People are often surprised to hear that we have a 31-day jazz festival in Singapore—is there really that much jazz on the island? In truth, a festival this long is barely enough to represent the range of jazz that exists in this country. If this is new to you, and you’ve never been to a jazz venue in Singapore, we’re excited for you. Jazz in July, presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, is the perfect way to begin your journey of discovery into this music.
This festival isn’t just for the seasoned listener who can tell Jimmy Cobb from Philly Joe Jones on a Miles Davis recording. It’s also for anyone who goes “I don’t usually listen to jazz… but...”. The commuter who hears it at MRT platforms and airport lounges, and finds their mood gently lifting; for families who think it all sounds interesting, but hesitate to go to a bar; for couples looking to bask in an evening of romance; or for the all-round music lover who wants to trek new musical horizons.
Each night of the month you’ll find different flavours of jazz on our stages, making clear that jazz is wonderfully diverse and helping you discover what speaks to you. On the weekends, join us for jams where musicians spontaneously pit their skills alongside one other, brassy big bands, and musical guests from the region and beyond, bringing a slice of their local scenes. All of this is free-access, giving you all the opportunity to sample what you’ve always been curious about.
For those who want to go deeper, do check out our ticketed programme line-up: the hip-swinging samba and bossa of Nilze Carvalho, the velvety warm vocals of Gabrielle Cavassa, the edgy force of nature that is Peter Evans Quartet’s, and the impeccably hip groove of Bobby Sparks II. All four artists represent different facets of this music in a boutique curation that we are fiercely proud of—it is as always, all killer, no filler.
For 19 editions now, the jazz community—both practitioners and listeners—comes home to Esplanade in July. We hope you, too, will come to love this music, and find this to be your tribe as well.
Tan XiangHui
Senior Producer
The Esplanade Co Ltd
