LAURYN HILL – Jardin Stage – 11:00 PM
The Nice Jazz Festival has never hidden its affinity with the music of young nu soul princesses. A year after introducing Erykah Badu to France, Viviane Sicnasi is pleased to present another grand priestess of R’n’B this summer, the former female voice of the Fugees, Lauryn Hill. After venturing into production (she’s responsible for some of Aretha Franklin, Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend’s recent hits) and after brief reunions with the Fugees, the 8-time Grammy-winning singer is currently working on recording a new album; between studio sessions, she has agreed to make one of her rare appearances of the year in Nice.
OXMO PUCCINO – Jardin Stage – 9:00 PM
The rapper of Malian origin, commonly associated with the 19th arrondissement of Paris, returns with a project that is surprising, to say the least. Oxmo has already demonstrated how effectively he can transform the violence of our daily life into poetry, but the album he recently released with Blue Note, in collaboration with the Jazzbastards, allows him to go even further. Skillfully combining hip hop and acoustic jazz, Oxmo and his team invent a new musical form, no less.
MANU DIBANGO – Arenas – 9:30 PM
Half a century after starting out on the saxophone playing on the streets of Brussels, this creator who has given meaning to the concept of world music has chosen to reconnect with his oldest jazz roots by appropriating Sidney Bechet’s repertoire. Nearly two years after the flood that almost wiped New Orleans off the map, Manu pays tribute to the cradle of jazz with a humorous and distant look at the repertoire of his old master Bechet, refreshing without complex his greatest standards, Petite Fleur and Les Oignons at the forefront.
ÉRIC LEGNINI – Arenas – 7:45 PM
Energized by a stay in New York that allowed him to challenge his creativity with that of the best musicians of the moment, this Belgian pianist returned to Europe and made his mark within Stefano Di Battista’s quartet. Ten years later, Legnini has decided to launch his own band, rightly judging that he has reached his full artistic maturity. His presence in the Adami Jazz Talents operation is a crowning achievement for this prolific artist who knows how to mix swing and gospel without ever sacrificing to nostalgia.
NATURALLY 7 – Jardin Stage – 7:30 PM
Enthusiasm is essential when attending a concert of Roger, Warren, Dwight, Marcus, Rod, Jamal, and Garfield, especially because it is hard to believe they can reproduce such a sound palette solely with their voices and bodies, excluding any musical instruments. How can one believe they can imitate a tambourine just by scratching their hand? Whether the repertoire is soul, funk, pop, or R’n’B, the audience shows its approval for this unforgettable vocal septet.
GABRIELA MENDÈS – Arenas – 11:15 PM
This native of the city of Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente in the Cape Verde archipelago, is greatly inspired by Morna, one of the traditional rhythms of these islands scattered off the coast of Africa. Her ability to evoke nostalgia in all who hear her sing about Cape Verde seems to suggest that the musical legacy of the barefoot diva, Cesaria Evora, is already secured.
SOCCA JAZZ
JEAN PIERRE BRUNO – 8:00 PM – Matisse Stage
It all started at the end of the 1970s with the group Mistral and a first album, followed by a national tour with the band Scorpions. Several concerts later, in the wake of major acts like Téléphone, Talking Heads, The Undertones, and even U2, the group transformed into Ménage à Trois, the myth of Nice rock, with a very eighties title: “Danger d’émotion”. Equipped with these years of rock attitude and various projects, Jean Pierre Bruno now presents himself under his own name with new texts and a stage concept between slam and rock. A unique and daring performance.
NADIAMORI – 6:30 PM – Matisse Stage
This Nice quintet composed of Nadia Scaillet (vocals, guitar, and composition), Amaury Filliard (guitar), Caloo Isnard (saxophone, flute), Kan Bachelard (piano, drums), and Christian Pachiaudi (bass) is oriented towards electro jazz. Since their meeting in 2004, Nadiamori has already participated in numerous musical events on the French Riviera, including the 3rd Monaco Festival in 2005, the Grasse Jazz Festival, as well as the Voiles d’Antibes in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and the MIDEM in 2004. The group knows how to highlight jazzy sounds over an electronic background, which, combined with Nadia’s enchanting voice, cannot leave you indifferent.
