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Gabriel Amargant,19e Festival l'Hora del Jazz
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19è Festival l'Hora del Jazz
The festival includes free concerts at 12pm and 1pm in the Plaça de la Vila de Gracia3 of 9
Gabriel Amargant
This jazz saxophonist and clarinet player will kick off the free concerts on Sunday 6th September at 12pm at Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia4 of 9
Victor Bocanegra
Victor Bocanegra is a Spanish jazz and folk musician who will be playing after Gabriel Amargant at the Placa de la Vila de Gràcia on Sunday 6th5 of 9
Carme Canela and Jordi Matas
On Sunday 16th at 12pm, Carme Canela and Jordi Matas will present their collaborative work6 of 9
Folkincats
This quartet of saxophonist, violinist, bass player and guitarist reinterpret traditional Catalan songs in a jazzy feel and will be playing live on September 13th at 1pm7 of 9
Xavi Casellas
This accomplished jazz singer is just back from New York and will be performing on Sunday September 20th at 1pm, after the Ivó Oller Quintet8 of 9
Son3
Son3, defined as three misfits that fluctuate between jazz and other genres, will be performing a show for all ages based on improvisation and musical madness—Sunday 27th at 1pm9 of 9
Tom Johnson’s Shark
As well as the free concerts, the festival also includes concerts in different clubs of Barcelona. At Jamboree on Thursday 10th September at 9pm and 11pm, Tom Johnson’s Shark will give a performance of their hypnotic rhythmsIf there’s one thing you can say about Barcelona it’s that it doesn’t scrimp on music festivals. So far this year you might have put your elbows to proper use to get down the front for Simian Mobile Disco at Primavera Sound, stood in open-mouthed amazement when you clapped eyes on the age-defying Grace Jones descending stairs with the pins of a 20 year old at Sónar, or dusted off that decrepit guitar after David Byrne made it look so easy at the Festival de Guitarra. And all with the added pleasure of heading home afterwards to your own bed with proper sheets instead of facing the hideous prospect of finding your spot amongst thousands of identical tents and not showering for three days. And the generous sorts who allow these things to go on aren’t finished with you yet, as September plays host to three more music festivals: the 19è Festival l’Hora del Jazz, Hipnotik and the VII Festival de Blues de Barcelona. Pheww.
Catalans like their jazz and the 19è l’Hora del Jazz festival is testament to that. With free concerts every Sunday at 12pm and 1pm at the Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, and in clubs like Jamboree, Heliogàbal and Sala Monasterio in the evening, the organisers have signed up the best on the scene right now—Gabriel Amargant, Tom Johnson’s Shark, Carme Canela and Jordi Matas all perform. In collaboration with the CCCB exhibition ‘El Segle de Jazz’, the BCNmp7 are putting on an unmissable show. With the help of various musicians, the evolution of the musical genre will unfold before you, culminating in a massive jam session (19th, 6pm).
The Festival Hipnotik, now in its sixth year, celebrates all things hip-hop with the four main pillars of the movement represented: emceeing, graffiti, break-dancing and DJing. There are Eight Mile style emceeing battles, b-boys and girls busting out pencils and windmills and top rockin’ themselves into first place at break-dancing competitions, graffiti exhibitions and concerts. Spread over two locations, the CCCB and the Mercat de los Flors, highlights in the line-up include Tote King, Rapsusklei, Falsalarma and El Chojin, more than enough to cover the disappointment that Spanish hip-hop pioneers 7notas 7colores had to cancel.
Under the creative force of Lluís Coloma, the Catalan boogie-woogie pianist, the VII Festival de Blues de Barcelona brings together a list of international and local blues stars in an attempt to throw open the doors of the genre and welcome not just aficionados but newcomers too. American pianists Bob Steeley and Ricky Nie are signed up, Axel Zwingenberger and the Ian Siegal Trio will perform and the Escola/Taller de Blues de Barcelona is open for matriculation so anyone wishing to learn the intricate workings of Muddy Waters and Mamie Smith, or to perfect their harmonica is welcome to attend. And proving that the blues really is music for the repressed, the teachers of the Escola are taking their shows on the road and playing special concerts at the Wad Ras and Modelo prisons.
19è Festival l’Hora del Jazz—Memorial Tete Montoliu: September 6th to 27th; www.amjm.org
Hipnotik ‘09: September 11th to 13th; www.hipnotikfestival.com
VII Festival de Blues de Barcelona: September 13th to 20th;
www.festivalbluesbarcelona.com