Los Llanos de Aridane joins the venues for the opening concerts at the 26th edition with a performance by the Bill Evans & Dean Brown Band

• The free-entrance concert by these celebrated musicians will be held this Friday 7 July in the public square – Plaza de Europa, starting at 21:00 hours

• The night’s entertainment also includes a performance by the band Ella at 100, The Latin Side of Ella Fitzgerald, a tribute to the great jazz diva

With performances by Bill Evans & Dean Brown Band (Feat. Etienne M’bappe and Keith Carlock) and Ella at 100, The Latin Side of Ella Fitzgerald, Los Llanos de Aridane joins the list of venues for the opening of the Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz&Más Heineken. This is one of four concerts which will take place simultaneously this Friday 7 July, to kick off the 26th edition of this annual musical event. It will be held in the public square – Plaza de España, starting at 21:00 hours and is free-entrance. This same day, another three islands host inaugural concerts, perhaps the most special being the one on the island of La Graciosa, which for the very first time becomes a venue in the Festival’s programme, with performances by Portuguese singer Maria Joao and the group from Gran Canaria, Banadú. Africa Night (Plaza del Pilar, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) and the Adán Martín Auditorium in Tenerife, with performances by the Alfredo Rodríguez Trio and Charenée Wade, complete the programme for the first day. A total of eleven nights with 46 concerts in auditoriums, theatres, and public parks & squares on six islands, featuring 26 musical ensembles.

Another jazz legend, the great saxophonist Bill Evans, will perform here in the Canary Islands together with brilliant guitarrist Dean Brown, in a band of four authentic ‘All Stars’ made up of Toto’s current drummer, Keith Carlock, and the great Etienne Mbappe, the current bassist with John Maclaughlin.

Member of Miles Davis’ band from 1980 to 1984, and at the young age of twentytwo, he was nominated for a Grammy award for the disc titled Soulgrass. Following his spell with Miles, he recorded three albums with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra and later played with Herbie Hancock, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Steps Ahead and Mick Jagger, among many others. More up to date, he released a disc with his band, titled Rise Above in the year 2016, which included the collaboration of Warren Haynes (Govt Mule), Gregg Allman, Mike Stern, Josh Dion and JJ Grey.

Guitarrist Dean Brown has performed with artists like the Brecker brothers, Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham, Bill Evans, George Duke, David Samborn, Bob James & Joe Zawinul. He substituted Mike Stern in the band Tiger’s Baku, and received the blessing of Eric Clapton himself. On his particular journey, he has released solo albums marked by the excellence of a blend of impeccable elegance and a sound drawing on references including jazz, blues, rock & funk.

Etienne M’bappe is one of the best bassists in the world today and is known for his unique style of playing, with black silk gloves which he used in the last recording by Ray Charles back in the year 2001. Etienne has played with artists such as Salif Keyta, John Mclaughlin, Robben Ford, Bill Evans among many others and was also arranger & musical director of the the National Jazz Orchestra in France.

Drummer Keith Carlock stands out for his virtuosity & versatility to play just about anything; from the language of jazz fusion of the 80s to the sounds of his current band, the mythical formation from the USA, TOTO. He has also played with artists and bands like Steely Dan, James Taylor, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, John Mayer, Sting & Chris Botti.

Ella at 100 – The Latin Side of Ella Fitzgerald is a tribute to her voice & music, marking the centennial of the singer’s birth. The work is done in a Latin tone & key for a sextet formation with original arrangements by Rayko León, a Canarian pianist, composer & arranger who has been a member of and collaborated with a number of groups & artists, like Mestisay, Gran Canaria Big Band, Canaribe and the late timple player José Antonio Ramos.

This tribute is a completely novel project, not only in the Canary islands but worldwide; the fact being that there isn’t a group in existence that boasts a complete repertoire of Ella Fitzgerald with Latin versions.

In addition, ‘Ella at 100’ tries to establish its own sound identity using a somewhat different instrumental configuration of the group, concentrating mainly on the arrangements to provide the septet its distinguishing & identifying sound, endorsed by the meticulous work of the band’s members.

At the head of it all we find as the main vocalist Esther Alfonso Da Costa, one of the most symbolic voices representative of the Canaries; a specialist in the great jazz diva’s repertoire. As well as being a singer, she studied the violin, was an integral member of the ‘Joven Orquesta de Canarias’ (Canaries Youth Orchestra), performed with the Gran Canaria Big Band and is currently a member of the ‘Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife’ (Tenerife Symphony Orchestra). Concurrently, with pianist Augusto Báez they form the duet E&A, and have recorded their first disc, titled Coming from 50’s.

Other musicians involved in the tribute are José Ángel Vera (flute & saxophones), Ximo Martínez (vibraphone, marimba & lower percussion), Rodolfo Lussón Fofi (contrabass & electric bass), Alberto García (congas & tambours batás) & Osvaldo Hernández (drums & pailas); each & every musician with extensive experience in both musical ensembles and education.