2023
Do you remember those film stills or old photos of ladies in white lace dresses and parasols with their coiffed hairstyles, and gentlemen always smartly and politely dressed, strolling through the parks of Narva-Jõesuu? People gathered to enjoy fascinating conversations and good music. A park of primeval pine trees on the sandy beachfront was alive with birdsong mixed with mellow jazz.
It's time to bring it all back!
Narva-Jõesuu Jazz, 24-29.07, is a summer extravaganza with two different exciting directions!
The first part is a summer camp for young people that will bring high-level jazz music knowledge to Narva-Jõesuu! From 24 to 28 July, participants will have the opportunity to get in touch with the absolute top of the jazz music world by taking part in their MASTER CLASSES.
The second part of Narva-Jõesuu Jazz is for all music lovers, as all jazz lovers will gather in the historic Estonian resort town on 29 July!
It will be a long-awaited one-day summer jazz music festival, which will take place in Hele Park near Narva-Jõesuu Kuursaal. Artists known by jazz lovers from Estonia, Europe and the USA will be taking the stage!
The festival will be FREE for all visitors, as the project "Jazz Music Summer Camp and Festival in Narva-Jõesuu" ("JCF") ER195 is co-funded by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood Instrument.
Raivo Tafenau Quintet
The first long-awaited Narva-Jõesuu Jazz festival was over for now!
Hele Park, next to the auditorium, was filled with a fantastic audience, and the performers brought their inspiring creations from the USA, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Estonia of course, and even from Africa.
We share with you, dear jazz lovers, some momenta of the concerts and fun of this special day, captured by the talented photographer Ilja Smirnov of Narva.
We start with the concert of the Raivo Tafenau Quintet, who also opened our new festival with a real jazz taste!
We start with the concert of the Raivo Tafenau Quintet, who also opened our new festival with a real jazz taste!
Sofia Rubina
Second, the bright and always bursting with positive energy, talented jazz singer Sofia Rubina took to the stage of Narva-Jõesuu Jazz together with her virtuoso seven-member band!
Thank you for the warm concert experience!
Sebastian Studnitzky
The audience gathered in Narva-Jõesuu's Light Park was able to enjoy a memorable performance by the new group of trumpeter Sebastian Studnitzky, who has been called a quality mark of German jazz.
Filigree rhythms, tasteful trumpet solos, talented arrangements and the nuanced vocals of singer Leona Berlin offered listeners a lot of aesthetic pleasure.
Thank you friends from Germany for a very high quality concert!
Lucy Woodward Quartet
Jazz comes from America, and it was from the USA that our fourth performer, the charismatic and impressive singer Lucy Woodward, brought greetings to the audience of Narva-Jõesuu Jazz together with her ensemble of musicians of Dutch origin.
Lucy Woodward Quartet's concert made the audience's eyes shine, the applause after the performance showed the strong support of the audience.
We thank Lucy and her great band for an emotional and fascinating performance in Narva-Jõesuu!
Black Lives from Generation to Generation
The first Narva-Jõesuu Jazz set a powerful final chord with the Black Lives from Generation to Generation concert by an incredible ensemble of star musicians.
The members of the ensemble come from among the world's best jazz musicians who came to Narva-Jõesuu from the USA, France and South Africa.
Narva-Jõesuu welcomed the band's concert with special gratitude, the audience gathered in front of the stage demanded an extra songs.
Thank you - thank you - thank you, the first Narva-Jõesuu Jazz will be remembered by all of us as a brilliant and world-changing event!
Jazz music summer camp
Do you also enjoy improvisation in your jazz studies and feel that you would like to have a summer of extra tuition in theory and practice, alongside the fantastic teachers you have today? Have you been dreaming of a summer camp with young music students with similar goals, where you can enjoy cosy accommodation, delicious food and a great time on the sandy beach? All for free!
If all of the above has got your pulse racing, then you're invited to join the Jazz Summer Camp from 24-28 July, where you'll have the chance to spend 5 days with the absolute world's top jazz musicians and learn from their masterclasses!
The first day of the camp will be filled with the experiences of Estonia's most internationally renowned and sought-after jazz musician Kristjan Randalu. On the following four days, US jazz greats David Gilmore, Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music, bass guitarist Reggie Washington, one of the key figures of the modern jazz revolution of the 80s and 90s, vocalist Christie Dashiell, active in Washington, and renowned French saxophonist Pierrick Pédron will share their knowledge with the participants.
Participants will stay at Hotel Liivarand and the lessons will take place in the White Hall of the Narva-Jõesuu Hobby Centre according to a fixed schedule.
The 5-day camp will offer self-study with the following lecturers:
Kristjan Randalu - piano
David Gilmore - guitar
Reggie Washington- bass guitar
Christie Dashiell - vocals
Pierrick Pédron - saxophone
24.07 Kristjan Randalu - piano
Born in 1978 in Tallinn, Estonia.
Kristjan belongs to the most sought-after piano players of his generation, carrying the torch in both the improvised world of jazz and the traditional realm of classical music – Herbie Hancock, the piano master himself, considering him “a dazzling piano player”. With a discography of over 45 albums under his belt (including a Grammy-nominated recording) and numerous awards to his name (including “Jazz Artist of the Year” and “Jazz Composer of the year” in Estonia), Randalu’s prolific oeuvre continues to grow in breadth and quality as his unique voice is becoming internationally more and more important.
More information: https://www.randalu.com/
25.07 David Gilmore - guitar
Born in 1964 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
David is a professor in the Guitar department at Berklee College of Music. He has recorded and performed with today’s most influential modern artists such as Wayne Shorter, Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Joss Stone, Christian McBride.
More information: http://www.davidgilmore.net/
26.07 Reggie Washington- bass guitar
Born in 1962 in Staten Island, New York
Reggie was a key participant in the Modern Jazz revolution of the 80’s and 90’s. He became known touring, recording, and performing with Steve Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Chico Hamilton, Oliver Lake, The Headhunters, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Jean-Paul Bourelly and Ronald Shannon Jackson..More information: https://reggiewashington-official.com/
27.07 Christie Dashiell - vocals
Born in 1988 in Washington, D.C.
With her sultry soulful flare and cutting edge compositions, D.C.-based vocalist Christie Dashiell is surely a rising star. She has performed in concert with Esperanza Spalding, Marcus Strickland, Marquis Hill, Helen Sung, Fred Hammond, Smokey Robinson, Geri Allen, Allan Harris and many others.
More information: https://www.christiedashiell.com/
28.07 Pierrick Pédron - saxophone
Born in 1969 in Saint-Brieuc, France
Pierrick has toured the world since the release of his first album "Cherokee" in 2001, accompanied by acclaimed musicians Baptiste Trotignon, Vincent Artaud and Frank Agulhon. We've seen him play both on stage and in the studio with Mulgrew Miller, Phil Woods, Roy Hargrove or Ambrose Akinmusire, travelling the planet. We've heard him switch from classical jazz to amazing electronic experiments with incredible ease. We've heard him draw inspiration from Cannonball Adderley as well as Ornette Coleman and Maceo Parker. In short, we have witnessed a colourful flowering of his multifaceted talent. More information: http://www.pierrickpedron.com/
HELD CAMP DAYS
24.07 Kristjan Randalu
Today, young jazz enthusiasts met the inspiring pianist Kristjan Randalu on the first day of the Narva-Jõesuu Jazz music camp..
Randalu told the young musicians the story of his development as a musician, opening up the diversity of the educational path and giving a recommendation to choose different schools and professors in order to broaden their horizons.
In the second part of the master class, the necessity of performing one's own compositions in different formations was discussed.
In the third part, the mentor undertook the construction of jazz standards, highlighting its core, or a particularly important component, in each specific piece and analysing its nature.
We thank Kristjan for sharing his experiences with the Narva-Jõesuu Jazz camp participants!
25.07 David Gilmore
On the second day of the Narva-Jõesuu jazz camp, the young musicians met Berklee College jazz music professor David Gilmore!
David is one of the most prominent jazz guitarists in the USA, and as an experienced teacher, he focused on the importance of rhythmic diversity.
Several topics related to polyrhythms were discussed during the master class:
- sense of period,
- phrasing,
- alternation of time signatures through various possibilities.
In the third part of the day, pieces with alternating time signatures were played together, which was a fantastic group practice for the campers!
Thank you David Gilmore for an inspiring day and sharing your knowledge!
26.07 Reggie Washington
On the third day of Narva - Jõesuu jazz camp, US bass guitar legend Reggie Washington shared his experiences and inspiring thoughts!
Reggie has toured and recorded with jazz greats such as Steve Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove and many others.
With his masterclass, Washington brought forward importance of freedom in music, emphasizing that the ready-learned moves typical of young jazz musicians chain the music and you have to free yourself from the limits they set. Also, the bass legend raised the general purpose and orientation of making music, is it done for public approval or something else, like Music for its own prosperity?
In the middle part of the day, the classroom was filled with music, the camp participants could improvise music with Reggie Washington.
Thank you Reggie Washington for encouraging young people to look inside themselves and their musical world!
27.07 Christie Dashiell
On the fourth day of the Narva - Jõesuu jazz camp, Christie Dashiell, a rising jazz star from the USA, bursting with positivity, shared her valuable knowledge!
Christie discussed with young musicians how to interpret melody in a jazz setting.
Each concept had a corresponding listening example, from Ella Fitzgerald to Herbie Hancock.
Students had the opportunity to perform and use newly covered techniques under Christie's guidance. The result was incredible!
Thank you Christie Dashiell for an exciting day for our campers and sharing a wealth of knowledge!
28.07 Pierrick Pédron
The master class of the famous French saxophonist Pierrick Pédron, who arrived from Paris, set a lively final chord to the Narva-Jõesuu jazz camp!
Pierrick began his master class with a discussion of the need to know the history of jazz music, giving examples from several eras.
Furthermore, the participants of the group could practice the nuances of the jazz feeling in the ensemble playing, Pierrick Pédron emphasized that jazz is music with a calm and, in a good way, slightly indifferent feeling.
The day ended with an exciting conversation about the important milestones of jazz in Europe and separately in France, and the current situation in the jazz world.
We thank Pierrick Pédron for an inspiring day full of ideas!
