All That Jazz

Summer has ended, but the festival season is far from over, and in. mid-October Stockholm will welcome another favourite with a unique edge back to the city. Stockholm Jazz Festival will feature over 100 jazz artists at three main different venues: Kulturhuset, Konserthuset and Fasching. Headliners will include Dianne Reeves, Cindy Blackman-Santana, Cassandra Wilson, Carla Bley and Shai Maestro Trio. And the best part? There’s no need to commit to it all – pick and choose your favorite artists from over 90 concerts. To find out more, we spoke to festival general Lena Åberg-Frisk.

What’s in store for this year’s Jazz Festival?

We are very happy to see that last year’s 60 concerts have grown to 90. We have some new and interesting venues and partners like Jazzkattengalan, Tellus and Barnmusikfestivalen.

Last year was the first year after the move indoors from Skeppsholmen. What was it about this new format has made you decide to continue this new tradition?

Last year’s festival was a huge success. To move indoors to the warm, dry venues was really appreciated by the audience  – we had 12,000 visitors in one week. The engagement from all the venues that contributed their know-how and their passion for jazz was a strong statement on how vibrant the jazz-scene is today.

What do you think is so special about this jazz festival in Stockholm?

That it involves all of the jazz scene in Stockholm. The heart of this festival is that so many venues and organizations interact to celebrate jazz.

With over 90 different concerts, can you let us in on the process for choosing artists?

We want to showcase jazz as it is today, with all its variety. Well-known legends and rookies, classic jazz and avant-garde, local heroes and international divas – they all have a place at our festival.

Three Highlights Not To Be Missed (hand picked by Lena Åberg-Frisk)

1. Young alto-player Anna Högberg has created her dream-team of Swedish talent and stars for a performance at Fasching Thursday Oct 17th. I have a feeling we will have a star born that night!

2. The fabulous vocalist Dianne Reeves is a classic and

sophisticated jazz star that we have tried to book for several years now.

3. Finally I would not miss the Late Night Jam Sessions at Fasching, where all the artists gather for magic moments.

Stockholm Jazz Festival takes place Oct 14-20.
See complete schedule here. 

Words by Angela Markovic