The 19th Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival lineup has been officially unveiled by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM). Featuring extraordinary artists, legendary figures and rising stars from the world of jazz, the festival takes place from November 20 to 29 in the intimate and prestigious Salle Garnier.
“The Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival celebrates the roots of jazz and related music genres, all driven by the same spirit of freedom, improvisation, and openness,” says a recent press release by the SBM.
Every festival event will be followed and proceeded by Before and After parties, at Café de la Rotonde, in the Monte Carlo Casino. The parties are free and start at 7:30 p.m. and continue after each concert.
Young talent from the Rainier III
The festival will kick off on November 20 with a concert featuring young talent from the Rainier III Academy, “giving these up-and-coming artists the opportunity to perform on this legendary stage,” says the SBM. The concert is free, but making a reservation is recommended.
Ibrahim Maalouf pays tribute to Oum Kalthoum
Gabi Hartmann is up next, on November 21, with a set blending jazz, pop, folk, world music and her velvety voice. That same evening, the renowned Ibrahim Maalouf will pay tribute to beloved Middle Eastern singer Oum Kalthoum, 50 years after her death. Tickets for this concert are €100.
A cornerstone of the jazz scene, Stanley Clarke, will be performing on November 22. The bass and double bass legend will open for Deluxe, a pop-funk phenomenon on the French scene. Tickets are €90.
On November 23, the Harlem Gospel Choir will perform a beautiful and spiritual concert of African-American gospel music. Tickets are €70.
“Jazz in Cinema” will take place on November 24, with French film critic and director Thierry Jousse giving a lecture. In partnership with the Monaco Audiovisual Institute, the event will highlight the links between jazz and cinema. Tickets are €12.
Island rhythms with Monty Alexander and Yuri Buenaventura
Jamaican pianist, Monty Alexander, will perform during an evening featuring island rhythms, on November 26. The legend of jazz and reggae, influenced by both North American styles and Caribbean rhythms, will be followed by the sensual and romantic salsa of Yuri Buenaventura.
Tickets are €100.
Cult British trip-hop band, Morcheeba
Swiss singer, Lea Maria Fries, will open for Morcheeba, the cult British trip-hop band of the 1990s known for two memorable albums, Who Can You Trust and Big Calm, on November 27. Tickets are €100.
Michel Jonasz reinvents his old hits…
Renowned American soul jazz organist Rhoda Scott, known as “The Barefoot Lady” for playing the Hammond organ without shoes, will perform accompanied by ethereal vocalist, David Linx, on November 28. Up next will be Michel Jonasz and his soulful style, reinventing his old hits with Manu Katché on drums and Jean-Yves d’Angelo on keyboards. Tickets are €100.
Asaf Avidan and Les Egarés close the festival
Finally, the festival will close on November 29 with poetic quartet Les Egarés (Sissoko, Segal, Parisien, and Peirani), who were born out of a jam session combining jazz and traditional music. They will be followed by the extraordinary Asaf Avidan, who’s voice lies somewhere between raw folk and visceral lyricism. Tickets are €100.
