It’s not to everybody’s musical preference, but I like jazz. I like piano jazz, bass jazz and especially saxophones and trumpets. Thanks to John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, jazz reignites memories of some great bars I used to frequent, and a fantastic Sunday morning radio show I used to listen to while I did housework (it’s true!).
My travel ‘to-do’ list includes the New Orleans Jazz Festival. One day I’ll get there and sit in the heat enjoying some cool jazz while eating hot jambalaya and po-boy sandwiches. I can but dream.
In the meantime while my distant dream of New Orleans is on the backburner, the French Riviera is also a drawcard for jazz fans (Nice and Juan les Pins have major annual festivals) and this Sunday is the first evening of the Nice Jazz Festival which runs from Sunday 08 July to Thursday 12 July.
Previously held at the Roman site of Cimiez, the Nice Jazz Festival will be entertaining crowds at Place Massena and the Albert 1er gardens – a more accessible location, I believe. The entire area is flat so perfectly accessible for families with baby buggies, or wheelchair users, and public transport links at this location are much better.
With a capacity to take a larger audience than Cimiez and lower ticket prices, the organisers are hoping the move to the new site will create a ‘relaxed picnic-style’ environment with a child-friendly play area, market stalls and plenty of green space to lounge about. Well done to Christian Estrosi and the organisers for recognising the potential to return the festival to global standards by making it more accessible to fans (both geographically and financially).
The opening bill includes Erykah Badu, Deedee Bridgewater Eddy Louiss and Richard Galliano. For the Nice Jazz Festival programme, click on www.nicejazzfestival.fr
Access Riviera 