After the success of his big band the virtuoso bassist, bandleader and jazz guru returns to JazzFestBrno with the fiercely jazzy Inside Straight.

Christian McBride is a renowned virtuoso. He has won seven Grammy Awards in various categories and is an absolute natural in the world of jazz, R&B and fusion. In 2007, he premiered his quintet Inside Straight in concert at the legendary club Village Vanguard. Critics and fans alike were thrilled with this acoustic effort, and not surprisingly, for McBride, it’s a return to his roots. The band has released two albums representing his vision of straight-ahead, uncompromisingly swinging jazz. After a hiatus of several years, Inside Straight is bringing the band back to the world’s stages in 2022 with a new line-up and a grooving new repertoire.

McBride’s song selection for this quintet is on the one hand carefully considered, but on the other hand never strays too far from song form and tonality. McBride is not afraid of vigorous phrasing or unusual instrumentation, none of which emerges as winner or loser in the soloist’s “self-contest”. Swinging bass lines contrast with more freely phrased saxophone, “blues-like” piano and polyrhythmic percussion to seamlessly recite their verses of black gospel. Pressurized innovative jazz with occasional spontaneous cacophony does not lack elements of funk or Afro-Cuban rhythms. Musicians who do not have only one musical face are often welcomed with open arms by audience of JazzFestBrno. Christian McBride undoubtedly belongs to this category of artists.

Line-up:

The organic fusion of Brad Mehldau and the Brno Philharmonic promises an extraordinary experience at the intersection of the universes of jazz and classical music.

The American pianist Brad Mehldau has worked his way to a unique sound that many jazz adepts, not only the younger generation, are trying to approach. “I love Mehldau’s music,” pianist Enrico Pieranunzi told DownBeat magazine a few years ago. “And I’m far from alone. For there is something enticingly mysterious in his playing. Brad Mehldau is one of the few musicians whose music is not contained in the notes they play. Above all, he reaches his listeners with what’s behind those notes. It’s as if there’s a whole unknown world behind the notes that you’re drawn to.”

After a thrilling performance with his trio and an intense solo recital, Mehldau will draw Brno fans into his world for the third time. This time he will be supported by the Brno Philharmonic orchestra. The core of the evening will be the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom Mehldau has dedicated the album called After Bach. It features works by the renowned German baroque composer, each of which is followed by Mehldau’s own composition inspired by what preceded it. In Brad Mehldau’s case, this is certainly not some whimsical and daring jazzman’s departure into the world of classical music. This is confirmed by his colleague, pianist Timo Andres, who says: “There have always been elements in Mehldau’s style that remind us of Bach, especially his thickly woven voices – but he is not trying to imitate Bach or even dress up as him. Rather, After Bach explores their common ground as pianists, improvisers and composers, making implicit parallels explicit.” It is often forgotten today that Bach was admired in his time primarily for the virtuosity and complexity of his improvisations. Brad Mehldau reminds us of this fact in a tasteful and original way.

Line-up:
Brad Mehldau – piano, Brno Philharmonic, Clark Rundell – conductor

Singer who won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album three times in four years for three consecutive albums for the first time in Brno.

The American singer first caught the attention of jazz fans at the age of 21 with her triumph at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010. While only ten years have passed since then, much has changed in the life of Cécile McLorin Salvant. Shortly before she released her second album, WomanChild, one of the New York Times critics predicted: “Though unknown to a wide jazz audience now, her future fame is unquestionable.” Totally accurate prediction. WomanChild won a lot of awards and was nominated for a Grammy Award. She managed to turn the nominations into a later victory, but with even much larger success – winning multiple Grammy Awards for Best Vocal Jazz Albums in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Such accomplishments can be seen only rarely, much less in world of jazz music.

Cécile McLorin Salvant was born in Florida to parents from France and Haiti, her multicultural roots are important components of her music. Her latest studio album, The Window, was recorded as a duo with pianist Sullivan Fortner; and because of collaborating with larger ensembles in recent years, she claims to enjoy more freedom when working in a duo, which also offers a rich a range of possibilities as if there were a large band on stage.

Guitarist Matthew Stevens likes to dissolve the boundaries between jazz, rock and ambient music. Saxophonist Walter Smith III represents the personification of Dizzy Gillespie’s words, that a good musician should always have one foot in the past and the other in the future. Their collaboration project called In Common reflects the same.

Matthew Stevens is recognized as one of the leading artists of his generation. Since his arrival in New York in 2007, he has collaborated with some of the most exciting artists in contemporary music. In addition to his critically acclaimed solo albums, you may know Stevens from over 70 recordings as a distinctive sideman. He has appeared alongside artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott and Tunde Adjuah, among others, and played with Ben Williams at JazzFest a few years ago. His musical workmate Walter Smith has developed under the wings of many jazz “titans”. Just to name a few of them – Roy Haynes, Terence Blanchard, Eric Harland, Jason Moran, Christian McBride… Today he is widely recognized not only as a skilled performer, but also as an outstanding composer and inspiring teacher, since he is the chair of Woodwinds Department, Berklee College of Music.

Smith and Stevens recorded three albums together with the identical title In Common, distinguished only by a number. All three albums have one thing in common – they offer a unique opportunity to hear musical conversations between performers from all corners of the jazz scene, in some cases playing together for the very first time. In concert, the established duo is joined by bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Jonathan Barber. There are rumours that the fresh album In Common 3 is pushing boundaries. Let’s find out.

They’re here with us. People who have been asking for years when Antonio Sánchez will finally visit JazzFestBrno again. That moment is now. The drummer, who can unleash a storm behind his kit and soon turn it into a breeze and finally, at the right moment, into complete silence, is heading to Brno with this year’s Grammy-nominated band Bad Hombre.

Mexican-born Antonio Sánchez rose to the top of the jazz league at the beginning of the millennium alongside Pat Metheny, Chick Corea and Michael Brecker, and soon began to create his own musical universe with his Migration project (since 2007). “I didn’t want people to think it was a drummer’s album. I was thinking in terms of the music, I didn’t worry about how many solos I had and whether I had done enough. I wanted the music to be very melodic, accessible and with a lot of really good coordination,” he said at the time of his debut album, which featured guest appearances of Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. The principle that it’s more important to serve the whole than to draw attention to just oneself is one of the basic Sánchez’s rules which he observes to this day. That this is the right path is proven by, among other things, four Grammys and the deep appreciation he has won in the world of cinema for his daring soundtrack to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie Birdman. Czech fans may remember Sánchez from Pat Metheny’s Unity Band concert at Brno in 2012.

Sánchez plans to release album SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol 2) this spring with a diverse mix of guests – from Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor to Mexican singer Lila Downs, bassist Meshell Ndegeocello and rocker Dave Mathews. He’ll be joined by his tried-and-true bandmates, including singer Thana Alexa, keyboardist Bigyuki and bassist Lex Sadler. All the basics of a wildly original show are thus fulfilled.

A perfect blend of soul, jazz, rhythm & blues and rock & roll directed by the organist Delvon Lamarr.

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio was founded in the Spring of 2015 by Amy Novo, the wife and today also the manager of the organist Delvon Lamarr. Doesn’t it sound like a fairy tale? She told her husband that she would take responsibility for his musical career so that all he needed to do in the future was to find teammates, write and play music. Many aspiring musicians, especially jazz musicians, dream of such a story.

The trio originally started with another guitarist and drummer. During the first year of their existence, the band was joined by the renowned and unique Jimmy James. The chemistry among the members of the trio was instantaneous and undeniable. With Delvona´s soulful organ sound, Jimmy´s raw guitar sound and a great drum groove, they mixed the perfect blend of soul, jazz, rhythm & blues and rock & roll. They started their career with a weekly “gig” in Seattle, then released their first album and set out on a tour of the United States and finally on a European tour.
The current drummer is an excellent groover Dan Weiss, so the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio is even further shifting its original sound. The traditional organ trio takes on a new dimension.

Her concert was sold out in advance, the she arrived, performed, dazzled the audience. We are talking about Hiromi at JazzFest 2019. We can expect the same scenario in 2022. However, the cast is changing. This time the Japanese pianist will not come alone, but with a string quartet.

Hiromi, long known to jazz fans around the world, became even more famous last year when she played at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. She released her debut album Another Mind in 2003 and has since added thirteen more albums, either under her own name or with her bands The Trio Project and Hiromi’s Sonicbloom. She has also collaborated with a number of legendary jazz musicians. She has recorded and toured with Chick Corea and won a Grammy with Stanley Clarke’s trio.

Hiromi captivates the general and professional public in both the East and the West with her creative energy that transcends the boundaries of jazz, classical and pop boxes and pushes improvisation and composition into new realms. Her concerts are highly energetic, featuring a blend of jazz, prog-rock and classical music. In her latest work, Silver Lining Suite, Hiromi demonstrates her virtuosic talent and emotional range as she combines her skills with a string quartet assembled by violinist Tatsuo Nishie, concertmaster of the New Japan Philharmonic. The result blurs the lines between classical music and jazz, creating a living organism that has a passionate, rock-inspired energy and cinematic beauty. Hiromi has, after all, been instilling this in her music since time immemorial. Come and see that the Japanese artist’s compositional skills have reached a new peak.

Jak jinak oslavit Mezinárodní den jazzu než večerem plným hudební improvizace? Sbalte si svůj milovaný hudební nástroj a přijďte si s námi zajamovat. A nebo se klidně stavte jen tak a nechte se unést uměním místních i přespolních jazzmanů. Večer rozjíždí house band klavíristy Martina Konvičky, a to znamená jediné – zábava zaručena.

Vedle Konvičky se rozjezdu jamu ujmou saxofonisté Štěpán Flagar a Marek Kotača, kontrabasista Martin Kocián a bubeník Kristián Kuruc. S trochou nadsázky tak lze říci, že nás čeká vystoupení „Martin Konvička Reunion Band“. „Těším se a kluci taky, na pódiu se totiž sejde jedna generace muzikantů, kteří sice vylítli z jiných hnízd a rozvíjeli se každý po svém, ale spojuje nás všechny dlouholetý přátelství a už dlouho jsme se neměli možnost takhle potkat. Navážeme plynule tam, kde jsme skončili a navzájem vyměníme mezitím nabytý zkušenosti,“ vyhlíží poslední dubnový den Konvička.

Mezinárodní den jazzu

Za vyhlášením Mezinárodního dne jazzu – připadajícím na 30. dubna – stojí Organizace spojených národů UNESCO. Jejím posláním je usilovat o mezinárodní spolupráci v oblasti výchovy, vědy a kultury. Jazz je svým univerzálním přesahem ideálním kandidátem na roli jakéhosi velvyslance, který dokáže propojit lidi na řadě míst naší planety. Společně s blues a jejich stylovými odnožemi představuje metaforu života v demokracii a oslavu svobody. Hudebníci i posluchači mají dostatek možností k vyjádření vlastních myšlenek a pocitů. Den jazzu nabízí příležitost všem sdružením, školám, umělcům, historikům, publicistům a jazzovým nadšencům z celého světa oslavit a vyzdvihnout význam jazzu, připomenout jeho kořeny, žánrovou pestrost a vývoj, ale také představit jeho současnost a budoucnost.

Mezinárodní den jazzu byl ustanoven v průběhu roku 2011. S touto myšlenkou přišel ambasador organizace UNESCO Herbie Hancock, který je dodnes hlavní tváří této akce. Datum 30. dubna bylo zvoleno s přihlédnutím na každoroční vyvrcholení amerického měsíce jazzu, dubnové akce nazvané Jazz Appreciation Month. První oslavy se konaly hned v roce následujícím: 30. dubna 2012 se uskutečnily dva hlavní koncerty – koncert při východu slunce v New Orleans a koncert při západu slunce v New Yorku. Kromě Hancocka se těchto koncertů zúčastnily desítky dalších hudebních osobností, například Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona, Dee Dee Bridgewater či Stevie Wonder. Popularitu akce ještě posílila účast hostů z filmové branže včetně Roberta De Nira, Michaela Douglase nebo Morgana Freemana. V dalších letech hlavní koncert Mezinárodního dne jazzu hostily Istanbul, Ósaka, Paříž, Washington, Havana, Petrohrad, Melbourne a Sydney.

Hlavní koncert je však jen špičkou ledovce. Mapa Mezinárodního dne jazzu čítá už téměř dvě stovky zemí a do akce se zapojují tisíce organizací po celém světě.

Inspired by classical and electronic music, hymnal tunes and telepathic interplay. The GoGo Penguin trio is one of the most interesting bands on the contemporary British scene, and it is no surprise that the trio earned the name “Radiohead of British Jazz”.

With their melodic lines and sophisticated harmonies, GoGo Penguin resemble a typical piano trio based on jazz and classical music, but their rhythms approximate electronic music. This combination of opposites is the reason why some critics labelled the band as post-jazz and although this issue has been widely debated, the same critics also agree that GoGo Penguin’s acoustic-electronic sound is exciting and creates impressive and emotionally charged music. It is inspired by a heady combination of influences from artists like Brian Eno, John Cage or Squarepusher, but also pulls from the atmosphere of the rain-drenched streets of Manchester. It features elements of rock and minimalism, as well as trip hop and dance music.

GoGo Penguin do not get overly concerned with traditions, so while it is usual to name a debut album eponymously, a record called “GoGo Penguin” is out as their fifth one. It is this album, full of musical adventures and released by the prestigious label Blue Note, that GoGo Penguin will present at the JazzFestBrno festival.

As promising young men, they met in Miles Davis’ band. Even then, a musical spark jumped between them. Guitarist Mike Stern and saxophonist Bill Evans eventually fanned it into a blazing flame in the form of their own band, moving masterfully between jazz-rock and soul.

Mike Stern and Bill Evans have a history that dates back to 1981. Bill Evans was already playing for Miles Davis at the time. The legendary trumpeter was looking for a guitarist at the time and asked Evans for his opinion. He suggested Mike Stern, who had caught his eye in Billy Cobham’s band. Stern and Evans then worked together for Miles Davis for the next three years before they parted ways again.

Evans’ next steps led to John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. He also played with Herbie Hancock and Mick Jagger. Today he has nearly three dozen solo albums, Grammy awards and many other awards to his credit. Above all, he continues to do what he has always enjoyed – exploring an endless variety of genres. Since his time with Davis, Mike Stern has developed into one of the finest jazz guitarists in the world. Even after more than forty years on the scene, he continues to amaze with his impressive technique and perfect blend of bebop mastery, rock intensity and distinctive lyricism.

In 2013, thirty-two years later, Stern and Evans decided to go on the stage together again and form the Mike Stern / Bill Evans Band. The band currently features bassist Gary Grainger and drummer Dennis Chambers alongside them. Like Miles Davis’ band in their youth, the Mike Stern / Bill Evans Band is built on three pillars – passion, dynamics and excitement.

Joey Calderazzo and John Patitucci belong to the category of musicians “par excellence”, whether as leaders or sidemen. After all, Calderazzo’s piano solos full of musical allusions and jokes boosted Branford Marsalis’s concert, and Patitucci’s empathetic bass in Brno, among other things, made the music of Wayne Shorter more heavy. Now they’re embarking on a world tour together for the first time as a duo.

While pianist Joey Calderazzo is a superb sideman, having been handpicked by Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland to join their bands, it would be a mistake to overlook his own thirteen albums, on which he has proven himself a bold composer and leader. In his own projects, Calderazzo transforms himself into a tireless explorer for whom independence is the norm, improvisation is the key and swing is the absolute necessity. Calderazzo is a bit of a musical MacGyver. He can do anything. “I can play a bit of this and a bit of that. I have something of my own, sometimes I ‘rip off’ other musicians. I have fun and I hope my listeners do too,” he says with a smile.

John Patitucci’s name has long been associated by jazz fans not only with the names of Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Stan Getz, but also with a wide range of his own recordings. Whether Patitucci picks up a double bass or a six-string bass, his respect for history combined with a progressive approach is always evident. His latest album, Soul of the Bass, is a total confirmation of that. The record features Bach, spirituals and R’n’B, and Patitucci proves that if a master plays bass, he can back a full band in any genre. “I think as you get older, you prioritize sound and feel in all music. And when you express yourself in a clear and coherent way, the result is a certain purity that can draw the listener into the communication,” Patitucci says. He plans to seal these words in a new collaborative project he will present with Joey Calderazzo in Brno.

After some time, African phenomenon Richard Bona is looking forward to Brno fans, local goulash and this time also Czech teammates. We are looking forward to his show balancing between jazz, funk and world music, for the first time surrounded by the Jazz Dock Orchestra big band.

Bona’s father was a singer and percussionist, his mother a singer – so Richard was intensely involved with music since childhood. The talents he was blessed with were thus able to develop successfully. At the age of four, he began to learn to play the balafon and by the age of five he was performing at the local church. Because his family was poor, he made most of his own musical instruments, including a flute and a guitar – guitar which had strings strung across the tank of an old motorcycle. He started playing guitar at eleven and hasn’t let go since. His love for the sound of strings persisted.

Bona worked or continues to work with jazz musicians such as Pat Metheny, Bobby McFerrin, Mike Stern and Steve Gadd. Touring with Pat Metheny Group became a bit of a turning point in his career. Through them, Bona rose to the top of pop jazz and world music. In short, everyone could see that his phrasing and energetic bass equilibristics were inimitable. In his own projects, he shows himself to be a skilled multi-instrumentalist and charismatic vocalist. He sings in English, French, Douala and, as he showed in his last Brno performance, he is not afraid of Czech either. At JazzFestBrno in the past he performed with Mandekan Cubano, a band inspired by Cuban musical tradition, and also with his home multi-genre Richard Bona Group, in which he plays not only bass guitar, but also balafon, percussion and guitar. Teaming up with the Czech ensemble Jazz Dock Orchestra is a new source of inspiration for Bona, and we’ll get to enjoy another of his musical faces.

What is the recipe for popularity with listeners? An angelic voice, charismatic presentation, earthy and soulful songs, and a great backing band. Lizz Wright offers all this in anexceptionally balanced combination, spiced up with the tradition of African-American spirituals and blues.

Born in Georgia, USA, she grew up in the family of a pastor who introduced her to gospel music. She made a spirited entrance to the jazz scene at the beginning of the millennium, when she recorded her still admired debut Salt. Since then, five other highly regarded albums have been released. With an increasing number of her own compositions, the artistic truth of Lizz Wright is increasingly revealing itself and her unique ability to blend original colours from the musical palette whilst leaving space for gospel, folk, jazz, pop and blues is increasing. Her project with the Brno Philharmonic and the Baroš-Dorůžka-Šoltis rhythm section provides an extraordinary opportunity to hear, for the first time in the Czech Republic, the resonant voice of Lizz Wright against the background of orchestral colours.

Line-up:

Lizz Wright – vocals Kenny Banks – piano Adam Levy – guitar Ben Zwerin – bass guitar Michael Jerome Moore – drums

World big band and Czech singer on one stage? One of the most important contemporary jazz ensembles will present its Brno premiere – with Dan Bárta by its side.

The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra has had an impressive thirty-five years career on the scene. The orchestra was put together in the mid-1980s by brothers Jeff (saxophone) and John (bass) Clayton along with Jeff Hamilton (drums). Even after the recent departure of Jeff Clayton to jazz heaven, CHJO sets the tone for the contemporary big band sound. After all, when the trio recruited the first members of the ensemble, they already stated the credo that besides technical instrumental proficiency and improvisational ability, the main criterion for selection must be dedication. “The motivation must be love for music and for your musical family. And anyone who thinks it’s just about the concert itself need not apply,” said the orchestra’s founders. Of course, nothing has changed so far about that. The band excels beyond measure in its varied repertoire, to which the ensemble members themselves make numerous contributions with original compositions. It has grown and continues to grow in other unsuspected directions, for example, thanks to its collaboration with filmmakers or stars like Charles Aznavour or Diana Krall.

Another recipe for success is frequent collaboration with distinctive soloists. At the instigation of JazzFest Brno, the eclectic singer Dan Bárta will have the honour to stand alongside one of the most renowned big bands in the world, for whom John Clayton is exclusively arranging several songs. These will be performed with a full orchestra as well as a more intimate ensemble. American singer René Marie and Japanese organist Akiko Tsuruga will also spice up the concert with their skills. In short, an evening full of surprises, where only swinging yet sophisticated music remains the unshakable constant.

Line-up:
TBA

Seven-time Grammy winner, musical visionary and leader of her own “slightly different” jazz orchestra Maria Schneider for the first time in the Czech Republic! And that’s just a few months after she released her highly successful album Data Lords, which reviewers are not hesitant to call her magnum opus.

It takes a lot of self-confidence these days not to let your music stream for free on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms. Composer Maria Schneider has it, and so, apart from a few teasers, you can enjoy her art exclusively the moment you take your wallet out of your pocket. But it’s an experience any fan will gladly do for – after all, Maria Schneider was one of the pioneers of crowdfunding at the start of the millennium and is still one of the most progressive artists in the business today.

More importantly, however, is the fact that her music is brimming with originality. Critics describe it as “evocative, majestic, magical, beautifully heartbreaking, imaginative, revelatory, haunting, daring and unclassifiable”. All these adjectives, however, rather confirm that all distinctive music is difficult to describe in words. What is completely undeniable, is that Maria Schneider’s diverse output blurs the boundaries between genres. Indeed, she is one of the few to have won Grammys in multiple genres – for jazz, classical music and for her collaboration with David Bowie. She has also regularly won numerous awards in the polls of DownBeat and JazzTimes magazines. Her latest double album, Data Lords, is no exception. Divided into two thematic halves inspired by the digital and natural worlds, it was recorded with her orchestra, which includes Donny McCaslin, Joe Robinson and Scott Robinson, among others. The album earned her two golden gramophone trophies and NPR’s Nate Chinen wrote about it: “It’s music of extravagant mastery imbued with the spirit of risk.” Risk is omnipresent in Maria Schneider’s work, but attending her concert is a safe bet.

Guitarist Lionel Loueke comes with his latest solo project inspired by the work of Herbie Hancock to play with his Czech friends – David Dorůžka, Luboš Soukup and Jiří Slavík.

Over the past two decades, Benin-born Lionel Loueke has left a visible imprint on the world music scene, both with his own work and his unmissable role in the bands of jazz personalities such as Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard and Gretchen Parlato. Jazz Times magazine describes him as a musician who “is deeply respected by peers and older bandmates alike for his individualism, rhythmic ability and massive harmonic knowledge, as well as his ability to sing in one meter and play in another one or the way he turns the guitar into a virtual Afro-Western orchestra.” The leitmotif of Loueke’s new solo album HH is the music of his mentor Herbie Hancock, with whom the African guitarist has played for over fifteen years. Loueke has influenced Hancock’s hits and lesser-known songs with his own unmistakable sound. It is the repertoire from the new album that will show one of Loueke’s many faces.

The charismatic guitarist will introduce the next such face in the second part of the concert, when he will be exclusively joined by his Czech friends – his classmate from Berklee College of Music, guitarist David Dorůžka, saxophonist Luboš Soukup, who recorded the successful album Earth with Loueke, and last but not least, double bassist Jiří Slavík, who has always been close to African music and has also played with Loueke before. In short, mix four handfuls of Herbie Hancock, add three pinches of local jazz, pour on a few litres of African immediacy and a unique musical cocktail is born.

Interaction of jazz with other genres has already produced a lot of first-rate and distinctive music. The blending of jazz with flamenco is another pertinent example. This will be confirmed by guitarist Vincente Amigo, the Latin Grammy winner and the man considered to succeed Paco De Lucía. Amigo will perform a concert in Brno for the first time in his career.

The unique artist, composer and producer Vicente Amigo began performing on flamenco stages as a teenager. He has since received numerous awards, even the Latin Grammy or the Gold Medal of the Merit in Fine Arts. Throughout his career, this Andalusian guitarist collaborated with many legends of flamenco music, among them are Paco de Lucía or Camarón de la Isla, but Amigo was equally influenced by jazz guitarists John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola.

In Brno, Amigo will mainly present tracks from the record Memoria de los Sentidos (Memory of the Senses), which was nominated for a Grammy Award in the World Music category. On his eighth studio album, he recalls his roots and the highlight for many listeners is a composition called Requiem, an intimate tribute to Amigo’s great friend, maestro Paco de Lucía. Amigo is an outstanding musician, Pat Metheny called him the best guitarist in the world. His concert will be an exhilarating experience.

A former “young lion”, the saxophonist, composer and elemental jazz musician Joshua Redman, is now a “lion in the best years”. He is completely at home in his musical territory, and although he likes to push beyond its limits, he still remains mainly a jazz lion.

This is demonstrated by his most stable project, the Quartet, which earned him fame in the 1990s. The features that make this incredibly well-together band instantly recognizable include the unique and irresistible tone of Redman’s saxophone, the unbridled GregHutchinson´s drumming, the soulful and earthy Reuben Rogers´ double bass, and Aaron Goldberg’s piano balanced and empathic accompaniment. The quartet has released a fresh album Come What May, which loosely follows the golden era of the band on the Beyond and Passage of Time albums. Redman, approaching his sixth decade is on optimum creative form, demonstrating with his refined taste, open-hearted approach and global experience why jazz is still such a major force in music.