Three days of jazz pleasure: how was the Koktebel Jazz Party
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The international music festival Koktebel Jazz Party has ended in Crimea. For three days the most artistic village of Crimea − Koktebel − was a real cradle for the stars of the Russian jazz. This time the festival celebrated its "coming of age" – it was the 18th Jazz season, full of surprises and gifts.
The concerts were held at two venues at once − the Main and the Voloshin stages. Because of the restrictions due to the coronavirus, this time the world renowned jazzmen joined the Koktebel "invasion" in the "Jazz at the Speed of Light" program, which was held in the format of a teleconference.
On the first day, the Bolshoi Jazz Orchestra conducted by the Russian trumpeter Pyotr Vostokov and the Brazilian Esh jazz band warmed up the audience with their energy, and the performance of the Yakov Okun star band with Larisa Dolina and Khibla Gerzmava was a real highlight. And as part of a teleconference, overcoming the distances and restrictions for Koktebel guests, the Dave Yaden Band from Los Angeles performed their jazz.
The second day was no less intense. Wild Brass, People's Artist of Russia Igor Sklyar with the Jazz Classic Community, Anastasia Lyutova and the Lyuty Band, as well as the Moral Codex group performed on the Koktebel Jazz Party stage.
The final concert brought together on its stage Daniil Kramer's trio, the Chetmen band, the Bril Brothers team and special guests Igor Bril and Mariam Merabova. The SG BIG BAND directed by Sergei Golovnya rounded up the musical evening with Karina Kozhevnikova as the soloist.
Next year the Koktebel Jazz Party will open its stages again for jazz lovers on 20 August.
The Koktebel Jazz Party festival emerged as a private initiative of journalist Dmitry Kiselyov − the founder of Koktebel jazz in 2003. Every year, the jazzmen beginners and leading jazz groups from Russia and the world fill three days in August with their performances.
