Georgy Garanyan’s Big Band led by Ilya Filippov and with the participation of Yoel Gonzalez-Portilla and Sergei Golovnya will open today’s lineup. The musicians spoke about their impressions of the festival at a KJP news conference.
“We are delighted to be here. It’s one of the country’s best festivals. We feel care and comfort all around us,” the band’s leader Ilya Filippov said.
The band performed at the Koktebel Jazz Party in 2016 with a special program.
“This year we will also present an exciting project – we will be playing music by Latino composers. We have invited one of the world’s top percussionists: Yoel is a great expert in this music because Latino music is based entirely on rhythm, on percussion,” Ilya said.
The musicians noted the warm welcome they received and promised to live up to the fans’ expectations.”
“The people will be happy,” they assured us.
The Koktebel Jazz Party international festival is taking place in the artistic village of Koktebel on August 20-22. According to the organizing committee, in order to access the venue guests are required to provide a negative PCR test dated no earlier than August 18, 2021, test of antibodies to COVID-19 S-protein dated no earlier than May 25, 2021, or a COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Performers, VIP guests, the festival’s personnel and journalists are also required to provide one of the three documents: a vaccination certificate, test of antibodies or a negative PCR test.
This year, Koktebel Jazz Party performances will be held in a new format: the shows will be filmed. The festival streams can be found on its website and social media accounts. The number of spectators will be limited.
Koktebel Jazz Party was established in 2003 and it was the idea of journalist Dmitry Kiselev. In different years, the festival was attended by jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb (US), winner of a Grammy Award for the best Latin Jazz album Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Cuba), many-time Grammy winner trumpeter Randy Brecker (US), best baritone saxophonist of the last decade Gary Smulyan (US), nu-jazz stars Club Des Belugas (Germany), and one of the most talented representatives of the modern world blues scene, guitarist Selwyn Birchwood (US).
Vladimir Putin was a guest of KJP-2017. The festival is organized by the Krasny Kvadrat (Red Square) media group.