The 43rd edition of the Terrassa Jazz Festival will fill the city and neighboring municipalities with more than 60 concerts, in twenty different spaces, with the epicenter in the Nova Jazz Cava, which celebrates its 30th birthday in 2024. From March 1 to 22, established stars such as guitarist Marc Ribot will perform, in his only concert in Europe with Nick Dunston and Chad Taylor. Also notable are figures such as the French-Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffauz, the restless saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, the Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson and the singer Cyrille Aimée.
Everything will be combined with the performance of young artists, but with great projection, such as the trumpeter Alba Careta, recent winner of the Arc Awards for the best jazz artist or group tour or the trombonist Alba Pujals, leading a sextet and presenting the compositions of his recent Apologia, on the opening day on March 1.
The festival coordinator, Susanna Carmona, highlighted this afternoon in the presentation that this edition “combines two facets: the vindication and dissemination of the history of jazz as part of its essence and personality and a curious look at the present, with a commitment determined towards the future.”
The artistic director, Valentí Grau, has mentioned that this year’s festival will be dedicated to the pianist Lucky Guri – who died last June – and the guitarist Pep Figueras. While the 21st Jazzterrasman Award 2024 will go to the singer Laura Simó. The artist thanked the award and recognized the solid track record of the festival, “for me, without a doubt the best, for the quality and demand and because it makes me feel at home.” She has turned to humor after receiving two awards in a row: “that’s because someone wants me to retire. But no, I’m not going to get off the stage, I still have some energy left for a while,” she commented, laughing.
The mayor of Terrassa, Jordi Ballart, has highlighted that “the Jazz Festival is the soundtrack of the city.” “It is a flagship that makes us known abroad and coheres, provides structure and creates identity,” he indicated. He congratulated the Nova Jazz Cava on its birthday and for having hosted more than 5,000 concerts since it opened in 1994. The president of Amics de les Arts, Maria Miralda, thanked the volunteer work of “many collaborators who help make the festival “a city act of high musical quality.”
There will be great names in contemporary jazz, such as the trumpeter Erik Truffaz, representative of the most aerial and lyrical European tradition. From New York, saxophonist Lakecia Benjamín will perform, for the first time, in Catalonia with her fourth album Phoenix, where she reaffirms herself as one of the most interesting new voices on the world scene and who has best known how to incorporate the influence of hip hop and electronics in their language.
Ribot, restless and unclassifiable, will display his avant-garde jazz in an unprecedented trio with Nick Dunston and Chad Taylor. From California, neo bop trumpeter Jeremy Pelt returns to the contest, leading a quintet of young talents and with a new album under his belt, “Tomorrow’s Another Day.”
Those who also present albums are the Swedish pianist Bobo Stetson, Sphere, framed in the advanced and expansive tradition of Scandinavian jazz, and the singer Cyrille Aimée, protagonist of the night of vocal jazz with the premiere of her latest work, A Fleur de Peau. The French vocalist, living in New Orleans, will demonstrate the amalgamation of traditions and influences that can be found in her fresh and carefree style.
The artistic program also hosts the presentation of the renewed Sinergic Ensemble project, led by double bassist and composer Julia Valle. It is an ambitious proposal with eleven musicians on stage, whose repertoire will make up the next album by the Italian-Catalan artist.
In the program there are new projects by saxophonist Irene Reig, who returns to the Festival with the byte El collective bop and the work Decision and Courage. The “Blues Night” will star Chicago guitarist and singer David Spectrum.
There will be 16 open-air concerts—with the usual open-air stages in Plaça Vella, Plaça Catalunya, Rector Homs and Parc de Sant Jordi—and free of charge, in addition to the emblematic Picnic Jazz in Vallparadís park.
The Nova Jazz Cava programming will host up to 18 performances. The live music experience can also be experienced in more corners and districts of the city, through different formats, such as the new gastronomic fair in the 10th edition of Menjazz.