Jazz greats prepare for Christmas concerts

TALLINN - Jazz lovers have been able to enjoy the excellent Jazzkaar Festival for many springs in Estonia. Jazz can also be enjoyed at the Christmas Jazz Festival, which will take place for the 18th time at the end of November and attracts memorable performers both from Estonia and abroad.
Jazzkaar is the biggest jazz festival in the Baltics, held annually since the beginning of the 1990s and has hosted numerous prestigious jazz musicians from around the globe – this year, the festival’s winter session is going to take place from Nov. 28 until Dec. 12.

Christmas Jazz, the affiliate festival, intends to provide joy for the ears and the soul during these dark northern winters and to ignite the seasonal spirit. A series of concerts will take place in churches and concert venues across the country and feature a set of both local and international talent.

The 18th Christmas Jazz will host two-time Grammy winner vocal ensemble from the USA, New York Voices, singer with a remarkable voice Krystle Warren and charismatic young pianist, Shai Maestro, from Israel.
Emotional concerts of Christmas Jazz can be heard not only in Tallinn, but also in Parnu, Tartu, Viljandi, Haapsalu, Narva and Kuressaare. The festival’s opening act will be the First Lady of Polish Jazz Aga Zaryan, who pays homage to two legendary jazz singers, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln. The 50th jubilee of Estonia’s beloved saxophone player Raivo Tafenau will be celebrated with many friends-musicians and ten concerts all over Estonia.

Estonian musicians offer their new and exciting programs, like pianist and composer Kristjan Randalu with string quartet Prezioso; Jaak Lutsoja Quintet with Norway-based singer Kersti Ala-Murr perform the magic of Argentine tango-maestro Astor Piazzolla. Kristjan Mazurtchak’s Nordic voyages have inspired a mysterious audio-visual show; Rebecca Kontus performs songs that will take you home for Christmas. Weekend Guitar Trio ends its 20th year with a concert with Estonian Drama Theater actors-guitarists. The songs of one of the most loved Estonian songwriters, Arne Oit, will be heard at the Estonian Radio concert of singing children and soloists.

Christmas Jazz also hosts jazz’s best from Finland and Sweden. An enchanting church-concert will be given by Finnish Jukka Perko Avara. Swedish sax-player and flutist Anders Hagberg performs alongside Palestinian musicians with the program Times of India. The pianist forms the Avishai Cohen group Shai Maestro, who comes this time with his own trio. Young and fabulously bass-voiced Krystle Warren performs her music and club beats that will be brought to the festival by Austrian-Hungarian Artist. The crown of Christmas Jazz will be the co-project of Estonian and American musicians – one of the world’s best vocal groups, New York Voices, and Estonia’s Dream Big Band.

Christmas Jazz, with its more than 20 concerts, always has a special atmosphere, since many of the concerts are held in churches, with more emphasis on the beauty of the human voice. Christmas music and pieces about winter are featured, albeit in some moderation so as not to dominate the event.

Christmas Jazz tickets are on sale at Piletilevi retailers and on-line at http:www.piletilevi.ee.