It is only fitting that this year’s Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival line-up was unveiled in the Bar Américain of the Hôtel de Paris, a venue that has long been a stage in its own right, echoing with stories, music, and the refined allure that defines Monaco.
Against this backdrop, organisers revealed a programme as eclectic and sophisticated as its setting — a 10-day celebration of jazz and its many tributaries, from gospel and funk to reggae, soul and folk, all performed in the jewel-box splendour of the Salle Garnier.
“This edition is determined to bring together different generations, aesthetics and audiences,” said Monte-Carlo SBM Artistic Director Alfonso Ciulla. “Jazz cannot be put into neat boxes, it is a breath of inspiration, a language in perpetual motion.”
Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival Co-programmer Reno di Matteo added: “The line-up is built around discoveries and legends. We want audiences to experience the depth of jazz in all its forms.”
A festival of discoveries and legends
As tradition dictates, the festival will open on 20th November with a free concert by students of the Rainier III Academy, an opportunity for Monaco’s young musicians to share the stage of the Salle Garnier.
On 21st November, French singer Gabi Hartmann will set the tone for the festival. “Her sound is an intense, inspired journey—between jazz, pop, bossa nova and folk. She is a complete artist and a beautiful discovery,” said Alfonso Ciulla. She will share the stage with trumpet virtuoso Ibrahim Maalouf, who “revisits the work of Oum Kalthoum with modernity and depth, bringing us into the world of the thousand and one nights.”
The following evening, 22nd November, bass legend Stanley Clarke will headline, before the stage is handed over to Deluxe, “a French group that’s a tidal wave of groove—five moustachioed musicians who will set the stage on fire,” said Reno di Matteo.
Voices of spirit and passion
On Sunday 23rd November, the Harlem Gospel Choir will bring its powerhouse sound to Monaco. “They have performed for three U.S. presidents, including Barack Obama, and they continue to dazzle with their vocal power,” said Ciulla.
The programme will also include a special conference on 24th November, Jazz in Cinema, led by French critic and filmmaker Thierry Jousse in partnership with the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco.
Jazz without borders
The second half of the festival continues with Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander on 26th November, whose “fusion of jazz and reggae is full of humour, vocabulary, and sharing with the public.” He will be joined by Colombian salsa star Yuri Buenaventura, described as “an immense entertainer, full of energy and passion, who knows how to hold a room.”
On 27th November, Swiss singer Lea Maria Fries will open the evening before English trip-hop pioneers Morcheeba take the stage. “They were one of the groups that conquered the world in the 1990s, and their return is a real coup for us,” said Ciulla.
The 28th November concert will feature Rhoda Scott Ladies & Gentleman, the legendary barefoot organist whose performance style is described as “pure sensitivity and soul.” She will be joined by special guest David Linx. Later that evening, French favourite Michel Jonasz will revisit his greatest hits with fresh arrangements, joined by Manu Katché on drums and Jean-Yves d’Angelo on keyboards.
A spectacular finale
The festival will close on 29th November with Les Égarés, a quartet blending Vincent Ségal, Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Peirani and Émile Parisien. “It’s a project born out of a jam session, combining jazz and traditional music in a way that feels like pure alchemy,” said di Matteo. The night will finish with the eclectic Asaf Avidan: “He creates an eclectic music inspired by jazz, rock, folk, blues, and electronic. With a full band, it’s going to be absolutely spectacular.”
Tickets range from €12 to €100, depending on the performance.
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Photo: Reno di Matteo, Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival Co-programmer, and Alfonso Ciulla, Monte Carlo SBM Artistic Director