A wide range of artists
For its first edition, M Jazz will feature a program of six artists: three national and three international, who set the direction of the musical line pursued by the festival: exploring jazz and its borders with other genres to be at the forefront and attentive to what will be the sound of jazz. jazz in the future
American pianist and composer Robert Glasper headlines the bill with a sound that mixes jazz, R&B and hip hop. Glasper is one of the leading exponents of contemporary jazz with 10 nominations and 4 Grammys. In addition, he holds the record for being the only artist to have debuted an album in the top 10 of four genres simultaneously (Black Radio, 2013), a feat he repeated with Black Radio ll, in 2015.
For his part, Richard Bona, renowned Cameroonian bassist and singer, Grammy winner and nominated three times, has performed at the most prestigious festivals in the world. He now he comes to M Jazz with its unique sound that combines jazz and music from different African countries. Bona, along with his career as the leader of his own bands, has been part of the groups of great artists such as Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock, among many others.
The London scene is present in M Jazz with The Comet is Coming, an electro-jazz project made up of Shabaka, Danalogue and Betamax figures from the new and proactive scene of British jazz. A style that fuses the tradition of jazz with the culture of London electronic music clubs, has earned him international recognition.
On the Mexican side, the National Jazz Orchestra of Mexico interprets the music of one of the greatest composers of all time that our country has produced: Juan García Esquivel. Known as the father of lounge music, Esquivel’s work has been recognized to a greater extent outside our borders. Pieces of him have appeared in TV series such as The Flintstones, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and recently in the famed Better Call Saul, among many others.
From Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca, in the highest part of the Sierra Norte of the state, comes The Preams, an attractive project that provokes an eloquent dialogue between jazz and improvisation, with traditional Oaxacan music and other styles such as funk and balkan. Made up of seven musicians, most of them with wind instruments, The Preams gives us an incomparable sound.
And to close, the Barrera – Limas duet, made up of electric bassist Rubén Limas and violinist Iván Barrera. The duo offers us a proposal that arises from minimalism in the format, but infinite imagination through a music that plays on the limits of contemporary classical music, improvisation and rock subtleties.
In addition, M Jazz Festival Internacional will feature two talks: Jazz clubs in Mexico City, headed by the main venues in the capital; and Esquivel in Estéreo, the influence of Juan García Esquivel in current music, by members of the ONJMX and special guests.
M Jazzfor a big city, a big jazz festival, next February 11 at Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City.