July 22-27
Report
It has been the year of the broken records: the total number of concerts and free concerts, at the box office and merchandising but, most of all, the crowd of 106,000 that have been at the different sites of the Festival, a big increase knowing that in the preceding years there had always been a huge audience.
It was a special occasion; the Festival was celebrating its 40th anniversary. The best opportunity to look ahead on the grounds of the experience of the previous years. There has been place for a tribute to the great Charles Mingus, and to musicians who were well remembered in San Sebastian, but also to other musicians who had not yet played in the Jazzaldia and for some new names that someday will be stars of the program.
Charles Mingus already has his honor site in San Sebastian remembering both his concerts (1974, 1977) that were so important in the history of the Festival. His widow Sue Mingus and Miguel Martin, Director of the Festival unveiled a marble plaque on one of the walls of the Plaza de la Trinidad that will always remember him. The Mingus Big Band played one of the most exciting concerts, probably encouraged by the tribute.
The line-up for this year’s 40th anniversary was spectacular and the audience recognized it by putting up the “sold out” sign for the two concerts of Van Morrison, Keith Jarrett (The 2005 Donostiako Jazzaldia Award) and Roberta Flack all of them at the Kursaal Auditorium. These were no surprises but the biggest success of all was the midnight concert at the auditorium by a still young and not well known Antony and the Johnsons who also sold out. Phil Woods (1995 Donostiako Jazzaldia Award) also gave us an interesting concert with Charlie Parker’s ballads with strings, Et Incarnatus a Basque string orchestra played together with him.
Amos Lee a new discovery by Blue Note and the great Joe Cocker, who still has the touch to enchant his fans, also had a big crowd. The concert by the Cuban musician Bebo Valdés (2003 Donostiako Jazzaldia Award) and the father of Brazilian Tropicalia, Gilberto Gil, also put up a large audience. The Plaza de la Trinidad, the real soul of the Festival heard a lot of great jazz, given to us by Benny Golson and Cedar Walton starring the Original Messengers, the Dave Holland Big Band, the Mingus Big Band and the always different Medeski, Martin & Wood. The Blind Boys of Alabama and their Gospel show also made the people stand up.
This Anniversary also had its look into the past and as part of that there were two important projects, one was the directed by Iñaki Salvador who put together a Nonet
with some of the most important Basque musicians all of whom had previously been in the Festival, and Bob Sands directed a 16 piece Big Band with some of the best Spanish talents. The Polish drummer Zbiegniew Lewandowski, who in the 80’s won the International Contest with Crash, was also with us together with his new band Wild Cats.
The Green Stage lived up to its legend with dance music and the beach was packed every evening. More than 8,000 people burned with Maceo Parker, and also followed the rhythms of Eric Burdon, Bossa Cuca Nova, Brazilian Girls, Marlango, Djavan and Trio Exklusiv (another big surprise of this edition). The Heineken Tent was overcrowded for the concerts on Tony Joe White, Clunia, Just Friends, Nylon and Haydee. Frigo Stage was always full but especially to see the Locomotora Negra, L’Occidentale de Fanfare and the Perico Sambeat Sextet.
The Kursaal Terraces were also the stages for new local comers from different Music Schools with some very interesting movements among the younger musicians.
Always looking for new stages the Jazzaldia discovered a new and beautiful scene: the open air Chillida Museum. The concert the Kenny Barron Trio had under the trees and with the audience seated on the grass beside the sculptures of Eduardo Chillida was one of the magical moments in the history of the Festival. Kenny Barron (Donostiako Jazzaldia award of 2000) also played much more in a duo concert with Mulgrew Miller and with his Quartet.
