Jazz festival honours time limit

World-renowned jazz legends Yellowjackets were forced to follow police orders and cut short Friday's performance at Malta's annual Jazz Festival on Friday after Valletta residents called to complain about the "noise".

The festival at Ta' Liesse is fast becoming an important date on the international calendar and this move was seen as an embarrassing blow by some of those who were still gathered to watch one of jazz's finest outfits.

"We are playing our last number, because it's getting late," Bob Mintzer, Yellowjackets tenor saxophonist, told the audience at 1.30 a.m.

When contacted, events co-ordinator Robbie Cefai said there was an understanding with the police that the festival should ideally be wrapped up around 12.30 to 1 a.m.

However, the three-day festival, which is in its 14th year, often drags on until 2 a.m. as the crowds cheer on the musicians to play an encore.

"To be fair, the police are very tolerant and they understand that this is a festival which is only held once a year and it is also gaining popularity abroad," Mr Cefai said.

"Since the festival is held in the open, we do try to abide by the time as much as possible so as not to bother any residents. However, this festival is becoming a niche for tourism and it would be a pity to let these issues ruin the atmosphere," he added.

Friday's show, which started at 8 p.m., had four acts and in between each performance there was a slot of at least 20 minutes to change the equipment and prepare the instruments for the next band.

Mr Cefai explained that each act had a time slot of 45 minutes, but most musicians enjoyed performing so much that they often stretched their repertoire to over an hour.

The Yellowjackets, one of this year's main attractions, took to the stage at 12.40 a.m. after a brilliant show by Brazilian Joao Bosco and his group.

The Yellowjackets, who have remained at the forefront of jazz and rhythm and blues for over 25 years, had luckily managed to play for 50 minutes before the police ordered the organisers to wrap it up.

Asked to comment on the matter, Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the situation for the police was a balancing act between ensuring order and dealing with any complaints.

"We appreciate the work of the police but would also welcome a degree of understanding and flexibility from all sides," he said.

Dr Zammit Dimech suggested that in future the festival organisers should try to make a more realistic projection of each musician's performance, to prevent such situations.

"The jazz festival is becoming a prestigious international event. It is with events such as these that we can forge ahead to project Malta as a cultural experience," he said.

In the meantime, this hiccup did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds who gathered for the annual celebration of good music, beer and socialising against the backdrop of Fort St Angelo.

The festival comes to an end tonight with the Deborah Carter Quartet, guitarist John Scofield accompanied by Steve Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.

Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa will round off the festival with a contemporary fusion inspired by traditional Nigerian folk music.