The Portuguese Jazz Fest is a unique event in Portugal: musicians, students, producers, jazz lovers, journalists, parents, critics, celebrities - everyone comes together in the heart of Lisbon to celebrate the vibrant Portuguese jazz scene. This is where composition, improvisation and performance showcase creativity and curiosity and inspire a rich and complex community.
This year we celebrate the 15th edition and take that occasion to highlight the extraordinary collaboration we established with jazz schools from all over Portugal along those years. The promoter Associação Sons da Lusofonia has been successfully aiming at turning the Portuguese Jazz Fest into a sustainable platform for young talent and emerging artists to make their first steps towards a professional career in jazz on a solid stage that will make them heard.
On that note, we are happy to announce that the Associação Sons da Lusofonia is taking a next important step to create better conditions for jazz musicians in Portugal by encouraging the foundation of the first network to promote Portuguese jazz by inviting promoters, festivals, schools, labels, musicians, agents and other actors involved to come together to discuss starting an united effort to create a common strategy in the framework of this year`s Portuguese Jazz Fest.
But besides these two important highlights, there will be 3 days full of showcases, concerts and jam sessions to celebrate music, improvisation and the community itself.
The following summary will present some highlights, but find the full program and line-up here: Full program Portuguese Jazz Fest 2017
Friday, April 7th 2017
The opening night is dedicated to showcasing universities that present their finest ensembles and soloists. Starting at 21h30 at the main stage, 4 universities will perform.
At 00h00, the-long-awaited highlight of the evening will take over the stage: the freshly founded Big Band Escola Superiores, a big band with the best musicians from universities from all over Portugal will premier with their first-ever performance. The project is an initiative by Sons da Lusofonia/ Festa do Jazz in collaboration with drummer Michael Lauren und acclaimed conductor Luís Cunha, highlighting the new generation in Portuguese jazz. The evening will be completed with a jam session at 1h at the Jardim de Inverno stage.
Free Entrance.
Saturday, April 8th 2017
Saturday is traditionally the day of the jazz school competition, where schools compete in 30 minute performances in front of a jury consisting of professional musicians and jazz critics during the afternoon.
In a parallel slot, there are 3 concerts of emerging artists at the studio stage:
15h30 HOME, the award-winning side project of accordionist João Barradas
17h00 Clocks and Clouds
18h30 Joana Machado – Lifestories
Starting at 19h30, Saturday night at the main stage will be all about prize-winners and award ceremonies. The first concert of the night will be Pedro Melo Alves`Omniae Ensemble. Pedro Melo Alves won the 2nd edition of the Composition Award Bernardo Sassetti – as a price he was recording an album with the newly founded Omniae Ensemble, which will be released that night by NISCHO Records.
At 21h30 starts the award ceremony Prémios RTP/ Festa do Jazz, honoring outstanding musicians and personalities in Portuguese jazz. The ceremony will be completed by two concerts: Bruno Pernadas` Worst Summer Ever at 21h45 and José Salgueiro`s Transporte Colectivo at 23h00.
At 00h30 the crowd will gather at the Jardim de Inverno stage for the last concert of the night and the following jam session.
Sunday, 9th April 2017
In the afternoon, the jazz school competition will continue at the Jardim de Inverno stage. Meanwhile, at the studio stage 3 concerts will demonstrate different tendencies in contemporary Portuguese jazz, starting at 15h30.
15h30 Pedro Neves Trio
17h00 Cícero Lee – Those who Stay
18h30 Luís Barrigas – Songs With and Without Words
The evening program at the main stage starts at 19h30 with the LFU Lisbon Freedom Unit highlighting new approaches to free jazz and improvisation with experiemental electro-acoustic elements.
At 21h30 João Mortágua takes the stage with his quintet to present his album Dentro da Janela, before at 23h00 the Michael Lauren All Stars perform the last concert of this years festival. His album “Once upon a time in Portugal” was elected in the Top 10 albums in 2016.
But the 2017 Portuguese Jazz Fest does not come to an end before the final ceremony – the traditional awarding of the winning jazz school from this years competition, starting 00h30 at the Jardim de Inverno stage.
This year we celebrate the 15th edition and take that occasion to highlight the extraordinary collaboration we established with jazz schools from all over Portugal along those years. The promoter Associação Sons da Lusofonia has been successfully aiming at turning the Portuguese Jazz Fest into a sustainable platform for young talent and emerging artists to make their first steps towards a professional career in jazz on a solid stage that will make them heard.
On that note, we are happy to announce that the Associação Sons da Lusofonia is taking a next important step to create better conditions for jazz musicians in Portugal by encouraging the foundation of the first network to promote Portuguese jazz by inviting promoters, festivals, schools, labels, musicians, agents and other actors involved to come together to discuss starting an united effort to create a common strategy in the framework of this year`s Portuguese Jazz Fest.
But besides these two important highlights, there will be 3 days full of showcases, concerts and jam sessions to celebrate music, improvisation and the community itself.
The following summary will present some highlights, but find the full program and line-up here: Full program Portuguese Jazz Fest 2017
Friday, April 7th 2017
The opening night is dedicated to showcasing universities that present their finest ensembles and soloists. Starting at 21h30 at the main stage, 4 universities will perform.
At 00h00, the-long-awaited highlight of the evening will take over the stage: the freshly founded Big Band Escola Superiores, a big band with the best musicians from universities from all over Portugal will premier with their first-ever performance. The project is an initiative by Sons da Lusofonia/ Festa do Jazz in collaboration with drummer Michael Lauren und acclaimed conductor Luís Cunha, highlighting the new generation in Portuguese jazz. The evening will be completed with a jam session at 1h at the Jardim de Inverno stage.
Free Entrance.
Saturday, April 8th 2017
Saturday is traditionally the day of the jazz school competition, where schools compete in 30 minute performances in front of a jury consisting of professional musicians and jazz critics during the afternoon.
In a parallel slot, there are 3 concerts of emerging artists at the studio stage:
15h30 HOME, the award-winning side project of accordionist João Barradas
17h00 Clocks and Clouds
18h30 Joana Machado – Lifestories
Starting at 19h30, Saturday night at the main stage will be all about prize-winners and award ceremonies. The first concert of the night will be Pedro Melo Alves`Omniae Ensemble. Pedro Melo Alves won the 2nd edition of the Composition Award Bernardo Sassetti – as a price he was recording an album with the newly founded Omniae Ensemble, which will be released that night by NISCHO Records.
At 21h30 starts the award ceremony Prémios RTP/ Festa do Jazz, honoring outstanding musicians and personalities in Portuguese jazz. The ceremony will be completed by two concerts: Bruno Pernadas` Worst Summer Ever at 21h45 and José Salgueiro`s Transporte Colectivo at 23h00.
At 00h30 the crowd will gather at the Jardim de Inverno stage for the last concert of the night and the following jam session.
Sunday, 9th April 2017
In the afternoon, the jazz school competition will continue at the Jardim de Inverno stage. Meanwhile, at the studio stage 3 concerts will demonstrate different tendencies in contemporary Portuguese jazz, starting at 15h30.
15h30 Pedro Neves Trio
17h00 Cícero Lee – Those who Stay
18h30 Luís Barrigas – Songs With and Without Words
The evening program at the main stage starts at 19h30 with the LFU Lisbon Freedom Unit highlighting new approaches to free jazz and improvisation with experiemental electro-acoustic elements.
At 21h30 João Mortágua takes the stage with his quintet to present his album Dentro da Janela, before at 23h00 the Michael Lauren All Stars perform the last concert of this years festival. His album “Once upon a time in Portugal” was elected in the Top 10 albums in 2016.
But the 2017 Portuguese Jazz Fest does not come to an end before the final ceremony – the traditional awarding of the winning jazz school from this years competition, starting 00h30 at the Jardim de Inverno stage.
