For jazz aficionados, there are jazz festivals taking place in the UK, Japan, USA and around the world including those
hosting the world’s finest musicians, through to those focused more on local talent and a
bit more laid-back.
All are guaranteed to deliver great music. Here we have listed some of
the best world jazz festivals throughout the year.
Celebrating its 15th year in 2019, Jakarta’s Java has become known as Asia’s best jazz
festival.
In 2019 the Festival took place between 1-3 March across 11 stages with artists
ranging from legendary band TOTO, newcomer Raveena, 2019 Grammy Awards nominated artist
known as H.E.R., R+R=NOW the supergroup containing Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Christian
Scott aTunde Adjuah, Derrick Hodge, Taylor McFerrin, and Justin Tyson, Parkdrive the
Indonesian band whose reunion had been eagerly awaited, to special collaboration projects
such as Barry Likumahuwa Tribute to Roy Hargrove, plus music projects from Sony, Warner
Music and Yamaha.
In a city synonymous with jazz, you can hear the best of the best from New Orleans’ annual
celebration. The organisers have added an extra day to mark the 50th anniversary of the
festival celebrating New Orleans music and culture in 2019.
The event’s weekends run
Thursday through Sunday, 25 – 28 April and 2 – 5 May, drawing fans from around the country
and around the world.
The main line-up of 114 acts include The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews
Band, Katy Perry, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Chris Stapleton, Diana Ross, Van
Morrison, Al Green, J Balvin, Earth, Wind & Fire and other great names, making it one of the
world’s best jazz festivals.
Celebrating its sixth anniversary between 8 and 12 May 2019, XJAZZ Festival launches the
season of jazz festivals in Europe in Berlin.
This festival emphasises further development
of world jazz with influences from other music styles, including pop, funk, hip-hop, African
rhythm, electronic, improvisation and more. The festival is special because of this
diversity of co-operation, bringing together different artists together and creating new
projects.
The headline acts include Nneka, Kate Tempest, Acid Pauli, Mocky, Brandt Brauer
Frick, Meute, KOKOROKO, Sepalot, Gilad Hekselman, Niklas Paschburg, and more.
Another of the world’s best jazz festivals, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal,
needs no introduction. The 40th edition runs from 29 June to 6 July 2019, with hundreds of
acts offering not just jazz, but every other genre you can imagine.
There are free concerts
and ticketed performances, family-friendly spaces which include child-friendly anti-noise
headsets, music competitions, jazz workshops and live music cruises on Lake Geneva, walking
tours and some excellent local cuisine.
Artists include Alexandra Streliski, Anoushka
Shankar, Bobby Bazini, Bryan Adams, Buddy Guy, Charlie Cunningham, Christian Scott, Colin
James, Connan Mockasin, Dianne Reeves, First Aid Kit, George Benson and so many more.
Started in 1979, to honour Duke Ellington following his death in 1974, the Jazz Institute of
Chicago continues to organise the Chicago Jazz Festival each year, which has become known
for its creativity in world jazz.
Taking place over the Labor Day Weekend from 23 August to
1 September, the jazz festival takes place at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park
and other venues across Chicago. With free admission, the festival aims to showcase
Chicago’s vast jazz talent alongside national and international artists to inspire, educate
and build one of the best US jazz festivals for audiences of all ages.
It has been estimated by some that Japan has the highest proportion of jazz fans in the
world. The 18th Tokyo Jazz Festival in August-September 2019 is attracting an increasingly
eclectic mix of international and Japanese artists, and this year it moves to Shibuya with
the NHK Hall south of Yoyogi Park the main venue.
There are also performances at
the Cerulean Tower Noh Theatre and WWW and WWW X, also in Shibuya. Free performances will
take place on Keyaki-Namiki Street near the events area of Yoyogi Park.