From the 8th to the 14th June 2009, Kings Place welcomes French jazz artists. Discover the love affair between the city of Paris and the culture of American jazz...

Paris Jazz

Kings Place

90 York Way

N1 9AG

 
The love affair between the city of Paris and the culture of American jazz evokes a
history stretching back to the early 20th century. The impact of African art, followed
by the black American musicians who took up residence in the city in the 20s,
stimulated the first distinctively European response to jazz, in the gypsy swing of the
Hot Club de Paris – and the ensuing journey travels through the city’s renaissance in
the 40s and 50s, embracing bebop and the Existentialists, the nouvelle vague, free
jazz and a contemporary jazz landscape that continues to bring cultures together in
a hotbed of creativity.

Tickets  £2 less online

WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE

THE TWENTIES
Writer and critic Kevin Legendre explores the impact of black American jazz – featuring Sidney Bechet, Josephine Baker and Louis Mitchell. /// St Pancras Room, 6.30pm. £2.50

BIRELLI LAGRENE TRIO
If one contemporary guitarist embodies the spirit of Django Reinhardt, it is Biréli Lagrène Trio, a brilliant improviser out of the gypsy jazz tradition. /// Hall One, 8pm. £12.50, £17.50, £22.50 Saver Seat £9.50

THURSDAY 11 JUNE
 
DAVIS MEETS GRECO
Acclaimed writer and broadcaster Bonnie Greer traces the story of the extraordinary liaison between the young Miles Davis and Juliette Greco, at the point where the new musical world of bebop brushed with the culture of Boris Vian, Sartre and the Existentialists. ‘There was such an unusual harmony about the man, the instrument, the sound – it was pretty shattering.’ (Greco in 2006) /// St Pancras Room, 6.30pm. £6.50 

MARTIAL SOLAL
In a career that stretches back to the Paris of the late 40s, Martial Solal is one of the great figures in French jazz. Immersed in the language of bop, he played with the likes of Kenny Clarke and Don Byas before forming his own trio, where his individual style – ‘filled with glittering Gallic wit’ – is given full rein. Equally respected as a composer, he has scored many movies, including Godard’s Breathless. /// Hall One, 8pm. £15.50, £20.50, £25.50 Saver Seat £9.50

FRIDAY 12 JUNE

LIBERATION…
Paris in the 60s and early 70s became a melting pot for jazz experiment, a haven for innovative exiles from a conservative America – attracting artists like Steve Lacy and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. Kevin Legendre delves into a world where modern jazz crossed into free jazz, where political and musical statements collided. /// St Pancras Room, 6.30pm. £2.50

BOJAN Z
Serbian-born, Paris resident, Bojan Z has become one of the key movers and shakers in French jazz. His music embraces influences from his own Balkan background as well as the music of todays – a riveting performer on both acoustic and electric keyboards, in a trio with drummer Seb Rochford and bassist Ruth Goller, themselves embedded in today’s London scene. /// Hall One, 8pm. £12.50, £17.50, £22.50 Saver Seat £9.50

REMEMBERING LACY
The American comoser and saxophonist Steve Lacy lived in Paris from 1970, where his generous and tirelessly inventive spirit became a major force on the European scene. Saxophonist Evan Parker – himself a hugely influential artist who worked often with Lacy – and pianist Hans Koller pay tribute to a quietly brilliant master. /// Hall Two, 10pm. From £9.50

SATURDAY 13 JUNE

JAZZ AND THE NOUVELLE AGE
The new wave of French cinema embraced jazz as a soulmate – find out just why Miles Davis’ music for Lift to the Scaffold and Martial Solal’s for Breathless number amongst the great movie soundtracks. Showings of both films alongside a look into  the background. /// Hall Two, 2pm. £4.50

PARIS JAZZ NOW
Kevin Legendre and representatives from today’s Paris jazz scene delve into the patina of jazz in the city today, leading into an evening which reflects the different facets of a continually evolving love affair… /// St Pancras Room, 6.30pm. £2.50
 
HENRI TEXIER
Bassist, composer, leader, Henri Texier’s music epitomises the identity of contemporary jazz in France. From playing hard bop with Bud Powell and Johnny Griffin to exploring free jazz with Don Cherry, he now occupies a unique position on the French scene, creating a beguiling mix of popular and ethnic music and jazz. /// Hall One, 8pm. £12.50, £17.50, £22.50 Saver Seat £9.50

PARIS JAZZ CLUB NIGHT
Check out more of today’s new Paris scene - live music, DJs bring a taste of the city’s contemporary jazz life… /// Hall Two, 10pm. From £9.50

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Box Office number: 0207 520 1490