![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/1147479839_797d432da3leekonitz.jpg\" "\\"1147479839_797d432da3leekonitz\\"")
<\/a>The festival, now in its 21st year, has a tradition of featuring older musicians, the greats who represent the heritage of jazz. David \u201cFathead\u201d Newman, (1933 \u2013 2009), saxophonist\/flutist\/composer, a member of the Ray Charles band in the 50s and 60s and bandleader in his own right, celebrated his 75th birthday at the festival in 2008. This year\u2019s festival brings Lee Konitz, known as the<\/em> cool jazz saxophonist, who performed and recorded with Claude Thornhill, Lennie Tristano in the 1940s, and with Miles Davis on the landmark Birth of the Cool<\/em> sessions.<\/p>\n The timing of the festival is auspicious as well. \u201cThis is a time of year (winter) when musicians are not typically touring in Europe,\u201d says Weiss, \u201cwhich gives more artistic freedom. A group comes with a particular program created uniquely for the festival.\u201d The Don Friedman trio, opening the festival on Wednesday February 3rd at 20:30 is a good example. Pianist Friedman, who has played everything from classic to free jazz over the course of the past 50 years, will be coming to Israel with an ensemble that first came together in 1961 to record \u201cA Day in the City.\u201d The trio of Friedman, Chuck Israels and Joe Hunt, which had not played together since, recently reunited for a concert in the US. Weiss suggested that Friedman come to Israel with this classic ensemble, and in a serendipitous move has also brought Friedman together with baritone saxophonist Garry Smulyan, winner of the 2009 Jazz Journalist Award, for a concert on Thursday, February 4th at 23:00.<\/p>\n \u201cI consider myself a jazz advocate,\u201d says Weiss, \u201cThere is a message to these performances.\u201d Weiss beleives \u201cIt\u2019s the responsibility of a public festival not only to bring the sure bets,\u201d and accordingly, invites groups that are not yet known in Israel. Although he admits that \u201cit\u2019s a risk to bring musicians that are not yet famous \u2013 but it has proven itself. Kahil El Zabar was not known here when he first played two years ago, but it was a huge success, and he is back this year.\u201d<\/p>\n New to the festival this year is Gutbucket, which the dictionary defines as a \u201craucous, unsophisticated style of playing jazz\u201d and the group describes itself as \u201cDestroying walls between art-rock, avant-squonk, and mathed-out prog, Gutbucket’s through-composed charts enter a place of pure sound.\u201d Midnight East is intrigued.<\/p>\n Weiss recommends: \u201cRelate to it as a festival \u2013 don\u2019t just come to one performance. Come early and enjoy the free performances, and mingling. Go to hear something that you know and love but also try something new.\u201d<\/p>\n For the full program see: http:\/\/www.jazzfest.co.il\/2010\/\/show.html<\/a> Image credit:\u00a0 top photo – Yoni Kretzmer\/Photo: Elizur Reuveni<\/p>\n Yoni Kretzmer will be performing Thursday, February 4th at 23:00<\/p>\n Lee Konitz photo: http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/volume12\/1147479839\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nTel Aviv Jazz Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque Feb 3 \u2013 5
\n2 Shprintzak Street, Tel Aviv
\nTickets: www.cinema.co.il<\/a>, 03-6060800
\nDiscounts for cinematheque members and Tel Aviv residents with advance purchase.<\/p>\n