Melbourne International Jazz Festival director Michael Tortoni says this year’s event is about capturing a moment in time.
“It’s very eclectic” he said. “There is a whole lot of mixing and collaborations and it all fits under the banner of jazz.
“Jazz is an eclectic and evolving art form.
“I want to present a unique moment in time, like a live improvisation that is influenced by what is being played around you in real time.”
By his own admission, Tortoni’s musical tastes are eclectic. Not surprising for one who was thrust into the spotlight at age 15 playing in Aussie rock band Taste, who then went on to graduate from the Victorian College of the Arts as a classical musician and later opened Melbourne’s Bennetts Lane Jazz Club.
He’s excited about this year’s program. Running from June 3-12, the festival will feature 75 overseas and 260 Australian artists. “It’s a concentrated 10 days,” he said.
“You can see the greats – incredible musicians like Wayne Shorter performing with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade.
“Wayne Shorter recently wrote a showcase for the amazing young bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, called Gaia. They performed it together with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.”
Esperanza will open this year’s show in her Australian debut with her new project Emily’s D+Evolution.
“The great saxophonist Gary Bartz is another legend; he’s played with people like Miles Davis,” Tortoni said.
“There’s Eddie Palmeri, Muluatu Astatke and Tomasz Stanko. These are masters you shouldn’t miss out on.”
A number of artists representing the current and future directions of jazz also feature, including Robert Glasper, Marcus Strickland, Keyon Harrold, Snarky Puppy and Hiromi. Australia’s finest jazz musos are well represented too, with names like Vince Jones, Peter Knight, Barney McAll, Kristin Berardi and Paul Grobowsky, who will play a tribute to Allan Brown.
About a third of the festival’s attendees, and a number of performers, are seniors, but Tortoni maintains this doesn’t mean much.
“Wayne Shorter turns 83 this year,” he said.
“Age doesn’t determine what you do as a musician – relevance is the key.
“The festival’s huge range of jazz musical styles and collaborations keeps it relevant.”