Programming: #diversity

Because it's the word of 2022, and of 2023 too. In all spheres, we are waving the diversity card loud and clear. Diversity of sounds, colors, ages and styles, the FIJM is right in the middle of it.

Octogenarians Buddy Guy and Herbie Hancock are there, as are Diana Krall, George Benson, and ex-Led Zep Robert Plant and his muse Alison Krauss. Alongside the legends, other greats: Mexican Latin pop jazz star Natalia Lafourcade, Mélody Gardot and her velvety Afro-Luso-Brazilian notes, fiery Japanese pianist Hiromi, Franco-Lebanese trumpeter, a regular at the Festival, Ibrahim Maalouf, the discovery of the year at the last Grammys, Samara Joy, a young Afro-American prodigy from the Bronx aged just 23, the trendy colorful duo DOMi & JDBeck, Osheaga's pop darling Vance Joy and even Macy Gray as the closing act (a scheduled headliner who has just cancelled).

Young, brilliant, eclectic: we can't say that the FIJM wasn't trendy! A great opportunity for music lovers, but also for all other neophytes, to love jazz. In all its forms, and all its influences. This year at the FIJM, there is class but also attitude.

"There is something now fundamental in the way we build our programming," said Maurin Auxéméry, whose wife is none other than the artist ambassador of Inuit culture, Elisapie Isaac. "We want to feel different communities. We want diversity to be in the audience as well as on stage, so we have to offer artists who will make that possible."

We were able to go and find the up and coming of the scene, while keeping a nice place for our OGs, our originals. We are very proud of the quality of the programming of the 43rd edition which is current, balanced and full of nuggets!

Thundercat, the crazy bassist who is redefining Jazz Fest

"We talk about blues, we talk about funk, we talk about soul, R&B," explains Maurin Auxéméry. "Jazz leads to all of that. Jazz may still be a niche music, but it's becoming a cool niche music. How can we not make room for artists from these African-American communities? In an interview with the Gazette, the programming director said: " I think that jazz is getting its game back. There's a new wave. "

And the cool kid of the hour is him, Thundercat, aka Stephen Lee Bruner. "He's one of the big catches this year, one of the really, really good hits of the festival." A bouquet of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk, electronic. Sweet and sour. With cats spitting lasers out of their ears, Korean movies, Xbox and Marvel comic books. Seen in his clips.

"I try not to name my music, the multiple inputs that make it up are part of a whole," he said. "Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix didn't name what they were doing when they mixed blues, rock, funk or jazz. It was important to them to go further, period."

With yellow dreadlocks emerging from his pink Gucci cap, a Pokémon hanging from the laces of his white sneakers, his mismatched ThunderCats nylon shorts and striped t-shirt, who would think they were dealing with a virtuoso? However, the young black man with the disarming smile is a warm countertenor, a musician out of this world, who unleashes wild rhythms, a great bass player like they don't make anymore, a bit like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Thundercat is a glorious, fiery musician, a passionate one. No wonder Erykah Badu took him under her wing, that he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Flying Lotus… all the hot creatives in LA. Thundercat vibes his fusion music with his whole body and soul. He’s totally in his own world, but he manages to communicate with his entire audience. The audience, which takes on a youthful air at the Jazz Festival thanks to guys like him, got its money’s worth – even if it was free. There’s an audience for eccentricity, originality, new jazz, and Thundercat is the embodiment of it.