Kaunas Jazz is more than just a yearly event held in spring. It is the phenomenon that adds spice to Lithuanian jazz life. Kaunas Jazz keeps up with the international jazz scene and presents Lithuanian audience with a wide range of the dominant contemporary jazz styles. The festival has often featured projects that combined jazz and classical music, the sounds of different indigenous peoples throughout the world, and the latest popular music trends. This suggests that Kaunas Jazz producers are concerned not only with the present, but with the future too.
Every year Kaunas Jazz presents a broad and mature range of contemporary jazz music. Musicians from almost 30 countries have performed within the framework of the festival. Kaunas Jazz does not leave Lithuanian musicians behind. To them it is a remarkable opportunity to improve and promote Lithuanian jazz.
It is only Kaunas Jazz that brings to Lithuania such internationally acclaimed musicians as Charles Lloyd, Elvin Jones, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Palle Mikkelborg, Bela Fleck, Courtney Pine, Tania Maria, Mezzoforte, Shakatak, Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, Nils Peter Molvaer, Nils Pedersen, Bugge Wesseltoft, Django Bates, Eliane Elias, Terry Lyne Carrington, Barbara Dennerlein, Bobo Stenson, Trilok Gurtu, Richard Bona, Mike Stern, Kurt Elling, Hiram Bullock, Chico Freeman, Roy Hargrove, Regina Carter, Randy Brecker, Greg Osby, The Earth Wind & Fire Experience feat. Al McKay AllStars,, among others.
Having matured remarkably, Kaunas Jazz remains one of the most important jazz promoting factors in Lithuania and an outstanding culture event of the country.
During the 16 years of its existence Kaunas Jazz has justified the confidence of the artists, the audience and sponsors, secured its status as an international festival and gained recognition. The democratic jazz festival open to a huge variety of styles has become a feast for the whole of Kaunas city as well as an international centre of attraction for jazz lovers and promoters.
Kaunas Jazz 2007 programme please see here.
