Legends like Ron Carter or Diane Reeves, acclaimed artists like Mark Guiliana and Madeleine Peyroux, and fusion explorers like London Afrobeat all come together in the Villanos del Jazz program
When Miles Davis fired his contemporary jazz band to switch to fusion rock, he told his double bassist Ron Carter to swap his instrument for an electric bass. Carter refused and went on to have a prodigious career as a leader. Both minds, Davis and Carter, are planning on starting next week at the Villanos del Jazz Festival, which will be held in Madrid for two months. Between October and November there are 53 top concerts. “It’s the biggest autumn festival in Europe”, says Roberto Rey, one of the programmers, during the presentation of this branch of Jazzmadrid.
Carter will be there, still active at over 80 years old, announcing his retirement from the stage, with other legends such as Diane Reeves, one of the last of a string of vocal jazz exponents, gaining momentum in this second edition. New generations with consolidated careers such as Madeleine Peiroux, Lizz Wright and Melody Gardot take the stage at the Auditorio Nacional or the Teatro Pavón, among other venues in Madrid. With an almost completely closed poster, a selection could be made: Mark Guiliana, Hiromi, Judith Hill, Kurt Elling, Melissa Aldana, Bill Evans (“not the one, the other” as they called him in the beginning so as not to confused with the great pianist of the same name) and Al Di Meola. This is one of the most contemporary children of the norms and extensions of the tradition.
Encouraged by the fact that half of the tickets for the previous edition, the first of Villains, were bought by an audience under 50, they reinforce the presence of fusion, that second spirit present at this autumn festival. It comes from Marcos Valle, London Afrobeat or Patax. “Today we have an amount of talent that did not exist before and that will always flourish,” says Julio Martí, co-responsible for the preparation of the program. “Jazz today has different meanings, but the common language is improvisation.”
Another example of this blending is Jorge Pardo’s trio with Benavent and Di Geraldo, who explore the possibilities of flamenco, or Chano Domínguez, who in this edition goes with Latin with the award-winning Gonzalo Rubalcaba. “Jazz has jumped barriers and is present in other styles,” Rey says. “Soul or hip-hop bands have jazz bands behind them. Here we will also have dance concerts». “Jazz players get closer to other musicians and it gives an incredible result,” confirms Luis Martín, director of Jazzmadrid.
Among those who have joined the festival, there are already well-known names who have hit the Spanish stages in the past year, such as Kenny Garrett, Emmet Cohen or Julian Lage. And two concerts that revive the ideas of bringing together real masters to challenge each other and have fun with improvisation, such as those Giants of Jazz, led by Gillespie with figures like Monk and Mingus, among others.
This time it’s Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland, together under the name Aziza. “It’s going to be impressive”, sums up Martí, who exactly misses the interaction between the musicians who come to the festival. “We want it to happen naturally, with people of a level capable of reinventing the instrument or its language.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
