Nice Jazz Fest announces line-up.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

The newly named Nice Jazz Fest has announced its headliners for 2024. The event will take place at various locations 20th -24th August. Performers include Kenny Garrett, Theo Croker, Monty Alexander.

Guest contributor Colin May has forwarded the following information;

Nice Jazz Fest , 20th -24th August, announces line-up

Grammy award winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett, and veterans the Grammy nominated American- Jamiacan pianist Monty Alexander and the father of Ethio-Jazz Mulatu Astatke are among the names announced for Théâtre de Verdure jazz stage at this year’s Nice Jazz Fest, the new name for what previously was called the Nice Jazz Festival.

American trumpeter Theo Croker whose ever growing repudiation was further enhanced recently by his sets at the Brick Lane and at the Cheltenham Jazz Festivals, will make a second visit, and there will be Nice debuts for Grammy nominated Cuban- American pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and British born pianist Jon Cleary who has been immersed in New Orleans jazz for several decades.

Fans of rap and hip hop look to be well catered for on the bigger Masséna stage. Nas will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album and there’ll be performances from younger rappers such as Ireland’s Rejjie Snow. Also scheduled for that stage is Meute, a band from Hamburg that combines brass band fanfares and electronica, Jordan Rakei, and Yannis, the singer from highly successful alt-rock band Foals with his Yannis and the Yaw project which celebrates his collaboration with legendary drummer the late Tony Allen.

Of the 24 artists/groups just two are women, American singer-actor and social media success Stella Cole for whom Nice is one European date on her current busy schedule and French singer Kareen Guiock Turam.

This year’s festiva lhas been bumped into August because in July when usually it takes place, Nice is hosting both the final stages of The Tour de France cycle race and Olympic football. A change of date, a new name and new logo are not the only changes. For the first time, according to an Instagram post, there will be a Kids Festival and a Jazz Comedy Club.

Full details of the music line-up are on the website;
https://www.nicejazzfest.fr/en/programmation/2024