Toucy International Jazz Festival w/ Ze Big Band and Ricky Ford, 2012
Ricky Ford on stage with his big band
After inviting the likes of Scott Rodha, Benny Golson, Ravi Coltrane or Archie Shepp, tenor saxophonist “American-poyaudin”, Ricky Ford, ascend turn on stage at the Library Park to inaugurate his Toucy Jazz Festival July 20 and 21. With him, seventeen other musicians of his training Ze Big Band, and guest stars, the famous pianist Ran Blake, who was his professor at New England Conservatory, accompanied by French singer Christelle Durandy, following a promising career United States.
A new composition of Benny Golson discrete Ran Blake, 77, has long collaborated with singer Jeanne Lee (*). Very inspired by the world of film noir, it is also one of the representatives of the Third Stream, a musical ranging from jazz and classical music.
“This is the first time in Europe that its music will be played in a big band, and the second time in his career he will be grafted to a big band, “says Ricky Ford, who Ran Blake had already trusted to arrange his pieces in the 1980s. Many pearls that will be enhanced by the voice of Christelle Durandy, who participated in the adventure Ze Big Band in the 1990s, before flying out on his own. Ricky Ford also reserves a surprise size of the public, since out of his suitcase to the wonders of music for large orchestra, his friend Benny Golson has composed especially for him.
After the first “big night”, American pianist Bobby Few in turn occupy the center stage, accompanied by Harry Swift on bass and Ichiro Onoe on drums. Already last year, the trio had distilled his notes during the “off”. This time, Ricky Ford wanted to “welcome him on the big stage, because he really deserves it.” And to prove that jazz has no borders, he chose the Burgundians Gaiga swing, gypsy jazz quintet a very popular Yonne, to ensure the first part.
Two promising young pianists Beyond these nocturnal meetings, the “off” will continue to animate the streets, squares and bars Toucy during these two days. Ricky Ford invite including two pianists in his art gallery downtown, Dexeter Goldberg and Charles Henry Morrison, “who have the most potential of all the pianists I’ve heard in France,” says the musician. Other young talents also plunge into the bath of the festival: the quintet Jazz Cookers (Mantes-la-Jolie) and the quintet of Paul Menard (Lille). Students in the School of Music Puisaye, also. And then projects the documentary Cinelux Ricky Ford again directed by Lionel Boncompagnie.
Waiting for the big day, reservations are open. “We will meet on 52 th Street New York City or New Orleans,” promises once again Ricky Ford. (*) Died in 2000, it remains one of the most important representatives of free jazz at the jazz vocal.
By Armelle Gaconarmelle Source: http://news-12.com/the-toucy-jazz-festival-will-be-held-on-july-20-and-21-in-the-presence-of-pianist-ran-blake/