Tonight, the Cimiez arenas will echo with the first chords of the new edition of the Nice Jazz Festival, which aims to be rich and varied with its three legendary stages, from the Matisse garden to the essential arenas.
Here is the program for the first evening of the Nice Jazz Festival featuring Roy Hargrove Quintet, Erykah Badu, Roy Ayers, Demi Evans, and Makoto Ozone Trio.
ERYKAH BADU (10 pm – Garden)
The high priestess of Nu Soul has chosen the Nice Jazz Festival as her stop in France this summer. Not only does she bring the glorious era of Black Pride up to date through her outfits and hairstyle, but the diva from Dallas has also given new momentum to soul music within the African-American community, infusing it with R’n’B and hip-hop while drawing heavily on the vocal jazz traditions of Billie Holiday. Exceptionally powerful on stage, Badu is also a fervent activist, founding a foundation that helps foster self-love among youth from challenging neighborhoods.
ROY AYERS (9 pm – Arenas)
This major vibraphonist from the jazz scene of the 1960s has emerged as one of the prophets of acid jazz over the following decades. Far ahead of his time, Roy was already heralding today’s hip-hop progresses thirty years ago. Although he doesn’t care much for the multiple labels critics enthusiastically attach to him, Roy has nonetheless contributed to the R’n’B renaissance with the creativity of his band Ubiquity.
DEMI EVANS (8 pm – Arenas)
A staunch admirer of Nina Simone, from whom she claims a poetic and humanist heritage, raised in Texas in the gospel culture and love of the blues, this African-American singer explores soul and folk-pop in her own way, adding a country touch and captivating the audience with her consummate stage mastery. Whether she speaks about childhood innocence, separation, death, or the role of women in our society, whether performing from her own repertoire or delving into that of others, including her old friend Stevie Wonder, Demi resonates with truly heartfelt emotion.
MAKOTO OZONE TRIO (11 pm – Arenas)
Whether playing jazz standards alongside Gary Burton or Mozart four-handedly with Chick Corea, this pianist from Kobe performs with contagious joie de vivre wherever he appears. Much more than a mere display of his formidable technique, the magic flowing from his fingers reveals a powerful imagination paired with an unmatched sense of swing. A veteran of festivals, Ozone now returns to the Nice audience at the helm of his own trio, in a repertoire that embraces melodic finesse and harmonic richness.
ROY HARGROVE QUINTET (8 pm – Garden)
The “young lion” of hard-bop, discovered by Wynton Marsalis during a school visit in 1987, has come a long way since his early forceful performances alongside young contemporaries like Bobby Watson, Ricky Ford, or Carl Allen. Now a charismatic leader, celebrated for his passionate delivery of music’s message, the trumpeter leverages his roots to propose a style where funk is prominently featured. Having been in Nice two years ago at the helm of the RH Factor project, he returns this time with a more traditional jazz lineup. The simultaneous presence of his childhood friend Erylah Badu hints at potentially beautiful moments together in the Cimiez gardens.
BROOKLYN FUNK ESSENTIALS (9:15 pm – Matisse)
This collective of musicians from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Sweden, and New Orleans finds unity in an acid jazz with a powerful groove. Regulars in New York clubs, the Brooklyn Funk Essentials made a splash five years ago at the Nice Jazz Festival with a memorable performance that electrified the audience. The group returns this summer with a new electro-dub / afro-house project that is sure to get the olive trees dancing.
