Here we go! The Nice Jazz Festival kicked off last night in the most beautiful way with nearly 8,000 visitors for the first evening, which concluded with a breathtaking set by Earth, Wind & Fire, igniting a crowd that had eagerly awaited it.
6:30 PM: The doors of the Nice Jazz Festival 2013 finally opened to let in the first wave of people who came to discover the new decor set up for the future green corridor. The space was designed to be more spacious and airy to ease the traffic between the Masséna stage and the Théâtre de Verdure. This was a successful gamble judging by the initial reactions of the evening.
7 PM: The first jazz notes soared from the stage of the Théâtre de Verdure with pianist Jon Batiste from New York, bringing his transatlantic sounds. A high-flying concert with a finale in the audience, before welcoming another keyboard virtuoso, Eric Legnini. The final show was reserved for the patron of the 2013 edition, Nice-born drummer André Ceccarelli, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Nice.
At the Masséna stage, it was Guillaume Perret who opened the evening with jazz sounds revisited with astonishing and explosive effects. A sound full of groove and irreverence, skillfully accompanied by his faithful companions: Philippe Bussonnet on bass, Jim Grandcamp on guitar, and local drummer Yoann Serra. In the second part, it was Christian Scott’s turn to make his trumpet resonate as night fell. The black Indian discovered by Prince and Marcus Miller cleverly mixes hip-hop, jazz, rock, and African music. A set appreciated by the audience, which gave him a sendoff with cheers.
But, what everyone was waiting for finally took the stage, and hundreds of people in their forties made a big leap into the past with “September” and “Boogie Wonderland,” both quickly setting almost the entire audience dancing. Nearly 50 years after the group’s creation, the legends of soul lost none of their splendor, nor indeed their voices. “It’s magical, it’s like going back nearly 30 years to when we were still students and carefree in our wild musical evenings,” Amanda said, accompanied by her two teenage daughters who, nevertheless, know the band’s songs by heart, feeling overjoyed near the bay of the same name. Indeed, the show was worth every bit of the spectacle. A final piece like a fireworks display allowed the curtain to fall on this first night of the Nice Jazz Festival, with the hope that the others will be just as successful.
To be continued…
