Iconic American saxophonist Ray Blue will open "Pink Panther" Festival in Ufa

UFA, 1 April 2019. /Bashinform News Agency/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

The 23rd International Jazz Festival “Pink Panther” will offer concerts of Russian and world musicians from April 5 to 7. The venue is the same: Bashkir State Philharmonic Society, Great Hall.

According to the press service of the Philharmonic Society, on April 5, the leader of the young generation of jazz spiritualists, the participant of numerous jazz festivals in Russia and abroad Peter Vostokov (trumpet, Moscow) will perform. He worked in many well-known groups of Moscow: “Akademik-Band” by Anatoly Kroll, the Big Band by Igor Butman, the Oleg Lundstrem State Chamber Orchestra of Jazz Music, Arsenal of Alexei Kozlov. Today, the musician is a soloist in the three most important Moscow big bands and gives performances in jazz clubs.

The headliner of the day will be the iconic American saxophonist Ray Blue. The six-time winner of the Jazz Awards, one of the most popular and recognizable jazz saxophonists. The musician is included in the New York Jazz Hall of Fame. Ray is the founder of his own jazz award The Ray Blue Jazz Award and founder of Cross-Cultural Connection, Inc. The opening will also feature the winners of the Second Author-Jazz Contest-Festival, established by Yekaterinburg’s first professional jazz club EverJazz in Yekaterinburg - the quartet of pianist Nikolay Tsushko.

On April 6, the Franz Hellmüller Trio will perform (guitar - double bass - drums/Switzerland), Sofia Rubina-Hunter (Estonia) and our countrymen - Oleg Kireev and the Orlan ensemble.

The Pink Panther will be closed with a large gala concert on April 7. The headliner of the festival will be the star of the world scene, the number one jazz singer in Finland Bianca Morales.

Traditionally all three festival evenings on the stage - Big-Band headed by Oleg Kasimov - the participant of the international jazz festivals SOCHI JAZZ FESTIVAL and “Triumph of Jazz” of Igor Butman. Concerts start at 7 p.m.

In addition, the organizers invite you to traditional jam sessions that will be held in the Ufa Jazz Club. The beginning is at 10 p.m.