The elegant voice of Gregory Porter returns to the Canary Islands after nine years
- The artist performs at the Theatre Cuyás this Saturday and the Tenerife Auditorium on Sunday with almost all entrance tickets sold
- The Estonian duo of Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand and the Ben Wendel Quartet will perform in the ‘Plaza de la Candelaria’ (Friday & Saturday) and Santa Brígida (Saturday)
- This weekend the festival comes to Fuerteventura & El Hierro
- JC Machado Sexteto, Javier Montero Jazz Band & Los Jinetes del Groove complete the weekend’s programme of events
Islas Canarias, 14 de julio de 2022. And the moment has arrived to welcome the velvety and elegant voice of Gregory Porter, one of the great figures of jazz who, nine years after appearing at the Festival Canarias Jazz & Más, returns staging two concerts which will be be held this Saturday 16 at the Theatre Cuyás and on Sunday 17 at the Tenerife Auditorium, with nearly all entrance tickets sold. Porter isn’t the only artist programmed by the festival for this weekend, which will take place at open-air venues, such as the public square ‘Plaza de la Candelaria’ in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Municipal Park of Santa Brígida (Gran Canaria), alternative spaces, like ‘Fábrica La Isleta’ & the Café Theatre ‘La Rayuela’, as well as the concerts on the islands of Fuerteventura (Training and Congress Palace in Puerto del Rosario) and El Hierro (Cultural Centre ‘Luis Martín Arvelo’ in El Pinar).
Over the past decade, Gregory Porter has brought contemporary jazz to the masses. He has received numerous accolades and acknowledgements, including two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. The artist from Sacramento comes leading a band with Chip Crawford (piano), Emanuel Harrold (drums), Tivon Pennicott (sax), Jahmal Nichols (bass) & Ondrej Pivec (Hammond organ).
This year, Porter is back with a world tour that will take him to the best venues in Europe and the most prestigious music festivals in the world. And he does this following the release of Still Rising, an exquisite collection of musical delights. The first disc includes five brand-new tracks, two new arrangements, and nine of Porter’s most loved global tracks. The second disc features breath-taking covers and duets, boasting songs with Paloma Faith, Moby, Jamie Cullum, Jeff Goldblum, Ella Fitzgerald and many more. The new song and first single from the album “Dry Bones,” was written and produced by Troy Miller (Diana Ross, Rag’n’Bone Man, Emeli Sandé). The concerts will be held on Saturday 16 (20.30 hours) at the Theatre Cuyás (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria); and on Sunday 17, same time, at the Tenerife Auditorium.
TENERIFE
The public square ‘Plaza de la Candelaria’ will host two free entrance open-air concerts at this 31st edition. On Friday, starting at 20.30 horas, the bassist JC Machado with his sextet will present his new album, titled Confinad@s. Machado will be accompanied by Pablo Díaz (keyboard); Kike Perdomo (saxophones); Rubén Luis Torres (guitar); Daniel González (drums, percussion) & Manu Castellano (drums, percussion). This will be followed by the project Olas y Arenas, led by the Cuban pianist & composer Pepe Rivero and the Ibizan singer Ángela Cervantes, with which they commemorate the legacy of the renowned Puerto Rican artist, Sylvia Rexach; and this closes the first night’s entertainment. This same day, Javier Montero will present his Jazz Band in the Café Theatre ‘La Rayuela’ (23.30 hours).
On Saturday the programme will commence again in the public square ‘Plaza de la Candelaria’ featuring the Estonian duo of Kadri Voorand (vocals & piano) a well-established vocalist whose original music and expression have brought her a number of prizes and performances in Estonia as well as abroad; and the award-winning Mihkel Mälgand, one of the most active bass players in Estonia. Then comes the turn of Ben Wendel, who has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer, producer and conductor. Highlights include multiple domestic and international tours with artists such as Ignacio Berroa, Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Eric Harland, Taylor Eigsti, Snoop Dogg and the late Prince. Ben is a founding member of the Grammy nominated group ‘Kneebody’. The evening’s programme closes in ‘La Rayuela’ at 23.30 hours featuring the local group ‘Los Jinetes del Groove’.
GRAN CANARIA
The Municipal Park of Santa Brígida, faithful venue of the festival, stages a double programme on Friday, starting at 20:30 hours, featuring concerts by Kadri Voorand In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand and the Ben Wendel Quartet. On Sunday 17, the festival returns to ‘Fábrica La Isleta’ with a performance by the duo consisting of the singer & contrabassist Fuensanta Méndez and the drummer & multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles Louis Cole, starting at 20.30 hours.
FUERTEVENTURA
The Training and Congress Palace in Puerto del Rosario will be the venue for firstly a performance by the Gran Canaria Big Band, that celebrates 25 years since its formation this year, followed by the project by Pepe Rivero & Ángela Cervantes, ‘Olas y Arenas’, at their third & final appearance before a Canarian audience.
EL HIERRO
On Sunday 17, the Cultural Centre ‘Luis Martín Arvelo’ in El Pinar opens its doors to the local public to offer a performance by the Estonian artists Kadri Voorand In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand, starting at 20:30 hours. Entrance is free until audience capacity is reached.
After the events of this third weekend, the festival enters into its final week of concerts until the end on 24 July, featuring performances by Avishai Cohen ‘Big Vicious’, Septeto Santiaguero, Fuensanta & Louis Cole, Philip Lassiter, Yusan, Pokaz Trio (Ucrania), Pepe Bao Sextet, Berta Moreno; and the Canarian ensembles Ernesto Montenegro Quintet & Rayko León Quartet.
