The schedule for the year’s Nice Jazz Festival has been announced and it’s the best I can remember, at least for true lovers of jazz. Check this out:

Saturday 17 July :

DIEGO EL CIGALA, ORNETTE COLEMAN, SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS, EARTH, WIND & FIRE, TINEKE POSTMA QUARTET

Sunday 18 July :

NIKKI YANOFSKY, RICHARD BONA BAND, DAVE HOLLAND & PEPE HABICHUELA FLAMENCO PROJECT, DR JOHN, GORAN BREGOVIC ET L’ORCHESTRE DES MARIAGES ET DES ENTERREMENTS, FLY “MARK TURNER / JEFF BALLARD / LARRY GRENADIER”

Monday 19 July :

GURRUMUL, ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE JAZZ “AROUND ROBERT WYATT” avec ERIK TRUFFAZ, DWEEZIL ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA, AL JARREAU, JULIAN LAGE

Tuesday 20 July :

IMELDA MAY, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, ROBERT CRAY, BUDDY GUY, JAMES HUNTER

Wednesday 21 July :

BELA FLECK AND EDGAR MEYER WITH ZAKIR HUSSAIN, BOJAN Z TETRABAND, THE STANLEY CLARKE BAND WITH HIROMI, HERBIE HANCOCK, ERIC LEGNINI TRIO

Thursday 22 July :

TIGRAN HAMASYAN – ARATTA REBIRTH QUINTET “RED HAIL”, CHICK COREA, KENNY GARRETT, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE & ROY HAYNES : THE FREEDOM BAND, FICTION PLANE, LAURENT GARNIER + GUESTS, FACING EAST : THE MUSIC OF JOHN COLTRANE BY JOSE JAMES

Friday 23 July :

ASAF AVIDAN & THE MOJOS, DJANGO 100, HINDI ZAHRA, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, CHRIS POTTER UNDERGROUND

Saturday 24 July:

CLIFTON ANDERSON, ANDRE CECCARELLI – LE COQ ET LA PENDULE – HOMMAGE A CLAUDE NOUGARO, MAURANNE CHANTE NOUGARO, PATH METHENY GROUP – THE SONGBOOK TOUR AVEC LYLE MAYS, STEVE ROBDY & ANTONIO SANCHEZ- , PINK MARTINI, JEAN MARC JAFET QUINTET