Top jazz musicians head to Malaga city for annual festival

Malaga is preparing to host one of its biggest autumn music events, with leading jazz musicians and vocalists set to take to the stage from 3 to 10 November. Marking its 40th instalment, the Malaga jazz festival returns to the city's historic Teatro Cervantes for a week of live performances.

This festival is one of the most prestigious jazz events in Spain and one of the longest-running festivals in Southern Europe. Every November, it transforms the theatre into the epicentre of world jazz, featuring renowned artists on stage and the Abierto de Malaga jazz project, which extends the music to bars, squares and hotels throughout the city.

For one week, this initiative transforms Malaga into a true jazz city, where international, local and emerging bands find their audience in more intimate settings

This year's line-up features Italian singer Mario Biondi (3 November), whose distinctive voice draws on the traditions of jazz, soul and rhythm and blues; and the James Carter Organ Trio (7 November), led by the acclaimed American saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, renowned for his technical virtuosity across a range of woodwind instruments.

Other artists include Kenny Barron and Ekep Nkwelle (8 November). Barron is a celebrated pianist and composer whose career spans more than six decades, while Nkwelle is a rising jazz vocalist whose music blends the jazz tradition with gospel.

The festival will close with a performance by the Michel Camilo Trio, a celebrated jazz ensemble led by the Dominican pianist and composer Michel Camilo. The trio is known for its dazzling piano technique, infectious Caribbean rhythms, sophisticated jazz harmonies and thrilling live performances.

www.teatrocervantes.com