Riga’s getting jazzy

From April 7 to 9, Riga’s neo-baroque, neo-Rococo Splendid Palace will resound with jazz chords, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, blue notes, and New and Old World harmonies as the world’s finest young jazz artists descend on the Latvian capital to compete in Riga Jazz Stage 2016.
Jazz is an art form which musicologists have long hailed as one of America’s original musical art forms. It evolved with most world cultures directly contributing to its development.

Riga Jazz Stage 2016 aims to be on the lookout for progressive talent, and promises to evaluate jazz performance in Riga as 27 jazz artists vie for nominations in two categories, Jazz Vocal and Jazz Trombone.
“We are delighted to welcome young and talented jazz artists from 16 countries from around the world,” says Diana Briezkalne, Director of Riga Jazz Stage.

Riga Jazz Stage 2016 will host artists from Ukraine, Belgium, Poland, Uzbekistan, France, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Russia, Turkey, UK, and the US, as well as Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
Riga Jazz Stage’s worldwide popularity can be witnessed in the calibre of the artists who will be participating.
“Many of the artists performing in Riga Jazz Stage 2016 have already gained considerable recognition from other international competitions,” says Briezkalne.

The American vocalist Anastasia Ryseff has received awards for outstanding vocal performances at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and Reno Jazz Festival. UK trombonist Robbie Harvey has won the Jiggs Whigham Trombone Competition and several International Trombone Associasions’ contests.
Sophie Atsbehai-Negai from Russia has won the “Jazz Parnas,” “Ad Libitum Competition,” and “J&M Voices.” The Turkish trombonist Burak Dursun won the main prize at the Istanbul Culture and Arts foundation Jazz competition and the Istanbul New Talent Competition two years ago.

“So you can see that the level and reputation of Riga Jazz Stage 2016 is at a world level,” says Briezkalne.
Riga Jazz Stage 2016 has three main concerts, which take place on April 7 (Riga Jazz Stage Final) and April 8 (Riga Jazz Stage Super Final) at the Splendid Theatre (7 p.m.).
On April 9 the Splendid Theatre sees the competition-winning laureates in a performance which will feature the appearance of the award-winning American composer, arranger, and educator, and soulful jazz vocalist Charenee Wade. Wade has been causing a sensation in both jazz and soul/R&B circles.

“Charenee Wade was one of the first artists to enter the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, the world’s most prestigious jazz competition, recognised for discovering the next generation of jazz masters,” says Maris Briezkalns, the Director of Riga Ritmi Jazz Festival.

Wade is also the first female vocalist to devote a full CD to the work of the musical/cultural revolutionary Gil Scott-Heron.
“She is an exciting artist whose performance exhibits emotional empathy, intelligence, and who has such an assured technique, known for her expert vocal improvisational skills and her seriously swinging groove,” says Briezkalns.
Wade, a professor at the Aaron Copland School at Queens College, and Jazzmobile, will share her performance experience with the artists of Riga Jazz Stage.

Diana Briezkalne believes that the audiences of Riga Jazz Stage are erudite, demanding, yet open and willing to listen to new ideas and out-of-the-box performances.
“But the biggest and most important discovery from year to year is the contest’s audience — always creative and exciting,” she says.

Riga Jazz Stage will also stage at the Daile Music Hall on April 6, 8, and 9 a series of improvisation evenings, which will see the competition’s contestants and local musicians jamming in a show of skill. The Daile Music Hall also hosts the grand opening ceremony on April 6 of Riga Jazz Stage 2016.
On April 29, Riga Ritmi begins a series of jazz super-star concerts, with the American vocalist Jose James. An artist whose musical style combines modern jazz, soul, drum ’n’ bass, rap, rock music, and spoken words — and poetry that primarily focuses on the aesthetics of word play and story-telling — James has created a unique sound and his own unique brand of vocal jazz.

James is referred to as a jazz singer for the hip-hop generation, an artist of impressive talent and incomparable voice and is considered one of the most fascinating singers to appear in popular music over the last decade.
“Jose James is a fearless artist,” says Briezkalne.
In commemoration of the 100th birthday of jazz mama Billie Holiday, born on April 5, 1915, James recorded a series of songs written by or associated with Holiday, paying homage to the Lady of Sorrows in his album Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday.

For James, Holiday, known also as Lady Day, was a singer who he claimed from the beginning of his career as his “musical mother.” She had a profound impact of his musical career.
James’ first 2013 breakout album, No Beginning No End, was described by the New York Times as “cool and confinement,” and received worldwide acclaim.  
“Catch up with Jose James now because he’s a rarity — an artist evolving at warp speed,” raves NPR’s All Things Considered.

Further information on Riga Jazz Stage 2016 can be found at www.rigajazz.lv
Tickets for Riga Jazz Stage 2016 can be purchased at Bilesu servis ticket offices.
All upcoming events of the Riga Ritmi Jazz Festival and ticket information can be found www.rigasritmi.lv

Riga Ritmi Jazz
29 April 2016
Jose James
19:00 @ Riga Congress Centre,
30 June
Dianne Reeves (vocal)
Vincent Peirani (accordion) & Emile Parisien (saxophone)
19:00 @ Riga Congress Centre
1 July
Caina Cavalcante (guitar) & Michael Pipoquinha (bass)
Yilian Canizares (violin & voice)
7 July
Latvian Radio Big Band
Justin Kauflin (piano)
19:00 @ Riga Congress Centre