Estival Jazz
The Estival Jazz (also Lugano Estival Jazz ) is a music festival that takes place every year at the beginning of summer in the Swiss city of Lugano in the canton of Ticino .
The event, spread over a total of five days, takes place largely in Lugano and to a lesser extent in nearby Mendrisio and is dedicated to jazz with all its styles. In recent years the musical spectrum has also been expanded to include world music . Depending on the year, the event includes between 20 and 30 free outdoor concerts with numerous well-known international musicians.
The foundation for Estival Jazz, which was first performed in 1979, was laid in 1977 with the concert appearance of Archie Shepp with Mal Waldron , Wilbur Little and Clifford Jarvis . A series of concerts followed the following year with performances by Elvin Jones , Gary Burton , Don Cherry , Abdullah Ibrahim and Mal Waldron. In 1979 the Estival Jazz was brought into being, which developed into the largest jazz event in Europe. The concert series has around 250,000 visitors annually and is broadcast live by the Ticino television station RSI .
The most famous of the 300 or so artists who have performed since the first edition of Estival Jazz include Miles Davis , Dizzy Gillespie , Keith Jarrett , Ray Charles , Bobby McFerrin , Herbie Hancock , BB King , Friedrich Gulda , Tito Puente , Chick Corea , The Manhattan Transfer , Take 6 , Gato Barbieri , Maynard Ferguson , Cesária Évora , Dee Dee Bridgewater , Carla Bley , Barbara Hendricks , Wynton Marsalis , Cheb Mami , Noa , Oscar D'León , Jon Hendricks , Paco de Lucía , Van Morrison , Buddy Guy , Taj Mahal , Cheb Khaled , Jethro Tull , Gianna Nannini , Roger Hodgson , Chucho Valdés , Level 42 , Candy Dulfer and Snarky Puppy .