For the first time of the world jazz festivals’ practice more than 40 bright improvisers from 16 countries met and united in star music bands to determine the improviser in the drive atmosphere. Also premieres, exhibitions, workshops, and music surprises were held during Festival days. MJF Final days were accompanied by TV and Internet broadcasts. The project became a striking phenomenon of the jazz community.
As written Moscow Composers Union about the Master-Jam Jazz Fest 2013:
The reason for its appeal was the uniqueness of the idea, which lies at the base of the festival is to show the full range of jazz musicians and demonstrate the ability to hold an uncompromising competitive fight major artistic medium of jazz-improvisation!
First days confirmed the correctness of the chosen creative solutions that praised as the performers themselves, as well as numerous festival goers...»
The international composition of the organizing committee and jury was consisted of prominent jazz musicians, journalists and connoisseurs of jazz. The chairman of the organizing committee is the well-known Russian TV host Yelena Khanga. The Jury President was the legendary conductor and composer Anatoly Kroll.
Each day of the contest the young and famous musicians from 16 countries had the opportunity to compete on an equal footing in jazz improvisation skills. More information about each of the finalists of the project here.
At the Final days of the competition, each of the 43 improvisers showed his improvisational and ensemble opportunities in a variety of jazz styles — Swing and Bebop (June, 5), балладе, джаз-роке и фанке (June, 6), латиноамериканском джазе и фьюжн (June, 7).
In June 8 the Festival Gala concert was held. It was the simultaneous performance of all the Master-Jam stars in the consolidated Big band under conduction of Anatoly Kroll, winners in each category («instrument») awarding and the Grand Prix awarding. Also at the Festival Gala the premiere of a member of the Lithuanian Composers’ Union, legendary jazz percussionist Vladimir Tarasov was held, wh for the first time played in a duet with the legendary Odessa pianist — Sergei Terent’ev.
Master-Jam Jazz Fest 2013 Grand Prix Winner
The jury has concluded that the Grand Prix was awarded not only for professionalism and talent, but also for whose performance became a phenomenon of jazz life. The winner of the Grand Prix of the First International Festival-Contest of Jazz Improvisation «Master-Jam Fest 2013» became the 9-year-old prodigy from Indonesia Joey Alexander Sila.
Master-Jam Jazz Fest 2013 Winners
Among the participants there were performers on different instruments, representatives of various creative manners and styles, so in some categories there were two winners:
Piano
Alexis Bosch, Cuba, Havana and Alexey Petukhov, Ukraine, Odessa
Bass
Ruben Ramos Medina, Panama
Percussion
Yissy Garcia, Cuba, Havana
Saxophone
Hernan Jay Rodriguez, USA, New York and Oleg Velikanov, Russia, Rostov-on-Don
Trumpet
Roberto Garcia, Cuba, Havana and Dominik Fuss, Austria, Vienna
Trombone
Moran Baron, Israel, Ma’agan Michael and Odei Al-Magut, Netherlands, Amsterdam).
Guitar
Meir Ben Michael, Israel, Tel-Aviv and George Stavroulakis, Greece, Athens
Vocals
Tamara Lukasheva, Ukraine, Odessa
Ethnic and Other Instruments (each finalist awarded):
harmonica — Boris Plotnikov, Russia, Yekaterinburg;
percussion (darbuka) — Wissam Arram, Israel, North Haifa;
flute — Nelly Manukian, Armenia, Yerevan;
Master-Jam Jazz Fest 2013 People’s Online and Offline Choice Award Winners
Winners of the People’s Choice Award are
Gregory Boyd / Vocal – steelpan / Denmark, Aarhus
Viktorija Pilatovic / Vocal / Spain
Melvin Taylor / Guitar / USA
Wissam Arram / Darbuca / Israel
Boris Plotnikov / harmonica / Russia
In parallel with the jury polling, which determined the finalists, Internet-audience polling tooke place online for the People’s Online Choice Award. Anyone of online participants could get this prize, even if he/she did not become a finalist. By the Online audience polling the saxophonist Juozas Kuraitis (Lithuania) get this prize.
During festival days the presentation of the art-project «The Sixties» by Vladimir Tarasov (artist, percussionist, composer, conductor) in Odessa Museum of Contemporary Art was held.
And in June 9 three workshops of three Master-Jam Fest participants were held. There were workshops by the American saxophonist, flutist and clarinetist, twice nominated for Grammy in the category of «the best jazz solo», Hernan Jay Rodriguez (USA), the leading Israeli percussionist (darbuka) Wissam Arram and the most virtuosic player on harmonica in Russia Boris Plotnikov.
Master-Jam Fest Final 2013 | Video digest
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