JazzAscona 2022: ten days of celebrations, completely free of charge

Thanks to the Sister Cities partnership, Ascona will hosts many musicians of course, but also dancers, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and Second Line dancers, with the aim of offering a broad overview of New Orleans culture. 

Some sixty musicians will travel from Louisiana and stay throughout the festival, like the new queen of soul music Erica Falls; singer, accordionist and heir to the zydeco tradition as well as 2022 Grammy nominated artist Sean Ardoin, as well as one of the most important groups of the Indian Mardi Gras culture, Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias, or the celebrated New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, performing twice: on June 25 a tribute to Aretha Franklin and on July 2 with one of the most famous jazz singers in the world, Dee Dee Bridgewater. The Grammy Award winning ensemble, led by Adonis Rose, is full of talents who will play on different stages each evening in some fifteen “Sister Cities Bands” in which they will be accompanied by European and Swiss musicians in ever new and surprising combinations. 

In addition to the New Orleans musicians, JazzAscona 2022 will of course present a variety of bands from different backgrounds, ranging from traditional jazz to swing, blues, soul and folk. Most certainly worthy of mention are Ali Affleck & The Hot Town Tigers with trumpeter Enrico Tomasso (23-26 June), French trad-jazz heroes Paris Washboard Superswing (27-28 June), 2019 Audience Award winner Sax Gordon, former Prince bassist and funk queen Ida Nielsen (2 July) and Canadian new folk, bluegrass band The Dead South, which now has millions of views on YouTube (27 June). Another unique concert not to be missed is the Joe Zawinul tribute dedicated to him and Weather Report, with the extraordinary participation of the 20-plus-piece Bundesjazzorchester and the group of the great keyboardist and protégé of Zawinul, Scott Kinsey (28.6.).

During the 10-day festival, some 350 events will be presented, they will no longer concentrate on the lakeside promenade only (where a little revolution will bring back the popular church stage), but will involve the entire picturesque old town, with many new musical situations, like street music and small acoustic and semi-acoustic sets that will create an atmospheric ambience in the small squares and alleyways throughout the old town.  The aim is to return a little to the original spirit of the New Orleans Festival of Ascona, with a more intimate and spontaneous dimension, which is also the reason for the decision to return, after many years, to exclusively free concerts, as during the first editions of the event in the 1980s.

In addition to the nightly jam sessions, a series of workshops will also provide entertainment during the day: Ashlin Parker, with his “Trumpet Mafia” for example, but also workshops on other aspects of New Orleans culture: second line dancing with choreographer and dancer Michelle Gibson, burlesque with Trixie Minx, New Orleans drumming techniques with Adonis Rose and much more. 

JazzAscona also wants to support and promote young groups and artists. Thanks to the GROOVIN’ UP initiative, they will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the festival and play in various situations, including on the main stages and alongside internationally renowned musicians. GROOVIN’ UP is not only aimed at musicians, but will involve young people also in the festival’s communication, photography and marketing.