Literature and jazz

Music and lyrics blend together in vocal jazz throughout this year’s festival. However, there will also be a few special events that combine jazz and literature in new ways.

In a new collaboration with LitteraturXchange and Danish Author’s Society, Aarhus Jazz Festival presents Jazz- and poetry workshop feat. Dicte & Søren Kjærgaard. Here, the two musicians will work with moderator Jesper Mechlenburg and six musicians from Aarhus Jazz Orchestra to compose and improvise new pieces of music and lyrics. Concertgoers will be able to follow the artistic process and hear the results.

Erlings Jazz- & Ølbar and Radar have invited the French composer and guitarist Marc Ducret (front photo) for a residency at Aarhus Jazz Festival 2021. With several different ensembles, he will perform new compositions based on the work of the American poet Robert Frost.

The music will be performed by Ducret in solo, trio, and quintet formats featuring Kasper Tranberg (trumpet) and Peter Bruun (drums) as well as a quintet with musicians from Århus Sinfonietta.

Finally, Dokk1 hosts Jazz’n poetry slam, where participating poets from the poetry slam scene will be working with a group of jazz musicians. Audience members will get to decide who will become the jazz’n poetry slammer of the evening.