Jazz and blues fest returns Thanksgiving week
By Glenda Robinson

Music
San Miguel Jazz & Blues Fest
Wed thru Sun, Nov 21–25
Teatro Ángela Peralta
Mesones cnr Hernández Macías

Antonio Lozoya and Doug Robinson hope to turn San Miguel’s jazz festival into a world-class cultural event

Do you crave listening to great live jazz? Are you a fan of the blues? Or do you simply love terrific music?

Whatever your persuasion, pick up your calendar right now and circle the dates of November 21–25, because this year’s XIII Festival Internacional de Jazz y Blues de San Miguel de Allende promises to be the best one ever.

The Festival lineup sparkles with world-class players. Cuban drum phenom Francisco Mela, who just gigged at the Blue Note in Manhattan and keeps company with Joe Lovano, Kenny Barron and John Scofield, will headline Thursday night. Recently dubbed “A bandleader on the rise” by The New York Times, Mela is “an adroit composer of intricate tunes marked by mercurial mood shifts. Grade: A.” (Christian Science Monitor)

“One of the best guitarist/composers on the scene today” (Jazz Improv Magazine), Peter Sprague and his quartet will swing the Peralta with their infectious Brazilian jazz on Friday night. Peter’s quartet includes local favorite, brother and reed player extraordinare, Tripp Sprague.

Saturday night you can look forward to saxophone giant Bob Sheppard, the featured soloist on Joni Mitchell’s brand new album, and a Chick Corea alumnus. One of the most in-demand reed players in the world, Bob is a “suave, sophisticated player with a seductive suppleness.”(Downbeat Magazine)

Other Festival performers include blues singer and harmonica player Randy Singer (Toots Thielemans, Al Di Meola, Jimmy Buffet, Paquito D’Rivera); fusion jazz guitarist Randy Bernsen (Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock); The Fine Wine Trio with venerable jazz bassist Gene Perla (Elvin Jones, Sara Vaughn, Miles Davis) and five maestros from Mexico City’s Escuela Superior de Musica. The maestros will not only perform; they’ll also do a clinic on “Elements of Jazz,” free to all students and general public.

Sunday night, the Festival closer will start with the soul-stirring gypsy jazz of The Hot Club of San Francisco, featuring Turtle Island String Quartet violinist Evan Price, followed by a reprise of last year’s wildly successful Jazz Tribute to Ray Charles, featuring blue-eyed soul singer Abe Zimmerman, some surprising new material, and even more surprising guest artists.

This year’s Festival kicks off Wednesday, November 21 with a free concert in the Jardín featuring steamy jazz vocalist Daline Jones. And who knows what kind of after-hours jam sessions will break out each evening, given the level of talent that will be packing our town?

The San Miguel Jazz Festival dates back to 1994, when it was co-founded by local music teacher and jazz aficionado Elena Shoemaker. Last year, after a brief hiatus, the Festival was revived and expanded to include blues by San Miguel bassist and concert producer Antonio Lozoya and his musician wife Tere Urtusástegui.

This year, Antonio Lozoya and musician/composer Doug Robinson have teamed up to take the festival to even greater heights, thanks in part to the sponsorship of Bancomer, Aeromexico, Bose Audio Systems, Telmex and local foundation Cantos de los Santos.

I spoke with Festival Director Antonio Lozoya, and asked him what he was most excited about: “That this year we will see the results of the hard work that was done during the last festival by a wonderful team of volunteers, musicians, sponsors and my wife Teresa. Everyone involved is very enthusiastic about continuing this important cultural event.”

“In order to keep concert tickets affordable, we plan to have the Festival fully underwritten by corporate sponsors in 2008,” says Producer Doug Robinson. “But we are still very much in need of individual sponsors to help cover this year’s expenses.” To discuss the benefits of sponsorship, please contact to Antonio Lozoya at sanmigueljazz@yahoo.com.mx  or Doug at jazzooo@aol.com .

If you would like to volunteer your time and talents to the Festival, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Carol Lopes at clopes123@gmail.com .

Tickets go on sale at in November at the Angela Peralta box office. To keep tabs on Festival developments, visit the website: www.sanmigueljazz.com .

Classical guitar duo to honor Andres Segovia

Concert Pedro Soto and Javier Castillo Sun, Oct 21, 5pm St. Paul’s Church Cardo 6 150/50 pesos

The acclaimed guitar duo of Pedro Soto and Javier Castillo present a concert October 21 as part of their homage in Europe and Mexico to the twentieth anniversary of the death of Andres Segovia, considered the father of modern classical guitar.

Soto and Castillo have played together as a guitar duo since 1978, giving recitals in international concert halls and on radio and TV programs. Their San Miguel concert, part of the Pro Musica series, includes compositions by Segovia, Ferdinando Carulli, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johannes Brahms, Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Julio César Oliva and Robert Schumann.

Tickets at are available at La Tienda in the Biblioteca, Insurgentes 25; Casa de Papel, Mesones 57; La Conexión, Aldama 3, and St. Paul’s office weekdays 11am to 2pm and at the door one hour before concert time. For details see www.promusica.com

Calling San Miguel’s artists
By Kathleen B. Bohné

The Festival de Música de Cámara (Chamber Music Festival) is one of the defining cultural events of San Miguel de Allende and is visually embodied each year by a piece of art, a painting that represents the music brought to our city every summer. These posters are not only publicity, but have become collector’s items; a variety of works that share the theme of music and bring to mind the most exciting cultural experience in San Miguel. In 2008, the Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary and we want to start seeing the creativity of San Miguel’s artists as soon as possible so we can find a work that encapsulates this special year. Please send us photos of a finished piece that expresses your vision of the Festival de Música de Cámara 2008: silviagrosso@festivaldemusicadecamara.com  or katebohne@festivaldemusicadecamara.com.  Or contact us by phone at (415) 154-8722 to set up an appointment to present your work to us. The Festival will need to be granted the right to use the art work in all aspects of advertising and publicity. The cutoff for consideration is December 31, 2007.

SPECIAL CERVANTINO

The closing days of Festival Cervantino

You still have one more weekend to head to Guanajuato and enjoy the cultural offerings at the 35th Festival Cervantino. Considered to be the premiere cultural festival in Latin America, spectators are offered a world-class selection of dance, theater and music at venues all over Guanajuato.


Musica/Music

Oct 19, Noon, Sequenza Sur, Salón del Consejo Universitario

Oct 19, 2pm, Vivificum instrumentum, Concierto de Campanas, Templos de Guanajuato

Oct 19, 5pm, Bach: Misa en Si menor, OSUG y Coro de la OSEM, Templo de la Compañía

Oct 20, Noon, Meridian Arts Ensemble, Ex Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera

Oct 20, Noon, Christophe Desjardins, Templo de la Valenciana

Oct 20, 5pm, Pancho Villa y los niños de la bola, Alborde Teatro, The Children’s Tent

Oct 20, 8pm, Angelique Kidjo, Explanada de la Alhóndiga

Oct 21, Noon, Bach: Cuatro suites orquestales BWV 1066-1069, Freiburger Barockorchester, Templo de la Valenciana

Oct 21, Noon, Mike Murley Trio, Ex Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera

Oct 21, 8pm, CLAUSURA: Pasional Eugenia León, Explanada de la Alhóndiga

Angélique Kidjo is a four-time Grammy nominated Beninese singer-songwriter, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. 

Her musical influences include Afropop, Caribbean zouk, Congolese rumba, jazz, gospel and Latin styles, as well as her childhood idols Bella Bellow, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miriam Makeba and Carlos Santana. Kidjo sings in Fon, French, Yoruba and English. Djin Djin, her latest recording, alludes to the sound of the bell that, in several African regions, announces the beginning of a new day. Music greats Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys and Carlos Santana joined Kidjo on the album. She has been a UN Goodwill ambassador since 2002.