Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival kicks off with Madeleine Peyroux concert

The Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival kicked off on Tuesday evening with a performance by the American jazz singer, Madeleine Peyroux, in Barcelona Palau de la Musica Catalana.

Peyroux, winner of Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards in 2007, performed all tracks from her 2004 album ‘Careless Love,’ which sold half a million copies, for the first time, as well as covers of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. 

Other artists that stand out in this edition of the Jazz Festival's program are Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade, Ron Carter, Bill Frisell, and Dave Holland. 

Another festival highlight is Jordi Rossy’s trio with four concerts at the Liceu Opera Hall. The Catalan percussionist will join guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel from the United States in his vibrant jazz reinterpretation of Chopin's music on November 30.

Rossy, who is being celebrated this year with the “Portrait of an artist” title, a tradition of the Barcelona Jazz Festival, will also be presenting two new records: his album 'Puerta', and a second project with Carme Canela and guitarist Jaume Llombart.

This year’s program is diverse and wide-rangin with a strong Latin American presence, such as Cuban duo Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera presenting the album 'I Missed You Too!' and Eliades Ochoa of the famed Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club presenting also his latest record “Vamos a bailar un son” (Let’s dance a son).

Representing Brazilian music are jazz stars Toquinho, Hermeto Pascoal and Yamandu Costa.

In total, the city’s oldest music event will host 82 concerts, 11 of which will take place at the Palau de la Música, as well as 20 master classes on concert series hosted by Larry Grenadier, Billy Hart, Marc Ribot and others. 

Other performances will be hosted at the Liceu opera house, Apolo, L'Auditori, and Teatre-Auditori Sant Cugat in the outskirts.  

According to the festival’s director, Tito Ramoneda, this year they have a budget of around €1.4 million, quite a significant increase from the €700,000 and €900,000 in 2020 and 2021, respectively. 

Tickets for Barcelona Jazz Festival are available here and range from €20 to €70.