In its fourth edition, the Teatro Central's Seminario de Jazz y Flamenco de Sevilla expands its teaching faculty

Classes will be given by Cañizares, Rubem Dantas, Jorge Pardo and Pedro Sierra

Flamenco-world.com

Once again Seville and New Orleans shake hands. At the IV Seminario de Jazz and Flamenco which Seville's Teatro Central is holding from March 16th to 22nd, 2002, the program has been broadened for the fourth edition. The teaching staff which will oversee the meeting of both genres in the historic halls of the Cartuja Monastery has been expanded. Guitarists Juan Manuel Cañizares and Pedro Sierra, percussionists Rubem Dantas and Jeff Ballard, saxophone-player and flautist Jorge Pardo, singer Sheila Jordan, trumpet-player Chris Kase... these are some of the musicians who will be giving classes. For the first time a dancer will join the team: Israel Galván.

The Seminario de Jazz y Flamenco has two expressed objectives in this fourth edition with an eye to growth: first, "to establish an annual forum for communication between professionals, students and followers of both jazz and flamenco, and by extension, creative music", and second, "to offer an alternative kind of instruction which encourages a broadening of practical as well as theoretical knowledge, and the development of musical inventiveness within a framework of experimentation and interaction". This musical encounter which between the 16th and the 22nd of March, 2002 will bring together major figures from jazz and flamenco, and is unique in the world, will impart classes to students and professionals with a methodology based on the exchange of experiences.

This year the faculty will be made up of flamenco guitarist Pedro Sierra, percussionist Rubem Dantas, singer Sheila Jordan, trumpet-player Chris Kase, tenor sax-player Mark Turner, saxophone-player and flautist Jorge Pardo, pianist Ethan Iverson, trombone-player Carlos Martín, jazz guitarist Philip Catherine, bass-player Reid Anderson and drummer Jeff Ballard. For the first time a dancer will join their ranks, Seville's Israel Galván, an addition with which the organizers broaden the program to include dance.

This group of teachers will be in charge of offering instrumental classes, guitar for accompaniment of flamenco singing and dancing, solo guitar and flamenco dance. The program will be rounded out with specific classes by the guitarist Juan Manuel Cañizares and Enrico Rava, in additon to Miroslav Vitous, Lee Konitz and Canadian pianist Paul Bley who will focus on the group angle from an instrumental perspective. The classes will be complemented by jazz combos made up of the students themselves.

Concert series

While the classes are being offered at the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo and the Instituto Andaluz de Patrimonio situated in the Cartuja Monastery, the Teatro Central will present complementary illustrative recitals with a series of jazz and flamenco concerts included in its seasonal cycle 'Jazz viene del Sur'. Among others, Diego el Cigala and Puerto Rican trumpet-player Jerry González, the Antonio Mesa Quintette, The Bad Plus, the Pedro Cortejosa Quartette, Pauline Oliveros and Rafael Liñán will take the stage. At the closing of many of these performances, in addition to student recitals, jam sessions with free entrance are scheduled to take place in the bar. The seminary's icing on the cake will be a joint concert with the participation of all the teachers who took part in the program, a musical encounter with flamenco, jazz, and creative music that last year dazzled audiences and critics alike.