Thomas Dutronc, conferences, exhibitions… The programming for the 2024-2025 Jazz à Pau season, with seven concerts in the subscription instead of six, offers a certain diversity, in harmony with the eclecticism of this musical genre. During his presentation on Thursday June 20, Stéphane Kochoyon – pianist and artistic advisor – opened his speech by emphasizing the importance of the audience: “For me, the star here is the audience. We have doubled the capacity of the places compared to the previous season, we were forced to do so by the number of sold-out concerts. » Words corroborated by Jean Lacoste, deputy mayor, also present.
This new season of Jazz à Pau will welcome the 54e Chicago Blues Festival, from December 6 to 7, 2024 (at 8 p.m.) at Foirail. This event, launched in 1969 by Jean-Marie Monestier, will headline Stephen Hull. The 25-year-old American prodigy, originally from Wisconsin, will be accompanied by his group Experience (which will also release its first album in 2024 with the Alligator label). Nico Wayne Toussaint 4TET will perform as the opening act. The harmonica singer, trained in the school of American blues clubs, will be flanked by his guitarist, his bassist and his drummer.
In resonance with this festival, Blues Month will also be on the program. In partnership with the Media Library Network and Jazz & Co 64, an exhibition dedicated to the legend Jacques Morgantini will be presented, emphasizing the fact that jazz is taking more and more root in the royal city, both through an abundance of events than by a notable historical aspect. The Ghent producer launched some of the greatest American bluesmen and jazzmen, such as Lionel Hampton, Magic Slim and the guitarist Buddy Guy, who would influence Jimi Hendrix among others. Founder of the Hot Club de Pau, Jacques Morgantini constitutes an invaluable reference for jazz enthusiasts. An exclusive space will be reserved for this exhibition, where recordings, photographs, projections and historical tape recorders of the producer will be offered. Blues Month will begin on December 3, 2024 and end on January 19, 2025.
Thomas Dutronc at the Zénith
Thomas Dutronc will come to present his brand new album, “It’s never too late”, at the Zénith de Pau, on April 29, 2025, at 8 p.m., after having been in a duet with his father, Jacques Dutronc, throughout France. “It seems obvious that we would need four or five performances at the Foirail to respond to all the requests concerning Thomas Dutronc. Consequently, he will perform on the Zénith stage,” announces Stéphane Kochoyon. The album oscillates between pure acoustic music and current modern pop. “I can already hear some people saying that it’s not jazz. No problem, it won’t stop us from sleeping! », says the artistic advisor of the programming. The opening act will be provided by the Pau group Miss Bee & The Bullfrogs, who draw their inspiration from soul music, nola funk, gospel and a variety of African groove.
The pianist with six Grammy Awards, Chucho Valdés, will play on the Foirail stage on March 21 and 22, 2025, at 8 p.m. The Cuban jazz star will be in a quartet, notably with drummer Horacio El Negro Hernandez. Also at the Foirail, folk artist Ayo, author of the hit album “Joyful” in 2006, will be there on September 13 and 14, 2024, from 8 p.m.
The Saint-Louis theater of the part
The events of this 2024-2025 season will also take up residence at the Théâtre Saint-Louis. In particular with the quartet Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Segal, Émile Parisien, and Vincent Peirani, brought together in the album “Les Égarés”. Their particularity is that they bring together four popular instruments (the soprano saxophone, the accordion, the kora and the cello), which will “transcend borders”, according to Jazz à Pau.
The “Off” also meets at the Saint-Louis theater with the Pau conservatory. “Since the start of this jazz season, the conservatory has been there so that our students can perform in the theater. It is extremely interesting from an educational point of view. There will also be Camélia Ben Naceur on stage, a pianist of national stature. It gives students the chance to learn jazz piano, something that was impossible in my time,” explains Gilles Guilleux, director of the Pau conservatory.
The entire program is available on the Agglo de Pau website. Unit prices vary between 10 and 35 euros.
