The New Orleans Swing Festival has evolved into one of the most important festivals for Central European classical jazz. In addition to classic compositions from the 1920s and 1930s, swing melodies from the 40s and 50s are also on the programme, including - as a curiosity - Hungarian, Czech and Italian language swing pieces.
Tand vocalist Tamás Bényei's widely admired band, Hot Jazz Band, will kick of the festival, followed by a performance by the astoundingly virtuosic Czech pianist Jakub Safr, who enjoyed a huge triumph at the 2005 Swing Festival, backed by the nine-member Shaffer's Riffers.
On Saturday, Jazz Steps, led by the festival host, the clarinettist-saxophonist Zoltán Finok, will play, followed by one of the most successful of today's Italian swing orchestras, the Milano Jazz Gang.
The third day will feature the world famous grand master of traditional jazz saxophone Scott Hamilton, together with his quartet. Hamilton recreates the most important stylistic trends from America in the 40s and 50s, evoking the sprit of the great saxophonists Ben Webster, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins.
Source: www.fidelio.hu / Palace of Arts
