Line-up announced for Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2007

Reykjavik Jazz FestivalIceland Music Export has announced the latest acts at this year’s Reykjavik Jazz Festival to be held in Iceland from August 29th to September 1st.

Highlights include Uri Caine, who will perform alongside Drew Gress on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums on August 29th. Caine has played with Philly Joe Jones, Hank Mobley, Johnny Coles, Bootsie Barnes and Grover Washington and has recently won awards for his version of music by Mahler, Schumann, Wagner, Bach and Mozart.

Faroese superstar Eivor Palsdottir is set to appear with the Reykjavik Big Band on August 30th to perform songs from her popular collaboration album with the Danish Radio Big Band. Eivor has won several Scandinavian music awards including the Grima and Icelandic Music Awards and a prize for Best Vocalist and Best Album in Denmark. She was recently hailed as ‘Faeroe Islander of the Year’.

Also confirmed is saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi who will play alongside Icelandic jazz players at the Reykjavik Jazz Festival Muli Concerts on August 29th and 30th. Bergonzi has played with Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Bob Berg, Steve Grossman, Victor Lewis and has also worked with Dave Brubeck for many years. Bergonzi has dedicated his life to teaching and is one of the greatest living authorities on jazz music and saxophone playing.

Icelandic talent at this year’s Reykjavik Jazz festival includes Sigurdur Flosason, one of Iceland’s best known jazz artists, who will be promoting his new album. Eythor Gunnarsson, from Icelandic jazz funk band Mezzoforte, will conduct the Jerry Bergonzi Quartet and host a programme on the late Jon Muli Arnason, renown for his contribution to Icelandic jazz music.

The line-up comes as Icelandic Music Export (IMX), a government-sponsored project to promote Icelandic music abroad, launched its eagerly-awaited music website this month at www.icelandicmusic.is. The new site contains everything from current news and artist information, to global gigs and events which feature Icelandic music.

For further details on the Reykjavik Jazz Festival visit: www.jazz.is

To find out more about Icelandic music visit: www.icelandicmusic.is

Comments are closed.