Jazzing up the Red Sea - 21 August 2011

MFA Newsletter
Jazzing up the Red Sea For the 25th year, the Red Sea Jazz Festival brings top talent to Eilat for a late August event that’s hot on the music scene. (By Rivka Borochov ) Eddie Palmieri Jazz is Paris and Paris is jazz, as the song goes, but so is Montreux, Switzerland, and Montreal, Canada. Israel, too, rocks its own international jazz event every year, on the sunny shores of Eilat. For jazz lovers, the Red Sea Jazz Festival  marks an auspicious time to be in southern Israel in August, despite the heat. Now celebrating its 25th run, this year’s festival, from August 21 to 24, is likely to prove once again to be a colorful and exciting musical event. Organizers have scheduled shows to start at 7 pm, as the setting sun brings warm desert winds. “It’s not only the jazz,” says Yaron Cohen, who is running promotions for the event. “There is a big range of flavors and music -- a lot of world music -- and a visitor will see a lot of styles, not only jazz.” Pedrito Martinez This is the longest-running festival in Israel, marking a quarter century since it was first headlined by the world music group the East West Ensemble. Some past performers over the years include Ricki Lee Jones, John Scofield, Chick Corea and the Manhattan Transfer. Now, internationally acclaimed jazz bassist Avishai Cohen  is the festival director. "Just like every year, the city of Eilat fills with the special atmosphere of the festival. The international artists hold master classes; the jazz bands are performing throughout the city, pool parties at the hotel and an overall celebration of music, good mood and freedom. Pure pleasure,” says the bassist, who is not performing at the festival. Cohen the publicist notes that “there are a couple of names that will interest everyone. Yoni Rechter, who is a big artist in Israel, will be planning a big show.” There are also international stars like Lizz Wright, Pedrito Martinez, Eddie Palmieri & La Perfecta II, Jason Moran, Steve Smith & Vital Information and Gretchen Parlato.” Jason Moran The Red Sea Jazz Festival features about eight or nine shows every evening, and includes workshops, music clinics and jam sessions. This year, there will also be film screenings of previous shows, as well as a photography exhibit related to past festivals. Young blood on stage While legends are attractive for an audience, the festival director made an invested effort to recruit younger musicians this year. And while the Eilat event isn’t a top 10 for jazz in the world, it does attract top 10 talent: “I can tell you that the artists that come to Israel work at all of the famous and professional festivals around the world,” says Cohen the publicist. “We tried to get new blood this year. Younger than ever,” Cohen adds. Eilat, beyond the festival, is an ultimate vacation destination, known as the Israeli Riviera. Complete with about seven miles of coastline, the sun shines there year round, while the city is framed by the Sinai mountains, the Arava Desert and the blue waters of the Gulf of Eilat/Red Sea. Other activities for before and after the jazz festival include deep-sea diving or snorkeling around or in the coral reefs, bird watching, hiking, or 4x4 treks in the desert. There are dancing and parties on the beach every night. During the jazz festival, concertgoers can experience jamming into the early morning as the sun rises over the Red Sea.	21 August 2011 MFA Website Subscribe to MFA newsletters Email to a friend
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