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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