It’s wonderful, it’s wonderful: on Friday 6 July, no other than Paolo Conte will headline the Gent Jazz Festival 2018. The 17th festival edition will take place from 29 June to 8 July 2018 on the magical Bijloke site in Ghent. The octogenarian melancholic musician with the recognizable smoky voice always knows how to move his audience with a surprising mix of styles. Jazz, however, remains Conte’s first love. Tickets go on sale on Friday 8 December at 10 a.m.

Finally back in Belgium

After four years of absence from the Belgian scene, where he always sold out every concert, Paolo Conte exclusively chose Gent Jazz Festival to perform his rich body of works. Rolling Stone and The New York Times once labelled the compilation album ‘Best of Paolo Conte’ album of the year. His purely instrumental album ‘Amazing Game’ from 2016 brought along concerts in the brand new philharmonic buildings in Paris and Hamburg. Gent Jazz Festival 2018 will be an exceptional opportunity to admire the Italian virtuoso once more live in Belgium!

Lawyer by day, jazz musician by night

Nevertheless, Paolo Conte’s recognition as a singer and pianist got a bit of a late start. After his day job as a lawyer he played in jazz bands and wrote songs performed by artists such as Johnny Hallyday and Shirley Bassey. In 1979, ‘Un Gelato al Limon’ became a big hit. The song ‘Max’ enabled Conte’s worldwide breakthrough in 1987. The release of the accompanying album ‘Aguaplano’ went hand in hand with two performances at the legendary Blue Note Club in New York. Conte is an artist who continues to challenge himself. His honorary doctorate in Contemporary Music Languages the University of Parma awarded him past November, is there to prove it.

Gent Jazz Festival under the Christmas tree

Besides tickets for this exquisite festival day, gift vouchers will also go on sale on 8 December. No more disappointed faces while unwrapping presents, the lucky receiver can trade in their gift voucher for entrance tickets, drink tokens and/or merchandising. As the cherry on top of the Christmas pudding, Gent Jazz Festival releases their fans from classical Jingle Bells tunes heard ad nauseam during the holiday season. Their music specialists put together a playlist that guarantees a splendid mood at the Christmas table. A trend that will be repeated throughout the year on several special occasions: https://open.spotify.com/user/gentjazzfestival

More names for the Gent Jazz Festival 2018 will be announced later.

Practical information

Paolo Conte & more names TBC

Friday 6 July 2018

Start ticket & gift vouchers sale: Friday 8 December 2017

via www.gentjazz.com or in a FNAC store

Follow Gent Jazz Festival (@gentjazzfestival) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & Spotify #gentjazz

After headliner Paolo Conte (6 July), Gent Jazz Festival announces a new name right before the holiday break. The 17th festival edition takes place from 29 June to 8 July 2018 on the historical Bijloke site in Ghent. On Sunday July 1st 2018, the audience favourite Melanie De Biasio will have the whole tent gasp in awe. It will also be an exclusive opportunity to see the jazz musician in Flanders this summer. Tickets are available immediately.

Melanie De Biasio: jazz, but also blues, soul, light and darkness

The increasingly popular Melanie De Biasio sold out the AB no less than three times this autumn. The laudatory reviews following these three concerts make it clear once and for all: seeing De Biasio live is a chance you should seize without hesitation. Her talent has always been indisputable for Gent Jazz Festival. In 2014 and 2015, she took over the Ghent Main Stage and moved her audience like no other. Whereas her EP ‘Blackened Cities’ delighted with its grandness, her new album ‘Lilies’ is a lot more intimate. In addition, she is greatly appreciated internationally: besides Zap Mama in 1994, she is the only Belgian artist to ever have graced the screen on Later… with Jools Holland. On Sunday July 1st, her artistic finesse will make the festival tent go quiet once again.

More names for Gent Jazz Festival will be announced soon. 

The last record-breaking edition of Gent Jazz Festival dates from 2012. Then, 38,000 people visited the Bijlokesite. This year, the festival added another thousand, thanks to big names like Yann Tiersen, Diana Krall, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, John Zorn and Joan Baez. Equally impressive: the new stages, as well as several musical discoveries and the Ghent jazz scene.

There was no denying it this year: the new festival tent towered over the magical Bijlokesite and gave even more allure to the performances of the various headliners, who passed by there from June 29 to July 9. Also, the Garden Stage, the festival's second stage, became an open-air venue for the very first time, and with that, it became even more of a hotspot in between the headlining acts on the Main Stage.

Also striking: the new warranty system for reusable cups meant that the Bijlokesite was always very clean - a big difference from previous editions. Visitors also appreciated (especially during the first festival weekend, with temperatures up to 32 degrees) free tap water and the sale of filtered tap water at a reduced price.

The festival would also like to thank all the volunteers and staff for flawlessly managing the cancellation of Sting on Monday July 8, and for creating - together with the Belgian top acts Novastar and Stef Kamil Carlens - such a positive atmosphere on the Bijlokesite and a relaxed festival day.

The highlights of festival director Bertrand Flamang

"RYMDEN stood out during the first weekend - a piano trio conducted by Bugge Wesseltoft that bridges the gap to the future. Bugge has always been an innovator, but with this fantastic rhythm section his sound gets a completely different drive. Of course you couldn't do without Judi Jackson in the first weekend either, who only needed a few songs to turn the unfamiliarity of such a large stage into such a passionate set that she got everybody clapping. Jackson really has everything to become one of the leading ladies in jazz and, one day, a headliner at Gent Jazz Festival. She reminded me of Jamie Cullum, who once made his first big waves outside the UK at this festival, and you could tell that from his phenomenal set this year: the emotional connection he has with this festival is unmistakable."

"The same goes for José James, who seems to really enjoy his Bill Withers set, and it was of course also a happy reunion with Gregory Porter. In hindsight, I'm happy that we had to make that Sunday a standing festival day at the last minute: Porter and James could really go full throttle, with fire and pace, and they loved it! Who also went all the way: Vincent Peirani! We've been following him for years, and it's great to see how he's progressed from an exceptional musician to a real headliner. And of course, you also have to say that about STUFF. They closed a day full of Ghent talent and international top names, and the band absolutely proved that they are top of the bill. They were the band everyone was talking about, and that's just wonderful to see."

"And if I may choose one more surprise: Blick Bassy was a real hit. I discovered him in New York at the Winter Jazzfest – blown away! – and he also impressed at the Gent Jazz Festival with a very enthusiastic concert and incredibly strong songs that are firmly rooted in his Cameroon roots. Finally, in the meantime, John Zorn has also kicked off the last day of the festival with overwhelmingly. But that's no surprise, of course."

Last Friday was International Jazz Day, and we had imagined this day to be slightly different. After the cancellation of Sting and Herbie Hancock, and given the current circumstances, we knew that Gent Jazz would also be different this year. Obviously. But like many other festivals and artists, we had hoped to still be able to organize a worthwhile edition this summer – corona-proof. With all the knowledge and expertise accumulated over the past year, and with a vaccination program in full swing, this would have been perfectly possible.

However, on April 23, the Belgian government postponed a decision on the matter once again – forcing us to shelve our ambitious but safe plans and cancel Gent Jazz 2021. With great sadness, because we know that a lot of Belgian (jazz) artists were looking forward to this summer, and we also believe that many of our visitors could use a musical kick by now too.

We understand that a decision about festivals in July may still be forthcoming on May 11, but for Gent Jazz, that decision will come too late. Mind you, that doesn't mean we don't still have the ambition and the desire to set up an alternative this summer (on the same days as Gent Jazz)! What that will look like? We don't know yet, but it will be as big as – we impatiently await the guidelines – possible! 

It just won’t be Gent Jazz. And this time around, on May 11, an actual decision will have to be made. In the interest of the festivals, the musicians, the suppliers, and the safety of the visitors. If the government wants professional events, it needs to let the music industry work professionally. And it needs to treat it professionally. 

In the meantime, we have already started talks with this year’s headliners, so that the line-up of Gent Jazz in 2022 will look as spectacular as this year’s. Because make no mistake about it: Gent Jazz is making a comeback – harder, better, faster, stronger than vinyl! Sting was the first to announce his return – he already had some experience in that department – and a host of names will be added in the months to come.

Anyone who bought a ticket for Gent Jazz this summer will be contacted personally in the coming weeks. Good to know: State Secretary for Consumer Protection Eva De Bleeker decided this week that all festival and concert vouchers will remain valid until the summer of 2023.

Van Morrison, Agnes Obel and Kae Tempest are the first international names to shape the lineup of Gent Jazz 2022. The artists had already been confirmed to perform at the the editions of 2020 and 2021, but were to withdraw from performing due to the pandemic. The organization then established alternative editions twice. Earlier this year, Sting already moved his 'My Songs' tour to 2022 and he will be come over to Ghent on July 13.
 
Not all negotiations with the artists who would be performing at Gent Jazz in 2019 have been completed yet, but Van Morrison, Agnes Obel and Kae Tempest have already signed up for Gent Jazz 2022. Festival director Bertrand Flamang: "After two exceptional years, the confidence of the artists has returned and now it's a matter of paving the way for a full-fledged edition again, to which many new groups and artists will be added."

On Sunday, July 10, Van Morrison will take the stage as headliner. After releasing 42 albums, the 76-year-old Northern Irish singer with hits as "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Moondance" is far from retiring, which he proved last spring with the launch of his "Latest Record Project, Vol. 1." In any case, it reinforces the organization's belief that Van the Man will once again live up to his rock-solid live reputation.

On Friday, July 15, the festival welcomes Kae Tempest to the Bijloke venue. The author, poet and performance artist - formerly named Kate - already won several prestigious awards. Kae launched their fourth studio album, The Book of Traps and Lessons in 2019 and were allowed to curate the Focus Music Festival in 2020.

With her sober, fragile and captivating songs, the queen of melancholy Agnes Obel (14/7) is coming to perform for her third time at Gent Jazz. On her latest album Myopia, the Danish artist takes us on a unique musical and visual trip, linking classical and alternative music.

Celebrating with Sting
After three unsuccessful attempts to get the British singer and musician to the country's biggest jazz festival, Gent Jazz is eagerly looking forward to celebrating his arrival on Wednesday July 13, 2022. This concert is completely sold out.

New names will be announced soon. Ticket buyers with (a) voucher(s) from previous editions can already exchange them for the 2022 edition or exercise some patience until new names will be announced.