On the occasion of the Nice Jazz Festival, which will take place from July 8 to 12, 2011, the City of Nice will open the festivities with a tribute to Miles Davis and a program dedicated to Vocal Jazz. You will have the chance to discover or rediscover live one of Miles Davis’s iconic albums: “Kind Of Blue,” revisited by the cream of French jazz, accompanied by one of Miles’s saxophonists, Rick Margitza.
The festival’s patron, John McLaughlin, will also be on stage to present his latest project “To the One.” He will take advantage of the same night’s program featuring Mike Stern, who invited Didier Lockwood to share the stage for a few pieces dedicated to their mentor, Miles Davis.
The Nice Jazz Orchestra also promises its surprises by presenting its latest album “Festival.” The orchestra members will pay tribute to the late trumpeter Franรงois Chassagnite, who recorded this last opus with them. They will then accompany vocalist Roberta Gambarini and orchestration master Michel Legrand.
Join us at the Nice Jazz Festival for the opening on July 8 at 6:30 PM.
Program:
Kind of Blue revisited / Mike Stern & Didier Lockwood / John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension / Nice Jazz Orchestra / Roberta Gambarini / Michel Legrand.
Thรฉรขtre de Verdure Stage
Nice Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 PM
The purpose of the Nice Jazz Orchestra is to showcase the best soloists of Azurian jazz and to defend a broad repertoire, oriented towards creativity, modern jazz, French and European jazz composers, as well as innovative reinterpretations of lesser-played jazz repertoires, implementing original orchestrations or calling upon artists outside of music, notably painters, sculptors, or dancers.
Line up: – Musical direction: Pierre Bertrand – Sax: Jean Marc Baccarini, Jean Christophe Dicostanzo, Christian Bonichi, Ludovic Tallarico, Benjamin Boutant – Trombones: Frรฉdรฉric Luzignant, Francesco Castellani, Alex Perdigon, Laurent Bella – Trumpets: Joel Chausse, Tony Russo, Philippe Giuli, Philippe Bleuez – Piano: Fred D’oeniltz – Guitar: Amaury Filliard – Bass: Christian Pachiaudi – Drums: Alain Asplanato – Percussion: Minino Garay
Roberta Gambarini at 8 PM
Roberta Gambarini was born in Turin, Italy. Coming from a family where jazz was appreciated, she started taking singing lessons and performing in various clubs across northern Italy at the age of seventeen. She later moved to Milan to pursue her career as a jazz singer.
In 1988, she moved to the United States and quickly gained attention from jazz professionals, finishing 3rd at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition. Her first solo album, “Easy to Love,” was released in 2006, receiving critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2008, she recorded a new album titled “You Are There” with the legendary pianist Hank Jones.
Roberta Gambarini performs regularly with musicians such as Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, James Moody, and Toots Thielemans. Her latest album is titled “So in Love.”
Line up: Roberta Gambarini (vocal) accompanied by the Nice Jazz Orchestra
Michel Legrand at 9:15 PM
Michel Legrand is the author of over 200 scores for film and television. He has also composed several musicals and more than a hundred albums. Additionally, he has won 3 Oscars (out of 13 nominations), 5 Grammys, and has been nominated for an Emmy.
His first album, titled “I Love Paris,” is one of the best-selling instrumental albums of all time. He is a true jazz virtuoso, a classical pianist, and an accomplished composer. Passionate about large ensembles, he has performed with the best orchestras worldwide, including those of St. Petersburg, Vancouver, Montreal, Atlanta, and Denver.
Michel Legrand has accompanied notable artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan. He also performed a duet with Stan Getz. He is undoubtedly one of the major French musicians who has constantly diversified throughout a career rich in variety.
Line up: Michel Legrand (vocal and piano) accompanied by the Nice Jazz Orchestra
Massรฉna Stage
Kind of Blue Revisited at 7:30 PM
Miles Davis’s album “Kind Of Blue,” fifty years after its release, remains the best-selling jazz record of all time. It is cited by musicians, critics, and record collectors as an essential item for a desert island. This album forever changed the future of all genres of music, whether jazz, pop, or contemporary.
A half-century later, the echo of “Kind Of Blue” still resonates. It was fitting that the opening concert of the Nice Jazz Festival would feature a stellar lineup revisiting it and exploring the depth of its enduring impact.
Featuring American tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza, a former Miles Davis collaborator and the project’s guiding star, alongside the cream of the new French wave.
Line up: – Alex Tassel: trumpet – Rick Margitza: tenor sax – Pierrick Pรฉdron: alto sax – Baptiste Trotignon: piano – Jรฉrรดme Regard: double bass – Julien Charlet: drums
Mike Stern & Didier Lockwood at 8:15 PM
An explosive meeting marked by jazz fusion, between Mike Stern, celebrated by Miles Davis, and Didier Lockwood, who began with the band Magma. Although identified as the spiritual son of Stรฉphane Grappelli, Didier Lockwood never needed to draw inspiration from any particular style to become who he is: the inventor of a unique sound, propelled by a swing and virtuosity that position him among the greatest jazz violinists on the international scene.
With more than thirty years of an exceptional career behind him, he consistently brings energy and a desire to explore creative directions. He is the guest of a former Miles Davis collaborator encountered on the album “We Want Miles,” the extraordinary guitarist Mike Stern. Stern blends the freedom of jazz with the energy of rock and funk. He is a reference in the field of jazz fusion.
Line up: Mike Stern (guitar) – Didier Lockwood (electric violin) – Tom Kennedy (electric bass) – Dave Weckl (drums)
John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension at 10 PM
With his new album “To the One” (Abstract Logix/Mediastarz), legendary guitarist and composer John McLaughlin (recipient of a Grammy Award in 2010) offers us an exceptional journey through time.
The six original compositions on this album, through their rhythmic and harmonic designs, as well as the group’s telepathic interaction, closely follow the influence of John Coltrane’s 1965 spiritual masterpiece “A Love Supreme.” “To The One” is a passionate and sincere work, inspired foremost by the artistic and spiritual challenge posed in John Coltrane’s masterpiece, while also utilizing the visionary musical and technical vocabulary that John McLaughlin has honed since the beginning of his illustrious career.
Line up: John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension with Gary Husband (keys & drums), Etienne Mbappรฉ (bass), Ranjit Barot (drums)
