QUICK TAKES

The Panama Jazz Festival

By Drew Birenbaum

The artists for the Seventh Edition of the Panama Jazz Festival have already been announced. Panamanian jazz pianist, winner of a Legacy Award, Danilo Perez confirmed that the 2010 Panama Jazz Festival shall have presentations from international jazz greats such as Ellis Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Terry Lyne Carrington, Jamey Haddad and the group Juanito and the New Flamenco. From the local jazz arena Carlos Garnett, Graciela Nuñez and the young scholars of the Danilo Perez Foundation will also be on stage. The Panama Jazz Festival will be held from the 11 to the 16th of January of 2010.

As usual the festival will not only be about concerts but it will have the usual dose of master classes and music clinics held by the invited artists for novice musicians. It is also the forum for auditions for scholarships and admittance to music schools in the US such as Berkley College of Music, New England Conservatory, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico and the Golandsky Piano Institute of the Princeton University. These scholarships are open to national and international students. The scholarships are awarded by the professors from these institutions.

The Panama Jazz Festival is the most important event of the Danilo Perez Foundation and for the year 2010 approximately 20,000 people are expected to attend. During the inaugural cocktail of the 2010 Panama Jazz Festival the creation of the Global Jazz Institute of Boston will be formally announced. The artistic director for this institute will be Danilo Perez. The institute is an innovative design to foster creativity and give students access to world class teachers. This initiative recognizes the importance of the Panama Jazz Festival in the musical environment of Latin America and its significant impact in culture.

The Panama Jazz Festival is simply a wonderful way to hear some of jazz’s greats in a fun, open air environment set in the old, historic district of Casco Viejo.