The Guimarães Jazz festival 25 years ago, let us celebrate – Vision

The Guimarães Jazz festival opens with the LUME – Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble, directed by the composer and pianist Marco Barroso

Rita Carmo

1. The start
Two weeks of concerts celebrating a quarter of a century from that which is the main festival of jazz national, born in 1992, of the carolice of a group of people, and of the Association Together. Although you do not want to "give in to the temptation of autocelebração", it is impossible not to remember the early years when he had no fixed location. Both could happen in the Palace of the Dukes of Guimarães as in the old Café Millennium. The Vila Flor Cultural Centre (CCVF), with an auditorium of 800 seats, happened in the meantime to be your home.

2. Opening concert
it Is one of the novelties of this year. On Saturday, 5, at 22h, the festival opens with a concert of a festive, the position of the LUME – Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble, directed by composer and pianist Marco Barroso, and with two musical groups: the Band of Sociedade Musical de Pevidém and the Choir BJazz of the School of Jazz of Conviviality (Conviviality Jazz Choir), an approximation to the local community.

3. Programming
in This edition, the festival wanted to, account the artistic director Ivo Martins, "valuing the musicians". The program highlights the saxophonist Donny McCaslin, leader of the band that recorded the last album of David Bowie (18 nov), trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and saxophonist Jeff Lederer’s quartet of drummer Matt Wilson (11 nov) and also the pianist of 80 years Carla Bley, who heads the Liberation Music Orchestra, and chose Guimarães to one of the few performances that still give you (nov 19).

4. Parallel activities
There will be jam sessions and music all over the city (in the company of the Cultural Association, in the CCVF, in cafes and pastry shops). The workshops of jazz (14-15 and 17-18 nov) will be the responsibility of the flutist Jamie Baum, bassist Zack lober language, drummer Jeff Hirshfield and pianist Luis Perdomo.

5. The book
The 25 years of the festival are marked with the release of November, a book that includes the list of all the musicians (more than a thousand in 221 concerts) that have passed through there.

6. The documentary
On day 15 will be presented in the 2nd chapter of the documentary A History of Jazz, about the memory of the festival, an idea of Cristina Marvão.

7. The future
"there is still a Lot to do in Guimarães Jazz festival, promises to Ivo Martins. In particular in relation "to the work with the young people and the local community".

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