Jazz À Juan - The Legend Continues

There cannot be many jazz festivals in Europe where you can moor your private yacht metres away from the main stage should you so desire, unless you are attending the festival in Juan-les-Pins.

As the longest-running jazz festival in Europe, this year is the sixty-third edition of the Antibes Juan-les-Pins International, more commonly known as Jazz à Juan. As an integral part of French and European culture and heritage, its exceptional influence makes it one of the most prestigious jazz festivals in the world.

Over the past few years, the festival has welcomed some of the most prominent names in jazz, from Diana Krall to Jamie Cullum, with more mainstream artists such as Sting and Jamiroquai also gracing the stage.

In addition to the main stage, the Jammin' Summer Sessions concerts, which showcase the more pure style of jazz, resonate with all genres.

The artists appearing at the 2024 edition of the festival were a broad church of acts, from the American rock of Toto, the Belgian sophistication of Selah Sue, to Grammy Award-winning Marcus Miller.

The idea of re-imaging some of the most popular tracks of the last twenty years into a jazz or blues style might, at least on paper, sound obscure, though Scary Pockets, making their debut in Juan, impressed with their interpretations of tracks by The Darkness, Rick Astley, and Beyoncé. “We didn’t write these songs; we just made them better,” said Jack Conte, the band's founder. After a resounding version of the Daft Punk track Harder, Better, Faster, and Stronger, few could disagree with him.

Kool and the Gang has performed continuously longer than any other R&B group in history; bringing their brand of funk laced with jazzy arrangements seemed like a natural fit for the festival. Opening their set with the instrumental Open Sesame, complete with a four-piece horn section, cemented their status as musical icons.

With a catalogue of hits including Too Hot, Cherish, and Get Down on It, among others, the band was in celebratory style, naturally concluding their set with Celebration.

Wearing his signature trademark hat, Marcus Miller brought his style of cosmic jazz fusion mixed with funky beats to Juan. The legendary bass player performed a storming version of the Stevie Wonder classic Higher Ground before he paid homage to Miles David with a cover of Mr Pastorius in a set that was a masterful presentation of style and musicianship.

Traditionally, on the last day of the event, there is a free concert for ticket holders from one of the previous concerts. This year was no exception with Jimetta Rose and the Voices of Creation. The community-based choir from Los Angeles married gospel with layers of jazz, soul, and funk. Recalling acts such as The Staple Singers, Rose and the choir wholeheartedly embraced love, joy, and peace as Jazz à Juan closed in a harmonious atmosphere.