David Moss, the promoter of the Jazz Point Ibiza festival, sits with his back to a glass window, looks this way and that to get the thumbs up from his companions and leans forward to talk: “Disco music gets most of the attention on the island. There are many people, especially residents, who have other tastes. There are also tourists who prefer other things. We bring music for everyone: not only for young people and not only for tourists. An important part of our approach is the Ibizan public who like this genre.
His partner in the company Ibiza Music Agency, Adam Lenoxadds proudly: “This year some of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz will be here and, little by little, we are building a jazz tradition in Ibiza.” “We would like to make Ibiza a stop on international jazz tours,” Moss assures. He also states that, with this musical proposal, they want to extend the season a little more and offer a cultural proposal for residentswho “are now starting to work a little less”.
To achieve their goals, they are counting on the help of the company Joel Chriss & Co, who collaborates from New York. According to Moss, Joel Chriss, a musician’s agent who has been active for more than 35 years and who knows “everyone in jazz”, was the one who suggested the idea of founding this festival. The organizers comment that they have prepared a program spread throughout the island: “I’m sure it will be a great success,” he saysPeople are not motivated to take the car and go to Vila when they live in Sant Antoni, Sant Joan or Sant Llorenç“, explains Moss.
The festival program
“In this edition more than 25 international musicians will be present“, confirms the collaborator of Jazz Point Ibiza Muriel Grossmann after thanking the support of the City Council and the Consell de Ibiza. The saxophonist also comments that the october 12 at 5 pm will begin the “opening party” at the WOM Radio Cafe in Santa Eulà ria. Later, at nine in the evening, will begin the concert of the Pere Navarro Trio. In addition, he says that the group will perform unreleased songs that will be part of their next album. However, he avoids giving details about the evening’s guests “so that the people who come can enjoy themselves more,” he explains with a poorly disguised smile.
The following day, the agrotourism hotel Safragell Ibiza will take the baton of the festival and will host two recitals and a dinner for the attendees starting at 8 pm. “You can buy a ticket only for the concert,” Grossman clarifies. Regarding the first artists, the Juanma Trujillo Trio, he indicates that it is a “avant-garde music“and with the collaboration of saxophonist Javier Vercher. Next, it will be the turn of the Albert Cirera Sextet: “They will be interesting sounds because they combine four wind instruments, drums and bass“, concludes the organizer.
The October 14 session will begin at 9 p.m. at Vila’s Ibiza theater, which Muriel Grossman describes as “a real jazz club“. That evening, Alex Sipiagin, Ariel Bringuez and the Trevor Coleman Trio will debut as a group on stage. They will therefore “put together compositions from each member’s repertoire,” adds Grossmann.
That morning, at 12:00 noon, Can Ventosa will be the place where several of the artists invited to the festival will offer classes focused on composition and performance technique for music students. The saxophonist details, “Anyone can register because there are many orchestras in Ibiza.” Also for this edition, photographers José Luis Luna and Ferran Pereyra have prepared a retrospective exhibition of images from the past three editions which can be visited at the entrance of Can Ventosa every day of the festival between 9.30 am and 1.30 pm and between 5.30 pm and 9.30 pm.
The last day of the International Jazz Point Ibiza Festival will begin at Can Ventosa at 12 noon with a free recital by the Big Band Ciutat d’Ibiza, directed by Vicent Tur. The collaborator of the jazz showcase points out: “This concert will be free and will have a lot of energy. The eight o’clock concert that day will be more intimate“. Muriel Grossmann refers to the show to be offered by the Marta Sanchez and Maria Grand Duo, in which there will be “improvisation with piano and voice”. Finally, she recalls that the Perico Sambeat Quartet will close the festival with Javier Vercher once again as a guest.
David Moss adds that those interested in attending any of the events can purchase tickets on the jazzpointibiza.com website. “There are bigger things that are needed for Ibiza, but I help with what I can do. Sometimes it’s with a smile on the street. It’s doing what you can: it doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. The main thing is that we want to do something for the island“, says Moss.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.