From jazz's earliest years, when the Original Dixieland Jass Band [sic] came to London in 1919, Europe has embraced the music many believe to be America's only truly original art form. Sidney Bechet in Paris; Dexter Gordon in Copenhagen; the capitals of the old world provided not only homes from home for jazz's leading practitioners, but often more discerning and less prejudiced audiences. "I had never felt that way in my life," said Miles Davis of his first visit to Europe in 1949. "It was the freedom of being treated like a human being, like someone important."
That love affair is typified by European jazz festivals. The circuit has grown so large some US promoters regard it as their right to fill their artists' summer schedules with high-paying gigs on the continent - to the point that they're not too happy if home-grown stars
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Adland
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Mix a holiday with the best of US jazz at a European festival , says sholto byrnes |
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dominate the programmes. But let's face it: local musicians can be heard the rest of the year; the draw is the concentration of US giants.
Those wishing to catch big name, mainstream North Americans should head to Marciac, in the Gers, south west France, (July 31-August 15) for Wynton Marsalis (left), Keith Jarrett, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Herbie Hancock. Willisau in Switzerland (August 31-September 3) puts on the slightly more leftfield David Murray, Medeski, Martin and Wood, and John Scofield. In the UK, Edinburgh (July 28-August 6) and Brecon (August 11-13) are the best.
Or, if you must go abroad, combine days by the Italian Adriatic with evenings of music at the Pescara Jazz Festival (August 12-15), featuring Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Band. If the jazz doesn't tempt, the food sure will. 
FIRST POSTED JULY 27, 2006
 Wynton Marsalis, conservative genius
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