47th Heineken Jazz Fest - San Sebastian - July 19-23

[Lois Gilbert]

A first look at the program of the 47th Heineken Jazz Festival, to be held in San Sebastian between the 19th and the 23rd of July 2012, includes names such as Antony, Bobby McFerrin, Jamaican Legends (Sly & Robbie, Monty Alexander and Ernest Ranglin), Yellowjackets, Ray Gelato, Marc Ribot, Ninety Miles (Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Nicholas Payton) and Peter Evans.

The final program will be announced once it has been completed with the last stars added. Tickets will be on sale in March. The exact date will be determined in a near future.

*Antony* puts together a unique voice and a fascinating personality. Since his first steps in the international scene in 2005 with the stunning album /I Am A Bird Now/, Antony has continued to impress with his unique form of singing and his intense compositions, as reflected in the outstanding albums /The Crying Light /and/Swanlights/. His performance in San Sebastian will be really exceptional, because there will be a large orchestra of about 40 musicians: the Basque orchestra Et Incarnatus, that has found its outstanding position among other bands due to the recognized expertise of its members and its adaptation to a varied repertoire ranging from classical music to collaborations with pop groups and rock. It's a great show, with an elegant scenic design and lighting created especially for the occasion.

*Bobby McFerrin* is the most popular jazz singer in the world. McFerrin is an inimitable artist, an acrobat with his voice and a great communicator, making an entire auditorium sing with his vocal chords as his only instrument. McFerrin's concerts are a guarantee of fun and are at the same time exquisite, something that you do not always find. He now returns with an impressive project together with *Yellowjackets*, one of the most enduring and influential bands in modern jazz. They have won a Grammy in no less than thirteen times. The power of the band (Bob Mintzer on sax, Russell Ferrante on keyboards, Jimmy Haslip on bass, and William Kennedy on drums) plus the ability of McFerrin's vocals promise a new and unique experience.

*Jamaican Legends* is a must for lovers of jazz and reggae, with the participation of the true legends of Jamaican music: Sly & Robbie, Monty Alexander and Ernest Ranglin. Monty Alexander is one of the most popular jazz pianists, but he also had a reggae band and has performed this music frequently. Guitarist Ernest Ranglin is considered one of the creators of ska and is credited with the invention of scratching, playing guitar on a ska rhythm base. As for Sly & Robbie (Sly Dunbar, drums and Robbie Shakespeare, bass), their influence on the development of reggae and dub has been enormous.

*July 20, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre Centennial*

Precisely on July 20, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre celebrates its hundred years, and the Heineken Jazz Festival joins the celebration with a Jazz Night program. It will be an open house with free admission and concerts in every corner of the theater, even in the most unexpected.

[bluenoter]

festival website:
http://www.heinekenjazzaldia.com/en/

"Tourism offer" (for San Sebastian, Spain) that contains a festival schedule:
http://www.sansebastianreservas.com/...LES/JAZZin.pdf