Season
Discipline
Location
The 23rd edition of Jazz à la Villette opens with a marathon of concerts representing a convergence of many different styles and generations.
It is the energy of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that will breathe so much life into this year’s Jazz à la Villette. It’s a chance for some fresh air, as four of the festival’s evenings will be held outdoors, at the Périphérique, a novel feature of an edition that once more mixes all the ingredients to make an energising cocktail: big names, new talents, cross-border dialogues, and bridges between generations. For ten days, La
Villette will transform itself into a magnificent playground for the many nuances of jazz. There’s no need to chase medals here. What matters is simply showing up for unmissable encounters with legends such as Brad Mehldau and Kenny Garrett, and with rising stars such as the pianist Kamaal Williams and the drummer Makaya McCraven, leaders of a new wave of jazz that resists all categorisation. Borders between musical genres will fare no better as they become porous to the extreme with the electro-pop flights of the California duo Knower and the singers Mahalia and Alice Russell, orchestrators of a marriage between soul and R’n’B.
The blues will be Tuareg (with Tinariwen) and creole (with Delgres), while rumba, Latin jazz, and funk will glow whitehot with the seven young musicians who form El Comité, eyes and ears wide open to the present.
Please find also more information about Under The Radar and Jazz For Kids.
Dates
Prices
From 12€ to 45€
with Paris Philharmonic
More information on accessibility at the various venues HERE.
Thursday 29 August
Two generations, two visions of British soul. The evening will open with Alice Russell’s triumphant comeback with I am, her album released this spring, followed by her young colleague and new star on the R&B scene, Mahalia.
ALICE RUSSELL
It’s been twenty years since the release of Under the Munka Moon, which marked the British soul singer’s debut as a leader. The album featured a mix of hip-hop, jazz, and finely crafted electronic music, with a rich yet restrained voice supported by arrangements of enduring elegance. After a ten-year absence, she made a triumphant return last April, accompanied by her closest collaborator, TM Juke, who knows better than anyone how to elevate the voice of the British soul queen.
MAHALIA
In 2015, Mahalia Burkmar, still a teenager at the time, released her second EP, Never Change, which helped her make a name for herself—well, a first name—in the English music scene. The singer from Leicester showcased a penchant for intimate, stripped-down soul with a predominantly acoustic sound. Her most recent album, IRL (In Real Life), has made her one of the most sought-after artists today.
Friday 30 August
MAKAYA McCRAVEN
An evening of shared improvisation under the sticks of non-conformist drummer Makaya McCraven, a tempo specialist, leader of the Chicago scene, and fondly known as the ‘Beat Scientist’.
1st part : ENDEA OWENS & THE COOKOUT
A rising star on double bass, Endea Owens, whose mentor was Ron Carter, shines at the head of a sextet imbued with Roy Hargrove-style post-bop.
Saturday 31 August
TINARIWEN
Two years after the loss of one of their founding members, Tinariwen are back with their latest album, Amatssou, a mix of Americana and Tuareg blues recorded between the Sahara and Los Angeles.
1st part : BCUC
After blasting onto the French scene with their explosive concerts almost a decade ago, BCUC are further refining their exceptional energy with a new repertoire.
Sunday 1st September
FRANÇOIS JEANNEAU QUARTET
French free jazz legend François Jeanneau, an ardent defender of the most experimental forms of jazz and saxophonist par excellence, will offer an unforgettable evening at Jazz à la Villette.
1st part : JULES REGARD GROUP (CNSMDP)
As always, this year’s Jazz à la Villette will be collaborating with its partner and neighbour, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (CNSMDP, Paris Conservatory), to give a platform to the future of jazz – this autumn in the form of virtuosic trombonist Jules Regard.
GENEVIEVE ARTADI (KNOWER)
For health reasons, Louis Cole will be unable to participate in the festival. His partner from the band Knower, Genevieve Artadi, will perform with her own project as a quintet.
Genevieve Artadi is a musician, singer-songwriter, video producer, and music video director. Before gaining recognition as the co-founder of the independent jazz-funk duo Knower with Louis Cole, she was the lead singer of the electro-pop group Pollyn. Since 2015, Genevieve Artadi has released three solo albums, including two on the Brainfeeder label founded by Flying Lotus. She has also collaborated with artists such as Jacob Collier, Snarky Puppy, and Thundercat.
ALINA BZHEZHINSKA & HIPHARPCOLLECTIVE feat. TONY KOFI & JAY PHELPS
After studying classical harp at the Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, Ukrainian musician Alina Bzhezhinska continued her jazz studies at the University of Arizona. Having been based in the UK for about twenty years, Alina Bzhezhinska is signed to the renowned label BBE Music and leads the HipHarpCollective: a group, community, and experimental lab focused on advancing contemporary harp by exchanging techniques with electronic music creators, producers, and harp enthusiasts. She made a notable impact on the London jazz scene in 2017 when her quartet performed at the Barbican alongside Denys Baptiste and Pharoah Sanders. Her debut album, Inspiration, was released the following year with contributions from saxophonist Tony Kofi. Trumpeter Jay Phelps, who performed on our stage last year with Julius Rodriguez, will also join the festivities.
ALFA MIST
Since the release of his first EP, Nocturne, in 2015, Alfa Mist has established himself as one of the UK’s most distinctive musical voices. This year, Alfa Mist is releasing his fourth album, Variables.
Monday 2 September
THE HARVEST TIME EXPERIMENT : A TRIBUTE TO PHAROAH SANDERS
Two years after the world lost legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, Jazz à la Villette is celebrating his music with a focus on a forgotten album re-released by David Byrne’s label, Luaka Bop.
1st part : LE CRI DU CAIRE
Le Cri du Caire, a trio led by poet Abdullah Miniawy, will play tracks from their poignant first album, which blends Sufism, jazz, and chamber music.
Tuesday 3 September
IMMANUEL WILKINS’ BLUES BLOOD
The New York new king of the alto sax is rolling up with his stratospheric septet to share the incandescent virtuosity of his post-bop free music.
1st part : CHELSEA CARMICHAEL
Long-time sidewoman on the British scene, saxophonist Chelsea Carmichael is striking out solo on an adventure of Afro beats.
Wednesday 4 September
JOEL CULPEPPER
This London vocalist is making a comeback with a repertoire filled with nods and references, resulting in bright and resolutely modern soul produced by fellow Briton Tom Misch.
1st part : SOPHYE SOLIVEAU
Sophye Soliveau is a harpist and singer leading a nu-soul inspired trio that will share the visionary repertoire of their first album, Initiation.
Thursday 5 September
EL COMITÉ
Given the situation in Cuba, few musicians have stayed in Havana. For many of them, Europe has become a place of exile. It is precisely in Toulouse that El Comité was founded, an amazing all-star group that released their second album, Carrousel, last spring.
ANTHONY JOSEPH
In 2021, Anthony Joseph showcased his remarkable album The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives at Jazz à la Villette, a repertoire created between London and the Caribbean, featuring Shabaka Hutchings and Roger Raspail, among others. He will be returning to the festival’s stage this fall with a new album set to be released in September.
Friday 6 September
KENNY GARRETT “SOUNDS FROM THE ANCESTORS”
Ultra Coltranian alto sax player and sideman to Miles Davis to the end, Kenny Garrett is back, five years after his last spin at Jazz à la Villette, and ready to get the crowd going.
1st part : MURIEL GROSSMANN QUARTET
Under Jack White’s label, Third Man Records, the eclectic Muriel Grossmann and her unforgettable combo organ will bring Coltrane-inspired treats.
Saturday 7 September | Salle des concerts – Cité de la musique | 6PM
BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO
Twenty years after the end of a trio that has already gone down in jazz history, viewers this autumn can enjoy drummer Jorge Rossy’s big return with Brad Mehldau. Unmissable.
Saturday 7 September | Le Périphérique (open air) | 8PM
A night at the nexus of soul awaits with London legend Omar, who has worked with both Stevie Wonder and Robert Glasper, as well as Curtis Harding, who has been influenced by Stax and much more.
OMAR
For over 30 years, since the release of There’s Nothing Like This, which marked his debut as a soul singer-songwriter, Omar has established himself as a legend and a pioneer of the UK nu-soul movement.
CURTIS HARDING
In 2014, Curtis Harding made a notable debut with his first album, Soul Power. Influenced by the Stax sound, this former backing singer for Cee Lo Green has, over three albums, become one of the new stars of a Southern-influenced soul, characterized by acoustic guitars, funky Fender Rhodes, distinctive rhythm sections, all with a gospel infusion.
Sunday 8 September | Salle des concerts – Cité de la musique | 4PM
BRAD MEHLDAU
Brad Mehldau melds Baroque and 20th century French music with jazz and minimalism in his two latest albums full of improvisations over the repertoire of Bach and Fauré.
Sunday 8 September | Le Périphérique (open air) | 7PM
With Delgres bringing the unstoppable energy of Caribbean blues-rock, with a nineties flow from rappers Leeroy and Lateef the Truthspeaker and supported by the ‘wonder soul’ of General Elektriks, the final evening of the festival is certain to go out with a dance and a bang.
DELGRES
With the release of their third album, Promis le Ciel, earlier this year, Delgres continues to carve out their niche in dense and powerful blues-rock. This power trio features an unconventional and stripped-down lineup: guitar, drums, and sousaphone, an instrument from New Orleans marching bands that provides the bass.
“THE STRANGERS”
GENERAL ELEKTRIKS + LEEROY + LATEEF THE TRUTHSPEAKER
Exactly a year ago, the genre-bending General Elektriks, known for their electro-soul rhythms with precise beats and super funky clavichords, made a strong comeback alongside two sharp talents from both sides of the Atlantic: Leeroy, a former member of Saïan Supa Crew, and Lateef the Truthspeaker from California, whose roots are deeply embedded in the golden era of 1990s hip-hop.
UNDER THE RADAR
Constellations
Under the radar highlights unknown artists, special or experimental projects.
Constellations, an independent music festival branded Under The Radar by Jazz à la Villette, is organized by the association Juste Avant l’Aube.
Constellations #1 with BlauBird (Laure Slabiak) / Rémi Fox, Le Fondeur de Son invite Grand8…
Friday 30 August – 10AM – Villette Makerz
Constellations #2 Clément Dodray Quintet, Kami Octet – Pascal Charrier, CinétiK, Le Hublot et Frog
Saturday 31 August – 2PM – Villette Makerz
Constellations #3 Maëlle Desbrosses – Ignatius, OXYD, Rencontrer l’ours
Sunday 1st September – 2PM – Villette Makerz
JAZZ À LA VILLETTE FOR KIDS
Practical information
Access
Périphérique
Metro
Line 7 - Porte de la Villette station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de la Villette station
Bus
Bus 139, 150, 152 - Porte de la Villette stop
Philharmonie de Paris
Metro
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de Pantin station
Bus
Bus 75, 151 - Porte de Pantin stop
Cité de la Musique
Metro
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de Pantin station
Bus
Bus 75, 151 - Porte de Pantin
Accessibility
- Hearing impaired:
Le Périphérique is equipped with a hearing loop. Neck loops or sound amplification headsets can be borrowed by making a request via email to accessibilite@villette.com at least 48 hours in advance. - Visually impaired or blind:
Visually impaired or blind individuals can receive assistance from the Souffleurs de Sens by making a request at least 3 days before the concert date via email to contact@souffleursdesens.org or by calling 01 42 74 17 87. - PRM seating:
Le Périphérique is equipped with a platform that has 15 PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) seats. - More information on accessibility at the various venues HERE.
Useful information
- Light refreshments available on-site before the show in the Grande Halle.
- Several dining options in the park before or after the show, to discover HERE.
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