For this 17th edition, the program was essentially the same as in previous years: “an intensive week of jazz”! Intensive because the 47 registered trainees know that they will spend hours “eating” jazz: Instrument lessons in the morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., ensemble classes in the afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. , without forgetting the Brass-Band rehearsal at 2:30 p.m. Knowing that we're putting it back in the evening with Monday and Tuesday for the two jam sessions on the square from 7 p.m.: but when do we have time to eat? The Jazz Fest begins for its participants on Sunday evening with a buffet welcoming the Trainees and teachers. 7 pianists, 5 guitarists, 7 saxophonists, 5 trumpets, 1 trombone, 1 oboe, 5 drummers, 6 double bassists, 9 singers made up the trainees. On the teaching side, Piano Professor, Philippe Cocogne, from the Grasse Conservatory, Jazz section, a pillar of the event for more than 10 years. the other teachers are: in Singing, Chloé Cailleton, coming from Nantes where she teaches, (Chloé is a Knight of Arts and Letters, decorated by Roselyne Bachelot); on brass, Christophe LeLoil, who is a jazz teacher in Marseille; on Guitar, Julien Osty, teacher in Toulon, composer; Carsten Weimann, on drums from Toulouse: they complete the quartet which visits us in the winter in Saint-Cézaire with Kareem Kandi on Saxophone (teacher, composer) and Greg Feingold, on double bass and to complete this magical formula, David Douet who second Mr. Cocogne in Piano class. This year, we welcomed Nina Aslanaut, from Rennes, from the Didier Lockwood Music School, as a Trainee in Training. She assisted Chloé Cailleton throughout the week and thus validated her university course.
Finally, we were going to have premises available in this magnificent complex in Terre de Siagne. The idea of concentrating the masterclass in a single location has been important to us for a long time and even if we had to keep the Salle des Moulins, the Motricity room and the Salle Klouman, we have come closer to this goal. We will have to continue to work upstream to better accommodate classes, in particular in terms of air conditioning which did not work very well this summer which was particularly hot, with temperatures exceeding 30° during the day. But what a joy to have the large room to install the grand piano and thus create the piano classroom, the afternoon rehearsals and to be able to bring together the entire master class for group lessons. After the two evenings of Jam-Sessions, Wednesday evening is devoted to the Concert des Maitres at 9 p.m.: the Public was not mistaken in coming to listen to the septet in original compositions and jazz standards. A video is available on U-Tube. We didn't notice the time passing during these two hours of concert. The Festi-Jazz is also an associative moment with a dinner on Thursday evening which brings together all the participants, the volunteers and the hosts who receive certain students. Private Evening at Café Lions with Music; a way for the association to thank those who participate in the development of the week and without whom the jazz festival would be very complicated to organize.
Friday, for the jazz aperitif which allows us to listen to the work of the students of the week and who express themselves group after group (five jazz groups), we had the honor of the visit of Mr. Christian Zedet, Mayor of Saint-Cézaire. The opportunity for us to thank the municipality which is present at our side in this adventure. Once again a big thank you to all municipal services. The Saturday evening finale has been brought forward to 7:30 p.m. to give more time to the students and teachers to give us a final concert. A final moment when the large audience, as throughout the week, comes to enjoy jazz music one last time. As many people have told us, listening to this music in the sweetness of the evening creates an atmosphere where we enjoy relaxing, dancing, listening in a relaxed jazzy atmosphere. Saint-Cézaire has once again succeeded in its challenge of a jazz MAsterclass, unique in the summer in the Alpes Maritimes. We are already looking ahead to next year.
Monday morning, 9:30 am:
It is the appointment for all and the effective beginning of the courses. The Association contemplates the culmination of the organization that has been necessary throughout the year for this event to be before our eyes, the details that had to be thought of, we hand over to the teachers and let the week begin.
At noon, the teachers will decide to divide the students into 5 groups for the afternoon rehearsals. It is a race against the clock. At 3pm, everyone will know who they will be working with each afternoon in preparation for the final concert on Saturday evening. Rewriting of the scores in the key of the singers, transpositions for the instruments in E or B flat, a whole lot of work done on the fly by Philippe Cocogne, our Artistic Director.
Monday evening: the first Jam is prepared on the square: participation of Xmeninacave to start the session. Quickly, some trainees take over. Formidable first evening with already a dense attendance and a discovery of Jazz for some, remaining until the end to discover the apparent simplicity of this music. All is only appearance in this music which hides its roots and its sufferings to better tell peace and joy.
Again a very busy jam with the trainees and the masters who finish the session after their rehearsal of the Wednesday concert. A lot of people on the square. We buy our T-Shirts and Mugs, souvenirs. Second day and everything is humming in this fifteenth edition. Not enough water in the fridges, concern with the door of the school which it is necessary to close. Not easy to make everyone understand.
Halfway through, the Concert des Maitres: always a great moment awaited, the decision was taken to remain on the Place for reasons of organization and the number of listeners. Returning to the "Point de Vue" will remain in our plans, but we may have to consider it for another program. The professors once again produced exceptional music that featured their own compositions and touched the audience.
On Thursday evening, the associative evening brought together the participants of the masterclass and the volunteers of the association, the hosts who welcome some of the trainees, at "BB", the Brasserie de la Fontaine which was privatized for the Festi-Jazz. the Brasserie de la Fontaine which was privatized for the Festi-Jazz. A soup with the Pistou prepared by Bernard which regaled everyone. A small sound system was available to enjoy it with music!
Friday: the spinning, it is a last moment of rehearsal before the concert. At the beginning of the afternoon, each of the 5 groups "parades" in front of the teachers in the room of Motricity: their work is going to be shown in public at the apéro-jazz at 18:30 and the stress rises. Pedestrian place, we install once again the mobile sound system and the stands of the association which prepared the anchoïade: everything is ready for a beautiful evening. It is in this friendly and relaxed atmosphere that the groups which followed one another made us spend a good moment in spite of the stress of some trainees whose it was for them the first performance on stage. This is also what the Festi-Jazz is all about.
It was a great pleasure to have the visit of Mr. Christian Zedet, mayor of Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, who in his speech assured us of the support of the Town Hall in the future. The Festi-Jazz has become a major event of the summer season. If it should grow again, the Town Hall will be at our side: a big thank you!
The Aperitif-Jazz ended with a small jam session animated by the most "relentless" of the funky and jazzy trainees with, among others, a wild "Cantaloupe Island": time to go and find a piece to eat and we discover the village still in celebration with its terraces of restaurants full.
Saturday morning: after a last class with their teachers, the Brass Band, all blowing instruments together, accompanied by the percussions and the singers, will treat the public to the Saturday morning market on the square: a great popular success, an impromptu, joyful and festive moment.
Final concert: The participants know it, it will be the big stage on the place. Installation of the big stage with installation of the grand piano, sound system, big work of the team. Balance at 7 pm. At 21h sharp, we start. First part of the masters followed by the concert of the pupils. But surprise, the Brass Band returns and ignites the place: animated by Christophe LeLoil, nobody could remain on his chair.
All this to finish the evening a little late, midnight is passed, timing a little stressful, authorization until one o'clock in the morning, the singing class for a last "little song". The "A l'an que ven" and the lights of the place that go out, the bars draw the curtain, everyone escapes into the night.
Festi-Jazz #15 is over. Equipment stored in bulk in the basement. The Festi-Jazz stand puts away its last T-shirts. In the dark, we wish each other a good night. Stealthy atmosphere... mission accomplished.
Masterclasses, concerts, a festive atmosphere throughout the week for a pleasure of Jazz shared between the participants and the public!
In St-Cézaire during this summer week, jazz is present from morning to night.
