Willisau jazz festival: From Cuba to New York

This year’s jazz festival in the town of Willisau got underway Thursday with musical highlights ranging from Cuban music to jazz trends of the so-called New York downtown scene.

This year’s jazz festival in the town of Willisau got underway Thursday with musical highlights ranging from Cuban music to jazz trends of the so-called New York downtown scene.

This year marks the 25th edition of the festival, which has become one of the most famous showcases of contemporary jazz music in Europe.

Organiser Niklaus Troxler (above) keeps the spotlight on free jazz and improvisation, as he has done ever since he founded the festival in 1975.

Also in line with the traditional format of the four-day event, Troxler traces the development of New York’s downtown scene, which is grouped around saxophonist John Zorn, and which is represented this year by Marac Ribot, Dave Douglas Quartet, and Joe Baron & Baron Down.

The opening night focused on Cuban music and was aptly called Noche Cubana Willisau. It featured the group Los Cubanos Postizos who interpreted compositions by Cuban band leader Arsenio Rodriguez.

This year’s festival is dominated by musicians from the United States. On Friday, for instance, American groups Jungle Funk and Ponga from Seattle will be on stage.

Saturday will be dedicated to duos and will include Myra Melford and Marty Ehrlich, Marc Ducret and Hank Roberts as well as Arthur Blythe and Oliver Lake.

Swiss guitarist Christy Doran – who already played at the festival in 1975 – will perform at this year’s concert with his new group New Bag, which also includes singer Bruno Amstad, bass player Wolfgang Zwiauer and drummer Fabian Kuratli.

From staff and wire reports.