This year we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the UK’s biggest jazz festival under one roof outside London.
This year’s highlights include bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding – one of the biggest breakout stars of 2011, garnering a GRAMMY for ‘Best New Artist’ and hailed by the New York Times as ‘one of the greatest musicians in jazz history’. Together with GRAMMY award-winning saxophone giant Joe Lovano, NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY winner Jack DeJohnette and Argentinean pianist Leo Genovese they form something of a jazz supergroup, The Spring Quartet.
Robert Glasper joins the GIJF14 line-up for a late night set in Hall Two continuing to stake out new musical territory, drawing on jazz, hip hop, R&B and rock, and refusing to be defined by any one genre. One of the world’s favourite jazz guitarists,Bill Frisell, will be another major highlight.
This year we welcome the return of acclaimed UK jazz composer Django Bates with his Belovèd Trio in a new partnership with the GRAMMY-nominated Norrbotten Big Band from northern Sweden performing his Charlie Parker inspired programme and Swedish saxophonist Joakim Milder and his suite of jazz arrangements of the music of the North East’s own Prefab Sprout.
More acts to be announced soon.
