Following a bumper attendance of 22,000 at last year’s event, The Stockholm Jazz Festival makes a welcome return to the city in October, and this year it promises to be even bigger. The festival will take place at 35 locations spread out across the capital, from tiny venues all the way up to places like Kulturhuset and Södra Teatern, plus of course regular haunt Fasching.
Festival CEO Lena Åberg Frisk is thrilled with the progress the festival has made since restructuring: “I am unbelievably proud both of the programme and our development over the past three years. We have increased our audiences and seen a huge increase in international attention.”
This year’s line-up is an intriguing mix of established acts and more experimental, complex projects and Lena is excited about the coming performances.
“This year we are presenting perhaps out strongest and freshest line-up ever. When it’s a festival, the line-up should really sparkle and it should feel like a unique experience. We feel like we have fulfilled this, as we’re presenting some of the biggest and most talented stars on the music scene today.”
The festival will also feature a lot more than just performances – this year there will be a number of films screened during the week, as well as a number of audience participation and educational events, including photo exhibitions and lectures.
Highlights:
Chick Corea
Jazz-fusion pioneer Chick Corea brings his new band, The Vigil to Kulturhuset. It has been many years since former Miles Davis band member Corea last played in Sweden, and now the Jazz Festival hosts his return.
Comprised of bass player Carlitos Del Puerto, Marcus Gilmore on drums, along with multi-instrumentalist Tim Garland, Charles Altura on guitar and Luisita Quintero on percussion, the Vigil is one of Corea’s most exciting projects yet. Their self-titled album earned rave reviews, with The Guardian saying: “The title apparently represents the vigil of jazz’s elder statespersons in cherishing their pasts – but this unexpectedly full-on set is all about celebrating and reinventing, not polishing silverware,” and went on to remark that Corea sounds “on scintillating form”.
Alice Russell
English singer Alice Russell will come to Kägelbanan for what will be her first performance on Swedish soil. One of her most notable collaborations was an appearance as a guest vocalist on ‘Men Will Do Anything’ from the Fatboy Slim and David Byrne concept album, Here Lies Love. Her most recent album, 2013’s To Dust, was given a three-and-a-half star rating by Rolling Stone, who said it “works Russell’s exquisite taste for beats and atmosphere into some of her strongest songs”.
Want to see Alice Russell play live? Check out our competition!
The main staples of the Swedish jazz scene
Naturally enough, there are also a number of Swedish stars gracing the festival. Rigmor Gustafsson will be performing her own interpretations of some of the songs closest to her heart, by artists like Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush. Per Texas Johansson celebrated his first release in 16 years, De Långa Rulltrapporna i Flemingsberg, and he’ll be crowning his comeback with a show at Fasching on October 14. Svante and Katarina Henryson are teaming up to blend their cello and vocal talents into a dual performance at Gröndals Kyrka on Friday, October 16th.
Stockholm Jazz Festival 2015, Oct 9-18, various locations.
