June 22 and 23 in Kolomenskoye will be interesting even for those who do not consider themselves a jazz fan. We tell you what to expect and share playlists that will help you prepare.
What is “Jazz Estate”
The first Jazz Estate was held at the Arkhangelskoye estate in 2004. For 15 years, both young artists and famous jazzmen have performed at the festival. In 2008, Yusef Latif, an innovator who combined jazz standards with Eastern musical traditions, played here, and in 2009, the headliner was Branford Marsalis, a Grammy-winning saxophonist who has played with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Sting.
< p>If these names don't mean anything to you, that's okay. Jazz is a genre that exists between popular and academic music. You can fall in love with it by chance, and for this you do not need to graduate from a conservatory or study the biographies of performers.
Everyone can understand the language of jazz – this is the key idea in the philosophy of Usadba Jazz.
When some people hear the word “jazz,” they imagine virtuoso piano playing, others—the dissonances of the saxophone, and still others—the vocals of Nina Simone or Louis Armstrong. And everyone is right. Over its hundred-year history, the genre has changed: it has dozens of branches and sub-styles that can sound completely different.
Do you hear the languid howls of the saxophone, to which you want to relax and lie down in the bath? Smooth jazz started playing. What about the illogical chord changes and the convulsive sound of instruments that seem to be missing the notes? This is free jazz – an experimental subgenre that, according to many, is impossible to listen to.
“Usadba Jazz” invites jazz musicians who play music with different tempos, moods and melody – something you will definitely like. The headliners of the festivals were often pop artists who, at first glance, had nothing in common with jazz – SunSay, Manizha, Pompeya, Aquarium, AuktYon, Yolka, L'One.
This is a family festival which will allow you to just have a good time. The child can be taken to a separate stage where he can go on a musical journey to visit the queen of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, and try himself as a jazz musician. Admission is free for children under 10 years of age. Also on site there is always a market, a food court and dozens of types of entertainment areas for guests of all ages.
This is how it was last year:
“Jazz Estate” takes place not only in Moscow: in the summer and early autumn, festivals will take place in St. Petersburg, Sochi and Dobrograd.
Who will perform at the festival in 2019
Black Eyed Peas
When: June 23.
MTV Heroes from the 2000s reunited and even released their first full-length album in eight years last year. Just don't look for Fergie among the members – initially, in the 1990s, the group had three performers: will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo. The team still exists in this composition.
Over its long history, the group managed to experiment with funk, R’n’B, Latin and EDM, but it all started with hip-hop. The return to it is indicated by the title of the track Back 2 Hiphop, which opens the latest album.
The Black Eyed Peas reunion is not a case where half-forgotten oldies decided to make a little money from their past glory. And the band's recent release – Masters Of The Sun, vol. 1 – shows that the Black Eyed Peas still manage to write fresh, relevant and at the same time recognizable music. If you liked the old hits, don't worry: judging by the latest setlists from the band's concerts, he still performs them.
Azealia Banks
When: June 22.
A rapper from Harlem who combines danceable hip-hop with house instrumentals and pop hooks. Azalea's music makes you want to move and shout out all the repeated passages of lyrics that you can discern by ear. If you don’t believe me, just turn on her calling card “212”.
The performance program is expected to include many new songs – just in June Banks is due to release an album, in which Canadian singer Grimes and rapper Busta Rhymes took part. .
Spleen
When: June 22.
Judging by the setlists of recent concerts “Spleen”, one can hope for the performance of all the group’s hits written back in the 1990s and 2000s: Vasiliev and the company still happily play “My Heart”, “No Exit” and “Orbit Without Sugar.”
In its 25-year history, “Spleen” performs at the Jazz Estate for the first time and is preparing for the festival seriously: the group will play a special Unplugged program, which, as the musicians say, will not be heard anywhere else. “Spleen” will perform with an acoustic lineup, and the usual set of instruments will be replaced by violins and cellos.
Ivan Dorn
When: June 23.
If you perceive Dorn solely as a pop singer who encourages everyone not to be shy, then in vain. He showed his love for bold experiments on his latest full-length OTD, which was released two years ago – the album’s endless meditative refrains combined the influences of funk, jazz and techno.
Especially for the Jazz Estate, the artist is preparing a Jazzy Funky Dorn program, in which all the familiar songs will sound in a new way – the instruments will include violins and trumpets. His performance may become the most interesting and unusual impression of the festival.
Who else
Most of these names are unlikely to be familiar to everyone, but that's what makes Jazz Estate interesting. From year to year, the organizers find promising performers from different countries and allow them to perform on the festival stage along with famous headliners.
- The Cinematic Orchestra. A band with a brass and string section, their music makes you want to be included in the soundtrack of some dramatic film.
- Jamie Cullum. A great jazz musician, well known to fans of the genre. Jamie is a virtuoso pianist who is comfortable within jazz standards and is not shy about using technical skill to perform his own jazz and pop compositions.
- Michael Kiwanuka. British soul singer with sensual and melodic songs, who opened for Adele.
- Nino Katamadze. She is called the mascot of the “Jazz Estate” – it was her performance at the festival that once gave Nino a path into the world of great artists. This singer proves that jazz can organically combine with any musical culture. For example, Georgian.
- Caro Emerald. The Dutch singer delivers vintage pop that sounds like what a pin-up would sound like if it were music.
- Dhafer Youssef. The musician plays the oud and combines the most exotic styles in the world in his work: jazz is complemented by Indian music and Arabic chants.
- Iyeoka. American singer of Nigerian origin and author of the hit Simply Falling. Judging by Iyeoka’s music, all jazz-related genres are subservient to it: from afrobeat and funk to soul and R’n’B.
- Kovacs. The Dutch singer with a low voice and brutal appearance performs very touching and aristocratic jazz-pop with memorable chorus inserts.
- Funk’n’stein. The light and dynamic funk of this group will appeal to those who go to the festival just to dance.
- Grupo Fantasma. Another cartridge in the dance clip is Grupo Fantasma, combining funk groove with Latin American motifs. Her skill was noted by Prince himself, calling her to join him as an accompanying group.
- Eilenkrig Orchestra. The orchestra is led by one of the main Russian jazzmen, Vadim Eilenkrig, who will play both original music and his own interpretations of hits by The Beatles and Stevie Wonder.
- Samy Thiebault. A European musician who, from childhood, perceived jazz not as an American, but as a universal phenomenon. Perhaps this is why he manages to so organically combine jazz traditions with calypso, cha-cha-cha and Caribbean motifs in his music.
- Tord Gustavsen Trio. A trio of pianists led by Tord Gustavsen, a representative of Nordic jazz with its characteristic melancholy, romance and spare but precise musical phrases. On the stage of the Jazz Estate, the group will reinterpret the works of Bach and Norwegian folk songs.
A playlist that will help you prepare for the festival
And here we have collected the main tracks of all the guests of the festival. The selection will help you decide on a list of performers whose performances you definitely won’t be able to miss.
Tickets for Usadba Jazz can be purchased on the festival website. If all you want is to see The Black Eyed Peas live, buy a one-day ticket for almost half the price. Children under 10 years old have free admission.
