In the pedestrian zone in the Idar district, more than 20 bands present an exciting and varied program on four stages - and as always, admission is free. The festival is rightly one of the highlights in Rhineland-Palatinate.
On the premises of the Vereinigte Volksbank-Raiffeisenbank eG (VVR-Bank), Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf and cultural officer Annette Strohm presented the festival's program. On behalf of the Management Board, Anja Becker welcomed the guests and gave the floor to Mayor Frühauf. He emphasized that the Jazz Days are known far beyond the city and the region. Frühauf emphasized that a visit to the Idar-Oberstein Jazz Days still does not cost admission, "other cities now charge admission for comparable jazz festivals." A day ticket for 'Bingen swingt' costs from 18 euros in advance, while the festival ticket for all three days costs 32 euros. Among other things, the commitment of the sponsors and supporters ensures that the Jazz Days are still free of charge for visitors. The Lord Mayor therefore thanked the VVR Bank, OIE AG, Günther Effgen GmbH, Kirner Privatbrauerei, Schwollener Sprudel, the Bürkle Foundation and the Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Culture and Integration for their support.
More than 20 bands present the varieties of jazz
"The motto of the Kultursommer 2024 is 'Stars of the South', which is why southern European jazz formations are a focus of our festival this year," explained cultural officer Annette Strohm. Antonio Lizana and his quintet are currently one of the most sought-after and successful 'exports' on the Spanish jazz scene. The way in which he combines the sound tradition of his Andalusian homeland with the harmonies and solo art of modern improvisational music is second to none. The group Mother around the Greek-born bassist Athina Kontou fuses what seems incompatible: Greek music and jazz. Júlio Resende and his trio play a new genre, fado jazz. The formation Harold López-Nussa feat. Grégoire Maret presents a firework display of modern Afro-Cuban jazz. The Mama Shakers from Paris will also be performing, bringing a fresh new sound to old jazz and blues.
The German jazz scene is also represented, including the Jazzrausch Bigband, whose anniversary program "Bangers only" promises special listening experiences, with "Conic Rose", whose urban jazz captivates the audience from the very first moment with its joy of experimentation, graceful soundscapes and melodies, with the modern jazz-rock formation Jin Jim, Armstrong's Ambassadors, The Bluesanovas and other great formations. The grand finale on Sunday evening will be Meret Becker & The Tiny Teeth with "Le Grand Ordinaire".
Button purchase supports financing
Although admission to Jazztage Idar-Oberstein is free, visitors are welcome to help fund the festival by purchasing sponsorship buttons. Such buttons were already available until 2020, "but we stopped using them for environmental reasons because many ended up in the garbage after the festival," explained Sabrina Reidenbach, an employee at the municipal cultural office. They then experimented with various merchandise items, but no suitable replacement product was found. "That's why we've now returned to the buttons, but these are organic buttons that are completely compostable and CO2-neutral, apart from the metal pin." The buttons can already be purchased in advance from the Schulz-Ebrecht and Carl Schmidt bookshops and the Idar-Oberstein Tourist Information Office for 8 euros. During the festival, they will be available for 10 euros at the food and drink stands. These are mainly allocated to local clubs, as explained by Timo Fewinger from the cultural department. He takes care of the organizational part of the Jazz Days - "and even after so many years, that's not a sure-fire success." Of course, there is a lot to do when preparing a three-day festival; more than 100 overnight stays for the performing artists alone have to be booked and coordinated. The organizing team is completed by Michael Anton, who is responsible for the technology.
- The line-up and further information on the Jazztage can be found at www.idar-oberstein.de/jazztage.