International summer jazz festivals

(AFP PHOTO/FABRICE COFFRINI)

Among artists on the jazz festival circuit this summer are Herbie Hancock, who celebrates his 70th birthday, as well as jazz fusion innovator Chick Corea, alto sax player David Sanborn, and 25-year-old singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding. The following are some of the world's biggest and most prestigious jazz festivals scheduled for summer 2010, along with highlights from their international lineups.

DC Jazz Fest
June 1-13
Washington DC, USA

With 100 performances in dozens of venues across Washington DC, from the Kennedy Center to Lincoln Theater, the former Duke Ellington Jazz Festival features jazz masters such as James Moody and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, and artistic director Paquito D'Rivera. Signature events, such as Jazz Under the Stars and Jazz on the Potomac, offer Puerto Rica's pianist Eddie Palmieri with Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi and performers from around the world such as Romanian pianist Marian Petrescu, Swedish guitarist Andres Oberg, and Israeli saxophonist Uri Gurvich.
http://www.dcjazzfest.org

New York City Jazz Festival
June 17-26
New York City, USA

George Wein successfully brings back the jazz fest to Manhattan with sponsor CareFusion for 40 concerts in 20 venues around the city including concerts at Carnegie Hall with Keith Jarrett and Joao Gilberto. Shows at Central Park's SummerStage include the McCoy Tyner Quartet. Trumpeter Chris Botti, Stanley Clark, and Wayne Shorter are some of the many artists to perform. On June 24, Herbie Hancock celebrates 70 decades.
http://www.nycjazzfestival.com

Montreal International Jazz Festival
June 25-July 6
Montreal, Canada

The 31st edition of the world's largest jazz festival, "Jazz Fest," is expected to attract two million attendees at venues across the Quebec capital. Performers range from saxophonist Sonny Rollins to contemporary player David Sanborn. David Reinhardt will play the work of his grandfather Django and George Benson pays tribute to classic Nat King Cole. Other performers include Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, New Orleans' Allen Toussaint, the Gipsy Kings, and bluesman Taj Mahal, as well as Norway's Tord Gustavsen Trio, Brazil's guitarist Yamandu Costa, France's Sylvain Luc, Italy's trumpeter Paolo Fresu, and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa.
http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

Copenhagen Jazz Festival
July 2-11
Copenhagen, Denmark

Herbie Hancock, Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso, and Joshua Redman are among headliners for the 2010 Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Going since 1979, the festival now tracks an estimated 200,000 visitors to its more than 850 concerts in 100 halls, parks, bars, and lounges throughout the city. Other major-venue performers for the event's 2010 edition include Martha Wainwright, Joe Lovano, Marcus Miller, and Esperanza Spalding, as well as Diana Krall, David Sanborn, Bill Frisell, and Dianne Reeves.
http://www.jazz.dk/en/copenhagen-jazz-festival

Montreux Jazz Festival
July 2-17
Montreux, Switzerland

One of the most prestigious European jazz festivals, the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival will welcome Gil Scott Heron, Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock, Youssou N'Dour, and Quincy Jones. The lineup this year features more than 50 acts covering a range of musical genres. Pop and rock artists performing include Massive Attack, Tori Amos, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Billy Idol, Ben Harper, Phil Collins, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. Set on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva, the festival attracts 200,000 attendees.
http://www.montreuxjazz.com

North Sea Jazz Festival
July 9-11
Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Now in its 35th year, the North Sea Jazz Festival takes place in 15 venues and accommodates more than 65,000 visitors annually over three days. Artists scheduled to play in 2010 include Norah Jones, Path Metheny, Earth, Wind & Fire, the McCoy Tyner Trio, Joe Lovano, Diana Krall, Corinne Bailey Rae, Joss Stone, Sonny Rollins, The Roots, and Joshua Redman. For the first time in 2010, a second festival bearing the same name will take place on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao in the Carribean Sea on September 3 and 4.
http://www.northseajazz.com

Newport Jazz Festival
August 6-8
Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Turning 56 this year, impresario George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival is the oldest in North America and stays deeply rooted in jazz. This year's headliners include the renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, legendary Herbie Hancock, the influential Ahmad Jamal, and fusion innovator Chick Corea. "Newcomers" include trumpeter Chris Botti who performs with Sting, Maria Schneider Orchestra, British pianist Jamie Cullum who has revived jazz standards for a new generation. Wein, an acclaimed 85-year-old jazz pianist, will take the stage. Located at Fort Adams State Park in the state of Rhode Island.
http://www.newportjazzfest.net

Monterey Jazz Festival
September 17-19
Monterey, California, USA

The 53rd annual event features headliners Harry Connick, Jr., Dianne Reeves, Chick Corea and the Freedom Band, and jazz legends Roy Hargrove, Roy Haynes, Les McCann and Ahmad Jamal. The Kronos Quartet perform the world premiere of Billy Childs' commissioned work, "Music for Two Quartets." The 500 artists in concert include Angelique Kidjo, Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition, and Septeto Nacional de Cuba. Eight stages on the 20-acre fairgrounds attract 40,000 attendees.
http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org