiring for a jazz concert.
The solution is simple: install chairs!
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The program for the 2011 Jazz festival at Juan-les-Pins, “Jazz a Juan” is now online and it’s truly a banquet for jazz-lovers. I recommend reserving your tickets early to make sure you get a seat at your preferred concert. Check out the line-up:
July 14
REVELATIONS (promising new artists)
July 15
BITCHES BREW BEYOND
Tribute to Miles Davis
HERBIE HANCOCK
WAYNE SHORTER
MARCUS MILLER
July 16
KEITH JARRETT TRIO
July 17
JAMES HUNTER
B.B.KING
July 18
SOIREE OFF (free)
July 19
ROBERT RANDOLPH
CARLOS SANTANA
July 20
ALEX TASSEL / CURTIS STIGE
JAMMIE CULLUM
July 21
RAPHAEL SAADIQ
IMANY / BEN ONCLE SOUL
July 22
RAUL MIDON/RICHARD BO
QUARTET
GILBERTO GIL
July 23
HAROLD LOPEZ NUSSA TRIO
MANU KATCHE PROJECT
July 24
CRAIG ADAMS / SOIREE GOSPEL (free)
For more information and to reserve tickets, click here.
For the first time the Nice Jazz Festival will be held in the center of Nice at the Jardin Albert 1er. Following is the program:
Friday July 8
Scène Masséna
Hommage to Miles Davis
19h30 KIND OF BLUE REVISITED : Avec Alex Tassel, Rick Margitza, Pierrick Pédron, Franck Avitabile, Diego Imbert, Julien Charlet
20h15 MIKE STERN & DIDIER LOCKWOOD
22h JOHN MC LAUGHLIN & the 4th Dimension
Scène Théâtre de Verdure
Greatest Jazz Vocal Standards
19h30 NICE JAZZ ORCHESTRA
20h ROBERTA GAMBARINI
21h15 MICHEL LEGRAND
Saturday July 9
Scène Masséna
Soirée world
19h30 ANTHONY JOSEPH AND THE SPASM BAND
20h30 ASA
22h CARLINHOS BROWN
Scène Théâtre de Verdure
Blues Night
19h30 Homemade Jamz Blues Band
20h15 JEAN-JACQUES MILTEAU
21h45 JOE-LOUIS WALKER
Sunday July 10
Scène Masséna
Nu Jazz & Electro
19h30 NO JAZZ
20h15 NILS PETTER MOLVAER
21h45 MORCHEEBA
Scène Théâtre de Verdure
Jazz made in France
19h30 DOMINIQUE FILLON
20h30 MARTIAL SOLAL & STEFANO BOLLANI
21h45 MICHEL PORTAL BAILADOR
Monday July 11
Scène Masséna
Sweet Soul Music
19h30 CHARLES BRADLEY 20h30 MACY GRAY (to be confirmed)
22h SEAL
Scène Théâtre de Verdure
New Generation
19h30 Vainqueur du tremplin NJF
20h15 TROMBONE SHORTY
21h30 AVISHAI COHEN
Tuesday July 12
Scène Masséna
Soul & Funk
19h30 ALOE BLACC
20h30 KEZIAH JONES
22h MACEO PARKER
Scène Théâtre de Verdure
Masters of Jazz
19h30 ROY HARGROVE Quintet
20h30 AHMAD JAMAL
22h00 WYNTON MARSALIS & Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
For ticketing see the Nice Jazz Festival website.
The Cannes Film Festival has yet to release the selection of films for 2011 but they have announced the president of the jury: Robert De Niro. The 67-year old veteran has already been president of the Cannes Film Festival Jury in the 1980s and has pronounced himself “very honoured and happy to head the jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.” And, as co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, this is a man who knows from film festivals.
Not to quibble, but much as I appreciate De Niro in the public eye, I appreciate him a lot more on screen and I don’t mean in a movie with “Fockers” in the title. Why can’t we have another Scorcese-De Niro collaboration? Come on, guys.
Not to be left out of the Riviera music scene this summer (which includes the Nice Jazz Festival and Jazz a Juan), is stately Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The annual Nuits Guitars will take place from July 8 to 10 and will feature Popa Chubby, Alain Souchon and Babylon Circus. What I like about this festival is how casual it is and the comfortable outdoor seating. It’s also a good excuse to revisit relaxing Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Tickets are available through the tourist office.