If there’s one month in the year that jazz afficionados eagerly wait for, this is July – the month that is synonymous with the Malta Jazz Festival and that sees a number of acclaimed international and Maltese musicians gather together at Ta’ Liesse in Valletta for three nights of contemporary jazz against the spectacular backdrop of the Grand Harbour.
For almost 25 years, the Malta Jazz Festival has been raising the bar for jazz in Malta, keeping its soul alive. Now in its 23rd edition, this year’s line-up seems set to bring a crop of equally cutting-edge artistes to our shores.
On July 18, Robert Glasper Experiment – fresh from his Grammy-award victory – will perform at Ta’ Liesse. Glasper’s music boldly stakes out new musical territory, drawing from jazz, hip hop, R&B, and rock, transcending any notion of genre.
Also performing on the night is two-time Grammy-award nominee Gerald Clayton with his Trio. Clayton’s dynamic sound has been praised by the Jazz Times and Los Angeles Times and he was recently voted first place for Rising Star – Pianist in Down Beat Magazine’s 2010 Critics Poll.
Grammy nominee Gregory Porter is the jazz singer of the moment, and he keeps getting bigger and bigger. With a voice that can caress or confront, embrace or exhort, Porter exhibits an incredible degree of vocal mastery. He will perform at the Malta Jazz Festival on July 19.
Grammy-nominated composer-pianist Vijay Iyer will also perform on the same night; Iyer was awarded an unprecedented ‘quintuple crown’ in the Down Beat International Critics Poll and the Vijay Iyer Trio won the 2010 Echo Award (known as the German Grammy) for best international ensemble and the 2012 Downbeat Critics Poll for jazz group of the year.
Multi-Grammy-award winner and internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Michel Camilo – who moves with ease between the worlds of jazz, latin and classical music – will be back in Malta on July 20. Gilad Hekselman – one of the most exciting Israeli-born musicians on the jazz scene – will also perform with his Quartet on the same night.
The Maltese acts will include the festival’s former artistic director Charles City Gatt with his vibraphone quintet on July 18, Walter Vella quartet on July 19 and Cusp on July 20.
Charles Gatt’s and Walter Vella’s groups will feature collaborations with foreign musicians.
Jazz on the Fringe
In the days before and after the festival, various events – including masterclasses and open-air concerts – will also be held. This will also include the first editions of the Malta Jazz Contest and the Malta Summer Jazz Camp. Jazz on the Fringe is supported by the Malta International Airport.
Malta Jazz Contest
The first edition of the Malta Jazz Contest will be held on July 21 and is open to jazz soloists of Maltese nationality up to the age of 35. Participation is free.
The winner will participate in Les Sons d’Une Île festival in Paris, organised by the Embassy of Malta in France. Results will be announced on the same day after the competition. The jury will consist of foreign jazz musicians participating in the Malta Jazz Festival.
Malta Summer Jazz Camp
This year will also see the first edition of the Malta Summer Jazz Camp, featuring some of the most important musicians in the European jazz scene today. These workshops/masterclasses will be held at the Euro Institute of Music, Ħamrun, between July 17 and 20 and are free of charge.
The teachers in this year’s Jazz Camp are Rino Cirinnà – saxophone; Claudio Angeleri – piano/jazz theory; Romain Pilon – guitar; Mátyás Szandai – bass/rhythm section; and Karl Jannuska – drums/rhythm section.
The Malta Jazz Festival is supported by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. Sandro Zerafa is the artistic director. It is sponsored by Malta International Airport, Cyberpass, MSV Life, Switch, Hotel Phoenicia, the Valletta local council and the Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment.
The Malta Jazz Festival is held between July 18 and 20 at Ta’ Liesse, Valletta.
www.maltajazzfestival.org