The Nice Jazz Festival continues, and for its third evening, it focused on Nu Jazz and electro. The group Morcheeba was highly anticipated for the final concert, and the audience was not disappointed. On the other stage, French jazz was in the spotlight.
On the Théâtre de Verdure stage, purists found French-style jazz. The first to showcase his talent was Dominique Fillon accompanied by his musicians. He played a first piece “Diabolo 66” where the different instruments perfectly harmonized. The second, “sur la terre étrangère,” evoked distant lands with softness and lightness. The gentle notes from Dominique Fillon’s piano gradually transformed the piece into a lullaby.
Following him was the duo Martial Solal and Stefano Bollani. Two men, two pianos, and an extraordinary exchange of notes. The pianists demonstrated flawless technical skills, as required by this instrument. Oscillating between gravity and soaring notes, their music captivated a won-over audience.
Michel Portal, another Frenchman who masters jazz like no other, completed the performance on the Théâtre de Verdure stage. With the sound of trumpet and piano, under the light of a half-moon, he delighted spectators with his unique free jazz.
That evening at the Nice Jazz Festival, the theme was Nu Jazz and Electro on the Masséna stage. And electro indeed set the tone right from the first concert with the group NoJazz. With them, there’s no boredom, the musicians dance and jump on the spot, and the audience eventually did the same. Although the sound was electronic, the percussion had Cuban tones while the background remained quite jazzy. Friendly and strangely costumed, the members of NoJazz knew how to please the audience and even got them to sing. A good time.
The even stranger touch of the evening was brought by Nils Petter Molvaer and his musicians. While the man was on his trumpet and played it perfectly, the other instruments were almost unsettling. A bow guitar, indescribable sounds coming from nowhere, an unusual vocal gimmick… true UFOs.
The highlight of the evening was the group Morcheeba. Since the return of the beautiful singer Skye Edwards, the English trio has been riding on success. Success that was evident in Nice with a dense and frenzied crowd in front of the Masséna stage. With her soft voice, the singer performed their new tracks from the 2010 album “Blood Like Lemonade.” The spectators were hypnotized; her flowing red dress certainly played a part in it.
Photo credit: Rachel Turpin
