The 29th Istanbul Jazz Festival will host more than 200 local and foreign artists with a full program this year on June 25 and July 7. Legendary names will take the stage at the festival, which will last for 13 days in the most beautiful open-air venues in Istanbul. Among the standout performers of the festival is Dianne Reeves, one of the greatest voices in the history of music as well as jazz.
The five Grammy winner Reeves is undisputedly one of the greatest vocalists in music history. Interpreting the jazz vocals as if she were an opera singer, Reeves balances technique with emotion. The artist, who is often compared to the legend Sarah Vaughan, proved her strong vocals with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Reeves won an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music and Juilliard School. The singer also received a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 2015 with her latest studio album “Beautiful Life,” which she recorded with young generation jazz musicians such as Gregory Porter, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and Esperanza Spalding.
The distinguished vocalist will perform at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater on Tuesday, July 5, on the 29th anniversary of the Istanbul Jazz Festival. Before Dianne Reeves, composer and pianist Ercüment Orkut, who has produced a wide range of music from classical jazz to contemporary, will welcome the audience with his trio.
Another celebrated musician will also perform at the event. Clarinet virtuoso Hüsnü Şenlendirici will be the guest of the Reeves' concert. The duo, who shared the same stage in the concert that was held in Hagia Sophia as part of the International Jazz Day in 2013, will come together again on the stage some nine years later.
