2007 was the 11th edition of the long-running and prestigious Parisian event - lighting up concert halls and clubs throughout the capital. The JVC Jazz Festival Paris started in 1991 at Cite de la Musique La Villette with a historic survey of Miles Davis’ legacy featuring many of his illustrious band members and collaborators. Following
six successful years at La Villette the Festival expanded into its present form, which blankets the fabulous city of Paris with performances by jazz greats, rising stars and young bloods.
This year audiences were able to sample an exceptional lineup of today’s Jazz vocalists including Kurt Elling and Curtis Stigers at New Morning, David Linx at the Cigale Theater and Stacy Kent at the Olympia Theater.
Stacy Kent (vo)
Stacy’s Kent’s fame has spread from London- where she has been prominently featured on BBC radio- to Europe as a whole and France in particular. Stacey’s JVC Jazz Festival concert at the Olympia Theater sold out months in advance, reflecting her status as a true superstar in France. For music enthusiasts in France what could be finer that an evening with an elegant and sophisticated “chanteuse” onstage at Paris’ oldest ((1889) and most beloved music hall. This fantastic October 17th performance joins an Olympia tradition, which includes historic performances by Josephine Baker, Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour, Johnny Hallyday, the Beatles, Luciano Pavarotti, the Jackson 5 and thousands of other great performers.
Stacy Kent (vo)
Kurt Elling (vo)
The American singers Kurt Elling, who hails from Chicago, and Curtis Stigers of Los Angeles, are two of the current torchbearers of male Jazz vocal music. Grammy winner Elling sculpts poetic and emotional improvisations on John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Eden Ahbez and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Elling and Stigers both performed for enthusiastic concertgoers at New Morning, Paris’ quintessential Jazz room in the magical 10th arondisement. The eclectic Stigers has worked with Elton John, Eric Clapton, Prince and Joe Cocker as well as on film sound tracks.
David Linx (vo),Brussels Jazz Orchestra
The Belgian vocalist David Linx, backed by the formidable Brussels Jazz Orchestra worked a sophisticated audience at Cigale with some assistance from Brazilian singer Maria Joao whose amazing feathered dress added to the splendor of the evening.
Paris is a Jazz city and instrumental Jazz- both inside and outside of the tradition- was in full voice from the jazz funk fusion of Headhunters to French guitarist Manu Codji’s trio, drummer Christophe Wallemme’s sextet, and the wonderful saxophonist Geraldine Laurent with her trio. A true jazz giant held forth at the club Sunside near Chatelet when the immortal drummer Ed Thigpen swung his band of young Danish musicians. Thigpen is known for having accompanied not only Oscar Peterson, but Ella Fitzgerald and Bud Powell as well.
Avishai Cohen (b)
The Leaders played the New Morning on Thursday the 18th. This is a band composed of true all-stars on each instrument- led by Chico Freeman and Bobby Watson out front on saxophones, and Eddie Henderson on trumpet. For listeners with an adventurous ear the free jazz trio of Rashied Ali, William Parker and Charles Gayle created a thunderous or nuanced soundscape to inhabit. Avishai’s Cohen’s lyrical and bass-driven jazz compositions enchanted audiences at both Olympia where he opened for Stacy Kent with a short but revelatory set, and at the New Morning.
Seun Kuti (vo)
Irresistible Afrobeat was well represented at the 2007 JVC Jazz Festival Paris. Seun Kuti’s band Egypt 80 overflowed the stage and packed Montmartre’s Cigale Theater with a dancing crowd. Seun is the immortal Fela Kuti’s son, and another Fela influenced band. Ruth Tafebe’s Afrorockerz, with guest Tony Allen, Fela’s legendary drummer.
Mighty Mo’ Rogers
Along with jazz offshoot Afrobeat, there was plenty of Jazz’s progenitor the Blues to be heard at the JVC Jazz Festival Paris. Chicago’s Mighty Mo’ Rogers delivered a powerful message, while Pura Fe’s Native American Folk Blues and John Hammond’s re-working of Willie Dixon, Son House and other Blues ancestors added personal and unique visions to the Festival landscape.
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