2013 BMW Jazz Festival in SP and Rio

By Chesney Hearst, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The BMW Jazz Festival returns this month to São Paulo on June 6th-9th and Rio on June 8th-10th. The music event, which is celebrating its third consecutive year in Brazil, will feature live performances by internationally renowned names in jazz music that include Pat Metheny; Esperanza Spalding; Brad Mehldau Trio; Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas, and the James Farm band.

“With three years of implementation, we can say that the BMW Jazz Festival has reached its maturity,” Monique Gardenberg of Dueto Produções announced in a press release.

Tickets for the São Paulo leg of the festival sold out early on which lead organizers to add a free concert that will feature headliner and twenty-time Grammy winner, Pat Metheny performing with the Unity Band in São Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park on Sunday, June 9th at 5PM.

“The BMW Jazz Festival is a success. In about ten days, all tickets for the first day’s show in São Paulo were sold. The [free] outdoor concert [in] Ibirapuera Park is a way to democratize and bring jazz to the general public. BMW is pleased to provide these moments of entertainment,” explained Herlander Zola, director of marketing for BMW of Brazil.

In Rio tickets are still available for the three day festival that will take place at Vivo Rio. Starting Saturday, June 8th, music lovers in the Cidade Maravilhosa will be able to enjoy three days of world-class jazz. “I think the BMW festival is a definite contribution towards Jazz in that it kindles the general public’s interest in the genre,” Rio based jazz bassist and singer-songwriter Bruce Henri told The Rio Times.

Bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding will open the Rio portion of the festival. The 28-year-old Spalding is a three-time Grammy award winner. She will bring a band of eleven musicians to perform her contemporary jazz in support of her most recent album, The Radio Music Society.

After Spalding, the acoustic jazz quartet, the James Farm will take to the stage to close out the opening night. Featuring well known saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland, the James Farm formed in 2009.

Saxophonist Redman played in the first edition of the BMW Jazz Festival and drummer Harland played in the 2012 festival as part of the Charles Lloyd group.

For the second night of the festival on Sunday, June 9th, the Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Quintet will start at 8PM. Considered by many to be masters in jazz, saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas will join together with pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda Oh and drummer Joey Baron to perform their innovative compositions.

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, as well known for his jazz covers of works by Radiohead, The Beatles, and Soundgarden as his collaborations with other musicians including Joshua Redman and Pat Metheny, will close Sunday night performing with the Brad Mehldau Trio.

For the final night of the festival, beginning at 9PM American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will perform with the Unity Band, a quartet of musicians that includes Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez and Ben Williams.

Metheny, who has played for over four decades, is considered to have redefined jazz through the use of his guitar and his legendary improvisations. He has received over twenty Grammy awards in multiple categories and three of his albums have reached gold status.

What: BMW Jazz Festival 2013 Rio
Where: Vivo Rio, Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Parque do Flamengo
When: June 8th-10th
Tickets: R$50 – R$150
* Tickets available at Ingresso Rápido, the Vivo Rio Ticket Office or by phone – (21) 4003-1212. Doors will open two hours before the start of each show.