Jazz De Barcelona
The 43rd Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona
Barcelona has earned itself a pretty strong reputation as a city dedicated to having a good time. Revellers, ravers and every type of concert goer from all across Europe flock to Barcelona to take in the sights and sounds of this vast Catalan melting pot: spellbound by Gaudí in the day, entranced by a mixed soundtrack after dark. This is not, of course, a new phenomenon and though the pumping dance houses of the noughties have become more prevalent, the crumbling concert halls and jazz cafés that have existed for many years still play a hard and far from lonely tune.
Barcelona has been throwing one of Europe’s finest international jazz festivals for decades and now in its 43rd year, the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona promises to inspire, delight and pull people to their feet in typically continental fashion once again. Over 80 venues across the city will host close to 100 concerts from some of the hottest names in jazz: both international acts and a healthy batch of home-grown talent. For anyone visiting La Roca Village between 20 October and 1 December, this event is well worth checking out.
The venues themselves are worth visiting even without the added attraction of music. From the grand to the grungy, the Festival makes the most of Barcelona’s extraordinary range of architectural delights. The Palau de Música Catalana, an early 20th century concert hall, is perhaps the grandest of the lot. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a magnificently decorative and majestic space both inside and out. Elaborate stone carvings burst from the walls in flower blossoms, charging horses and flamboyant statues. The roof, however, is easily the most impressive feature: a beautifully crafted, stained glass skylight, which stretches across the roof in blues and gold and greens. All of which make this one of Europe’s most spectacular concert halls.
Deeper into the heart of the old city is the Harlem Jazz Club, a true Barcelona institution which has been the heart and soul of the city’s jazz scene for years. No decorative masonry or stained-glass windows here – just a tiny, exposed stage and a smoky atmosphere, with the clientele focused purely on the live music that reverberates around the place. It’s been the centre of some renowned performances over the years, as big names, more used to entertaining the masses at larger venues, turn up for a jam. It’s also the best place in the city to check out the up-and-coming Catalan acts.
Of course these spaces are enhanced still further by the musicians who play within them and as the Festival has grown in reputation, so too has the list of fantastic performers. This year sees the likes of Brad Mehldau take to the stage – a relative newcomer whose 2006 performance at this Festival won him an army of fans. Elsewhere, veteran Dave Holland, a man who has played in some of the greatest jazz get-ups of all time and on some of the most important records – including Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew – performs alongside flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela, in one of many international collaborations. Cuban born pianist Alfredo Rodríguez will display his frantic musical ability. Quincy Jones, a man who has surrounded himself with the world’s best musicians for the last half century, described Rodríguez as ‘one of the best’ and he is worth checking out to see what all the fuss is about.
This mix of jazz fever and Catalan enthusiasm, smoky venues and historical halls is what makes this festival so rich and varied, one of the globe’s best jazz festivals.
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01-11-2011
