Pure jazz in the capital

The eighth annual Jazz Globus Festival in Jerusalem is dedicated to the best in Jazz and alternative music.

By LOREN MINSKY/ ITRAVELJERUSALEM.COM TEAM
Jazz festival 311 (photo credit: GEORGY STOLIAROV)
Jazz festival 311
(photo credit: GEORGY STOLIAROV)
The annual Jazz Globus Festival is not your average mainstream music event. The festival gives a platform to some of the most talented performers in the international improvisation scene, who compose as they play, and is more about the integrity and quality of music than playing to the audience. However, the audience is guaranteed a treat with 100 leading musicians participating in the five concerts, 20 of whom are from Italy, Norway and Russia.
The festival has become a traditional jazz week in Jerusalem, and its staunch sponsors include the Jerusalem Municipality, who strive to create and maintain a high caliber of creative arts and cultural events in the city.
Concerts take place at the Harmony Hall near the pedestrian area of Nahalat Shiva with an additional concert, a traditional “Jam Session” taking place at the nearby Birman club. Around 600 people are expected to attend altogether.
Participating musicians include one of the finest European pianists, Michael Halperin; Norway-based pianist, Misha Alperin; Italian pianist, Tony Pancella and renowned Italian guitarist, Mauritzio De Fulvio. Another exciting addition is the original wind instrument trio, FreeBrass, managed by the famous Russian trumpeter Sergei Pron.
Local talent includes pianist Anat Fort, vocalist Ayelet Gottlieb, saxophonist Boris Gammer, Asaf Hakimi and Yuval Cohen, many of whom have performed with the elite players in the New York Jazz scene. The festival’s program includes collaborations between Israeli and foreign musicians such as the quartet of Oleg Kotzenko of St. Petersburg performing alongside pianist Shimon Lipkovitz.
An expected highlight of the festival is a special concert by the “Jerusalem Swing Band”, a children’s orchestra of the Sadna conservatory. Festival participants and the instructors of the Sadna conservatory will perform alongside the children. Another highlight should be the powerful closing performance by the Alliance Trio made up of Slava Ganelin on piano, keyboard and percussion; Lenny Sendersky on saxophone and flute and Sergei Pron on trumpet and flugelhorn.
For the musicians, it’s all about the music, playing with friends and collaborating with other brilliant artists. Music and jazz aficionados are drawn to the festival for just this.
The Jazz Globus Festival takes place in Jerusalem from November 30 to December 5.
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