Jazz Across Borders

Międzynarodowe Forum i Festiwal w St. Petersburgu, 13 i 14 listopada, online

Organizowana już po raz czwarty wielka międzynarodowa konferencja odbędzie się w tym roku online. Wśród panelistów dyskutujących o najbardziej palących problemach dzisiejszej sceny jazzowej będą sławni amerykańscy artyści, m.in. Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Robert Glasper oraz czołowy rosyjski saksofonista, bandleader i promotor jazzu Igor Butman, którego Fundacja jest organizatorem tego wydarzenia. Dostęp do konferencji jest bezpłatny, ale wymagana jest rejestracja: jazzrussia.com

Piszą organizatorzy:

Since the International Day of Jazz in St Petersburg (2018), the Russian jazz community has been developing rapidly driven by the Jazz Across Borders (JAB) International Forum & Festival – one of the world's largest jazz conferences. This year, it will be held online on November 13 and 14.

“Every year JAB takes place in Saint Petersburg as part of the International Cultural Forum. This year, understandably, the 9th Cultural Forum was cancelled. However, we decided to hold our conference online because this year has brought out a lot of issues that need publicity and joint discussions. For example, it's important to tell musicians about grant support and potential sources of funding amid the environment of uncertainty, discuss prospects of online education, focus on how to promote jazz projects and work with the audience, and so on,” says Igor Butman, internationally acclaimed saxophone player, producer and founder of JAB.

The JAB 2020 program will consist of 5 sections: JAB Conference, JAB Workshops, matchmaking sessions, listening sessions and student bands contest.

JAB Online will be broadcasted on the website jazzrussia.com. Participation is free, registration is required (available also at jazzrussia.com)

The super special guests of the Forum&Festival will be one of the best jazz singers of our time, five-time Grammy winner – Dianne Reeves (USA) and jazz pianist and producer, three-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner –  Robert Glasper (USA), their workshops will take place on November 13 and 14 respectively. The first day of the conference will also feature a public talk by the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and leading advocate of American art form Wynton Marsalis and Igor Butman.

Other speakers of the business program will include: Emmy winner, composer and producer, Dean of Berklee College of Music Stephen Webber (USA), contributor to the DownBeat and JazzTimes magazines Allen Morrison (USA), radio host of WBGO Sheila Anderson (USA), radio host, program director of TSFJAZZ, NiceJazzFest,and the Paris jazz clubDucdesLombards Sébastien Vidal (France), director of the Jazz Society of Turkey and Ankara Jazz Festival Tuğçe Alpaslan (Turkey), director of AmersfoortJazz Festival Alexander Beets (the Netherlands), general manager of Trondheim Jazz Festival Ernst Wiggo Sandbakk (Norway), founder and artistic director of A to JazZ Festival Peter Dimitrov (Bulgaria), radio host of GaleiZahalRadio, artistic director of Red Sea Jazz Festival Dubi Lenz (Israel), founder and artistic director of JAB, National Artist of Russia, Igor Butman, and many others.

Despite the online format of the conference, its program will still include traditional matchmaking sessions with Russian and foreign jazz experts. This year, JAB will host brand-new Listening sessions which will feature Russian and foreign music journalists and critics sharing their thoughts on jazz albums released in 2019-2020. As a result, musicians will get expert reviews and an opportunity for a wide public exposure. The discussions will take place live on November 14. Applications are admitted until November 6, 2020.

JAB Online will provide student jazz bands with an opportunity to play in front of the JAB audience and, most importantly, to get their performances rated by the Russian and foreign jury. Winners of the contest will perform at Moscow international festival Future of Jazz in 2021!

About JAB

JAB is the first and only professional platform in Russia to bring together local and international jazz experts.This year it will be held online.

JAB was launched as part of the 6th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum in 2017. For the fourth year running, it has been providing a unique setting where Russian and foreign musicians can discuss topical issues of the industry. In 3 years, JAB was attended by more than 3000 jazz professionals and fans from across Russia and 35 countries.

In three years, JAB has become the Saint Petersburg venue for the world's jazz elite. The list of the participants of 2017-2019 includes some of the best modern musicians and professionals of jazz industry – vocalists Kurt Elling and Patti Austin, producer of Winter Jazz Festival Adam Schatz (USA), managing director of  RonnieScott'sClub Simon Cooke (Great Britain), producer of Java Jazz Festival Peter Gontha (Indonesia), founder and producer of Umbria Jazz Festival Carlo Pagnotta (Italy), editor-in-chief of the JazzTimes magazine Lee Mergner (USA), vice president of Berklee College of Music Larry Simpson (USA), president of Blue Note Entertainment Steven Bensusan (USA), program manager of North Sea Jazz Festival Frank Bolder (the Netherlands), general director of DepthofFieldManagement Darryl Pitt (USA), founder and producer of JarasumInternationalJazzFestival Jae Jin (South Korea), and many ohers.

The Forum Fest has hosted more than 150 different events, such as lectures, roundtable discussions, discussion groups, workshops, showcases, gala concerts and concerts at the iconic jazz clubs of the city. JAB has given Russian and foreign musicians a unique opportunity to showcase their talent in front of the world's leading producers.

Go to jazzrussia.com to register, participation is free.