From March 5 to 12, the prestigious theater in the center of Paris is launching a new festival dedicated to jazz. André Manoukian, The Amazing Keystone Big Band and Arnaud Dolmen are also featured in an event open to aficionados, neophytes and young audiences.
If we associate it more with opera, dance and musicals, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris has already hosted jazz concerts from time to time. From March 5 to 12, the institution, now directed by Olivier Py, is organizing a festival entirely dedicated to this music, with events in the evening but also during the day, for all audiences, and a program as beautiful as it is eclectic distributed between the great room and the great foyer.
Four evenings and a creation for Avishai Cohen
On the menu for the first edition, four prestigious evenings. Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan (March 9), American klezmer jazz clarinetist David Krakauer (March 10), Guadeloupean drummer Arnaud Dolmen (March 11), and Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen (March 12) for a world premiere: the creation of his new Afro-Caribbean musical project Iroko. The magician Hamasyan, who has already played at the Châtelet in 2011, returns there as a trio to revisit jazz standards. Krakauer promises us a festive “Mazel Tov cocktail”. Dolmen, who released their second album in 2022 Adjustingis one of the most brilliant drummers on the French and Caribbean jazz scene.
Three of these sizes will be preceded by a first part, provided respectively by the Texan group of keyboardist JaRon Marshall (March 9), the duo of pianists André Manoukian and Jérémy Hababou (March 10), as well as the Akoda trio of the Reunionese pianist Valérie Chane-Tef (March 12).
In addition, the famous bassist and singer Richard Bona performs as a quintet during a concert starting at the end of the afternoon, preceded in the first part by a duo made up of the American singer-guitarist Evan Goodrow and the bassist from Bordeaux Daniel Ouvrard (March 11, 6 p.m.). And for lovers of gypsy jazz, the festival has invited the group Minor Swing (March 11, 2:30 p.m.).
Meetings for young audiences
The Théâtre du Châtelet offers beautiful concerts in perspective for young audiences. The duo formed by singer Ceilin Poggi and pianist Thierry Eliez presents its program Balladines, consisting of jazz and song standards (for school audiences, March 10, 10 a.m.). As for the amazing group Amazing Keystone Big Band, it offers two Sunday sessions around the Animal Carnival by Camille Saint-Saëns (March 5, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.). Finally, the festival organizes a “Jazz and taste” session as organized by the neighboring club Sunset for ten years, with the theme of musicals (March 12, 3 p.m.).
Due to the next strike day, March 7, against the pension reform, the commented concert of the National Jazz Orchestra around Frame by Frame his new progressive rock program, has been postponed.
The new musical event at the Théâtre du Châtelet is born in a difficult social context, marked by strike movements against the pension reform decided by President Emmanuel Macron. The next day of mobilization therefore takes place on March 7, in the middle of the festival. If it is renewed, it could have an impact on other concerts or their access for music lovers who use the metro.
A certain source of concern for the organizers, at a pivotal moment for the theater in search of a new breath, a new vision and a cleaning up of its finances. Despite the economic situation, we can only hope that this festival contributes to a mission of public utility: to relaunch a historic and prestigious institution in the capital.
The Châtelet celebrates from March 5 to 12, 2023
Chatelet Theater, Paris