The Festival

INTRODUCTION

ANGRAJAZZ – Festival Internacional de Jazz de Angra do Heroísmo – is an event organized by a non-profit association – Associação Cultural Angrajazz – with the support of the Angra do Heroísmo City Council, the Regional Departments of Culture and Tourism, and many private sponsors.

It takes place annually, in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, Azores, a middle Atlantic town considered by UNESCO as world patrimony.

The first edition of this festival took place in 1999, and since then it has been happening every year, in the beginning of October.

Until 2003 the festival took place on a XVII century cloister of an old convent. Since 2003 the Angrajazz moved to the new Centro Cultural e de Congressos de Angra do Heroísmo, an old bullfight ring transformed into a cultural center.

The semi circular auditorium turns into a big jazz club, fitting 550 persons, with the musicians very close to the public, which gives it a very exciting and truthful atmosphere.

 

OBJECTIVES

The Angrajazz claims itself as a main-stream festival, with the main purpose of spreading and developing the appreciation of this kind of music in the Azores Islands.

Some of the concerts realized at the festival have been considered, by the specialized media, among the best of the year in Portugal.

The Associação Cultural Angrajazz organizes also some side events during the festival like workshops, conferences, expositions, cinema and others.

As a result of some of these workshops, the Angrajazz Orchestra was created in 2002, playing for the first time at the 4º Angrajazz. This Orchestra is formed by 20 local musicians, and directed by the musicians and professors Pedro Moreira and Claus Nymark.

 

ORGANIZATION

– Associação Cultural Angrajazz
– Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroismo (Cidade Património Mundial)

PREVIOUS FESTIVALS

1999

1º ANGRAJAZZ . 1999
– Quinteto de Carlos Martins (Portugal)
– Toots Thieleman/Kenny Werner (Belgium/USA)
– John Scofield/Steve Swallow/Bill Stewart Trio (USA)
– Claude Bolling Quarteto (France).

2000

2º ANGRAJAZZ . 2000
– Frank Morgan Quinteto, com Valery Panomarev, John Hicks, Curtis Lundy and Yoron Israel (USA)
– Dixie Gang Septeto “Participação do Grupo de Metais Ilha Lilaz ” (Portugal)
– Dena DeRose Trio com Ingrid Jensen (USA)
– Richard Gallianno Trio (France)
– Hilton Ruiz Quarteto (USA)

2001

3º ANGRAJAZZ . 2001
– Mário Delgado Projecto Filactera (Portugal)
– Paolo Fresu Quinteto (Italy)
– Sonny Fortune Quarteto (USA)
– Cedar Walton Trio (USA)
– Roseanna Vitro Quintet com Gary Bartz (USA)
– Steve Turre Sexteto com cordas – Chris Howes, Akua Dixon, Stephen Scott, Buster Williams and Victor Lewis (USA)

2002

4º ANGRAJAZZ . 2002
– Orquestra Angrajazz (Azores)
– Only Jazz Quarteto (Azores)
– Russell Malone, Benny Green e Ray Drummond Trio (USA)
– Kenny Barron trio com Kyoshi Kitagawa e Ben Riley (USA)
– Louis Hayes Quarteto com Javon Jackson, Ronnie Mathews e Michael Bowie (USA)
– Laverne Butler e Bruce Barth trio (USA)
– Big Band do Hot Clube de Portugal dirigida por Pedro Moreira (Portugal)

2003

5º ANGRAJAZZ . 2003
– Sexteto do Hot Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
– Orquestra Angrajazz (Azores)
– Karrin Allyson Quinteto (USA)
– Scott Hamilton Quarteto (USA)
– Philip Catherine Quarteto (Belgium)
– Martial Solal Trio (France)
– Regina Carter Quinteto (USA)

2004

6º ANGRAJAZZ . 2004
– Paula Oliveira Quarteto (Portugal)
– Orquestra Angrajazz (Azores)
– Bireli Lagrene Quarteto (France)
– Herbie Nichols Project (USA)
– Mark Murphy Quinteto (USA)
– E.S.T. Esbjörn Svensson Trio (Sweden)
– Wycliffe Gordon Quinteto (USA)

2005

7º ANGRAJAZZ . 2005
– Orquestra de Jazz do Funchal (Portugal)
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Mário Laginha (Azores)
– Didier Lockwood Trio (France)
– T.G. B. Frazão, Carolino, Delgado Trio (Portugal)
– Sheila Jordan com Steve Kuhn Trio (USA)
– Dave Holland Quinteto (USA)
– Bill Charlap Trio (USA)
– Preservation Hall Jazz Band (USA)

2006

8º ANGRAJAZZ . 2006
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Zé Eduardo (Azores)
– Joe Lovano Noneto (USA)
– Bruce Barth Trio com Vanessa Rubin e Carla Cook (USA)
– Enrico Pieranunzi piano solo (Italy)
– Enrico Rava Quinteto (Italy)
– Filipe Melo Trio (Portugal)
– Eddie Palimieri Afro Caribbean Jazz All Stars (USA)

2007

9º ANGRAJAZZ . 2007
– Laurent Filipe Quinteto (Portugal)
– Roberta Gambarini Quarteto (Italy/USA)
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Afonso Pais (Azores)
– Benny Golson Sexteto (USA)
– Jim Hall Trio (USA)
– Monk’s Casino Quinteto (Germany)

2008

10º ANGRAJAZZ . 2008
– Tom Harrel Quinteto (USA)
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Mário Barreiros (Azores)
– Mário Barreiros Sexteto (Portugal)
– Benny Wallace Noneto “Disorder at the Border” (USA)
– Bobo Stenson Trio (Sweden)
– William Parker Sexteto “Raining on the Moon” (USA)
– Herbie Hancock Sexteto (USA)

2009

11º ANGRAJAZZ . 2009
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Hugo Alves (Azores)
– Jane Monheit Quarteto (USA)
– Quarteto de Mário Laginha (Portugal)
– Henri Texier Strada Sexteto (France)
– Chano Dominguez Trio (Spain)
– Charles Lloyd New Quartet (USA)

2010

12º ANGRAJAZZ . 2010
– Orquestra Angrajazz com Luis Cunha (Azores)
– Mingus Dinasty Septet (USA)
– Stefano Bollani Trio (Italy/Denmark)
– Paula Oliveira + Lisbones (Lisbon)
– Orchestre Nacional de Jazz (France)
– Henri Texier Transatlantik Quartet com Joe Lovano, Steve Swallow, Aldo Romano (France/Italy/USA)