Raw-demanding, velvety-soft, shrill-groovy or bubbly – hardly any other instrument has a scope of expression as extensive as that of the saxophone. From 2 to 6 July, JazzBaltica 2008 will focus on the saxophone in all of its facets under the motto »on sax« in the 18th year of its existence. In addition to »Artist in residence« Joe Lovano, more than twenty other saxophonists will set the tone at the concerts in Salzau, Lübeck, Husum and Kiel. These range from the old masters Ornette Coleman and Lee Konitz to the world star Wayne Shorter and multitalented Johannes Enders to the newcomers Grace Kelly and Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard.

The world-famous saxophonist Wayne Shorter – very familiar to the JazzBaltica audience as the celebrated »Artist in Residence« for 2002 – will make the Opening Concert of JazzBaltica 2008 on 3 July in the Lübeck Music and Congress Hall into an unforgettable evening. Together with his quartet, the trailblazing formation of Acoustic Jazz, and the Imani Winds woodwind quintet, he will do completely live up to his reputation as the great reviver of jazz with this concert.

As an unbelievably versatile improviser, the tenor-saxophonist Joe Lovano is the ideal »Artist in Residence« for the saxophone emphasis at JazzBaltica 2008. He can be experienced on all three days in Salzau with different players and special JazzBaltica projects. Lovano will make his debut for an intensive jazz weekend on Friday with the Steve Kuhn Quartet. Lovano and Kuhn will jointly present their project »Remembering John Coltrane« for the first time in Europe. On Saturday afternoon, Salzau’s large concert barn will have a spotlight on Joe Lovano for almost the entire time: In Dave Douglas’ first composition for big band and soloists, »Letter from America«, he plays with the NDR Bigband. Lovano, together with the piano star Hank Jones, will then give an insight into their joint album »Kids« which has been nominated for a Grammy. And finally, he will perform with the Sax Brothers Johannes Enders, Gary Smulyan and Greg Osby in all possible combinations, completely in the spirit of the famous Four Brothers. On Sunday, Joe Lovano will host a »Sax Summit« with Ravi Coltrane and Dave Liebman in memory of Michael Brecker and John Coltrane.

But that’s not all: In addition to these major projects, Joe Lovano will also engage in the Battles of the Sax Conclave Salzau. This will be an encounter between very different saxophonists of our time on Saturday evening, accompanied first by the Ignaz Dinné Quartet and then by the Don Friedman Quartet. In the first part, Ignaz Dinné, Lee Konitz, Donny McCaslin, Grace Kelly and Rosario Giuliani will compete against and perform with each other. The Sax Conclave Salzau II will feature Gary Smulyan, Greg Osby, Joe Lovano, Johannes Enders, Stefano Di Battista, Scott Robinson and Rudresh Mahanthappa.

In addition to Joe Lovano, JazzBaltica 2008 will especially honour the saxophonist Johannes Enders. As the leader of the New JazzBaltica Ensemble, which consists of Axel Schlosser, Karin Hammar, Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard, Lutz Häfner, Marcin Wasilewski, Eva Kruse and Michal Miskiewicz this year, he is taking the ensemble on new paths with concerts in Husum and Salzau.

In addition to these highlights, numerous other concerts will entice saxophone fans and those who would like to become fanciers of the instrument to JazzBaltica: for example, the performance by Ornette Coleman – one of the musicians with a major influence on the history of jazz and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; the homage to Coleman’s music by the Berlin saxophonist Silke Eberhard; the Lee Konitz/Don Friedman »Salzau Meeting«, at which the Konitz student Grace Kelly will have her Salzau debut; the Bunky Green Group; Manu Katché »Playground« with Trygve Seim; the concert by Rudresh Mahanthappa and many others.

In addition to Ornette Coleman the Salzau weekend will end with another special appearance: Last year's Artist in Residence Joe Locke, the master on the vibraphone, will demonstrate once again his infinite diversity and will confirm his success with a new band. Members of the group "Sticks & Strings" are the last drummer of piano legend Bill Evans, Joe LaBarbara, bassist Jay Anderson, the new guitar star from New York, Jonathan Kreisberg, and another master, the alto man from Rome, Rosario Giuliani.

Beyond the focus on the saxophone, the great European-African SongNight promises to be a breathtaking music experience: The Kiel high-flyer Milla Kay and the ethno-soul sensation Asa from Nigeria will bring a velvety timbre and an abundance of soul spirit to JazzBaltica on Friday evening.

In addition, JazzBaltica 2008 will celebrate the 90th birthday of Hank Jones and the 70th birthday of Steve Kuhn. JazzBaltica will initiate the birthday festivities for Hank Jones. After two concerts in Salzau – on Saturday with Joe Lovano and on Sunday with Don Friedman as the »Salzau Duo« on two pianos – he will immediately continue to celebrate at the Hollywood Bowl of Los Angeles and in New York. Steve Kuhn’s 70th birthday will be celebrated with two concerts at JazzBaltica: one with his trio and the other in a tribute concert called »Remembering John Coltrane« with Joe Lovano.

JazzBaltica 2008 will also be the first time that the JazzBaltica Förderpreis – donated by the Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein investment bank – will be awarded. The prize, which is endowed with 3,000 Euros, is intended to pay tribute to the work and artistic potential of younger, promising German jazz musicians who perform at the JazzBaltica once a year. Special consideration is given to artists from Northern Germany in the awarding of this prize.

JazzBaltica thanks the main sponsors Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein and Audi AG, as well as the concert sponsor Duckstein. All three companies have supported JazzBaltica or the SHMF for many years. Last year, the Investitionsbank committed once again to three more years and further intensified its commitment through the initial donation of the JazzBaltica Förderpreis. The Audi AG – which has already been a partner of the SHMF for the past 20 years – is also involved in its third year as a main sponsor for JazzBaltica in 2008. The concert sponsor Duckstein and the supporters Provinzial Nord and Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. also deserve thanks for their generous support. The continual media partners NDR, 3sat and Deutschlandradio will strengthen and confirm the popularity of the festivals in this year with numerous broadcasts on radio and television.

Advance ticket sales begin on 16 April 2008.
Tickets will be available through the Ticket Hotline +49 (0) 431-570 470 at that time.