Numerous world stars, including Al Di Meola, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, and Charles Lloyd, will give concerts at the 5th JazzFest Budapest between June 27 and July 2. The event will also pay tribute to two important musicians of this genre, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
As part of JazzFest Budapest, the concerts will mainly take place in City Hall Park (Városháza Park), but also at several other locations in the capital. South Korea will be the guest of honor at the anniversary festival, the organizers announced on Tuesday.
Three concerts a day (except on June 30) await audiences in front of the large stage in City Hall Park, while bands of young talents perform on the small stage during the breaks between sets. After the concerts by international stars and top local musicians, the night concerts begin at 10 p.m., usually ending with a jam session and free of charge.
On the opening weekend, in addition to the sunrise concert, there will also be free children’s programs, including Kornél Mogyoró’s family drum circle and András Dés’ show, which will entertain young fans.
Among the numerous world stars performing is the living legend of guitar music, Al Di Meola.
He is one of the most influential and versatile musicians of our time and will be performing on June 28.
Pat Metheny will be playing on June 30: the multiple Grammy Award-winning American guitar virtuoso is coming with his latest project, Side-Eye III+, in which he collaborates with the talents of the young American jazz generation.
His quartet is joined by one of the most outstanding personalities in 20th and 21st century music, the soon-to-be 88-year-old Charles Lloyd. The American saxophonist will give a concert on July 1.
This year’s JazzFest Budapest honors two American legends who were born 100 years ago. Trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane fundamentally changed the music world of the 20th century. Their legacy will be honored on June 27 by trumpeter Terence Blanchard and John Coltrane’s son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, with their respective bands.
The project “We Want Miles!” by world-famous bassist Marcus Miller also promises an exciting tribute to Miles Davis. Alongside Miller, the supergroup of Mike Stern (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophone), Mino Cinelu (drums), Russell Gunn (trumpet), Brett Williams (keyboard), and Anwar Marshall (drums) will perform on July 2.
Of course, numerous greats from the local jazz scene will also be there. One of the most versatile musicians, 70-year-old wind player Mihály Borbély, will be performing this time with an ad hoc formation in which, in addition to his young Hungarian musician colleagues, two world stars, French-Swiss Erik Truffaz (trumpet) and Israeli Shai Maestro (piano), will be participating on July 1.
There will also be a concert by Trio Midnight, consisting of outstanding Hungarian jazz musicians; singer and pianist Lilla Orbay, one of the most versatile young artists; guitarist Bálint Gyémánt’s trio, which has been re-cast with young musicians; the experimental workshop of the renowned Hungarian jazz saxophonist Kristóf Bacsó, the Kristóf Triad, and drummer Bendegúz Varga, who interprets songs by bands from the Seattle grunge rock movement in the style of modern mainstream jazz on his album to be released this spring.
The multi-award-winning Nagy Emma Quintet represents the new generation of modern, contemporary jazz, as do the Péch Lóránt Quartet and the Oláh Krisztián Quartet.
The guest country at this year’s jazz festival in Budapest is South Korea, from which several world stars will be traveling.
Among them is pianist Cho Yoonseung, who studied classical music under Arthur Rubinstein and subsequently received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. He was the first Asian musician to receive a full scholarship to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. His first album, entitled Jazz Korea, was released in 2000, and he currently works as a professor at the Korea Art Institute.
To conclude the JazzFest Budapest program, free of charge concerts will be held at several locations in the capital. On July 3, the festival will bid farewell with the support of Rendezvény8 on Rákóczi Square, on July 4 with the support of the Ferencváros Cultural Center on Bakáts Square, and on July 5 at Jedermann.
The complete festival program can be found at the following link.
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Via MTI; Featured image: Pixabay
