45 Festival Jazz Terrassa

Official Tune: Fredi's Jazz Band - Hoe Down

What Is Jazz? Questions and Answers

The Terrassa Jazz Festival -from March 6 to 27- reaches its 45th edition with the conviction of the path traveled over four decades and, at the same time, the passion to continue moving forward. It is a significant and symbolic figure that appeals to memory, to trajectory and connects with the question that becomes the leitmotif of this year's edition: "What is jazz?". Undoubtedly, it is one of the most recurring questions to the environment of the genre throughout its more than 125 years of history. There has never been a clear answer and precisely because of this, the question still invites us to continue imagining, to continue creating and to continue building an unrestricted look.

Since the first edition of the FJT in 1982, the event has been shaping a response through a programming free of impositions and commercial guidelines, attentive to the evolution of musical language and faithful to an idea of jazz as a space of creative freedom. What Is Jazz? Jazz is this nexus of union, a language that creates community, that fosters dialogue, respect and the coexistence of diverse cultures, generations and origins on the same stage. They are values that acquire special relevance in the current socio-political context, marked by polarization.

Scheduled and supported by the members of the Club de Jazz dels Amics de les Arts i JM, the FJT maintains its commitment to the discovery of new talent, diversity and an outreach that understands jazz as a living, universal and constantly evolving language. What Is Jazz? Jazz is the ever restless look that bets on embracing spaces of creative freedom and understanding.

This gaze is translated again in 2026 into a program that combines big names, projects that welcome risk and voices that vindicate the popular legacy of the genre. Internationally, the Festival premieres with a main course, "Bluestorius" (S 7), the project by Carles Benavent and Felix Pastorius, with Roger Mas and Toni Pagès, which revisits the musical heritage of Jaco Pastorius. It also celebrates the return to the stage of the Nova Jazz Cava the double bassist Dave Holland, who presents a duet format with Lionel Loueke in one of the most relevant performances of the edition (V 13).

Contemporary and avant-garde jazz will also play a prominent role, with the concerts of the Rising Sun Quartet (J 12), the new proposal of New York saxophonist Jon Irabagon, and Ches Smith's Clone Row, (J 19), where the Californian drummer explores the limits of the current jazz language accompanied by musicians such as guitarist Mary Halvorson. They are two proposals that converse with the most neobop look, but never without risk, of the renowned trumpeter Dave Douglas, who presents his new album as a quartet (D 15). On a more classical level, the pianist Francesca Tandoi, one of the new values of European jazz, will debut on the Tarrasense stage betting on the trio format (V 20), while the "Nit de Blues" presents the guitarist and singer Toronzo Cannon recently arrived from Chicago (S 14).

Regarding the state and Catalan scene, the Festival continues to reinforce its commitment to local talent. We highlight the performance of the quintet led by Oriol Vallès and Irene Reig, who will be in charge of the opening concert (V 6) at the Nova Jazz Cava, the premiere of the Enric Fuster Quartet, winner of the 2026 Step Jazz Award (S 21) and the proposals of two young Egarense saxophonists to take into account: Haizea Martiatu and Alba Ruiz, who will lead their respective jam sessions. This emerging talent will also be represented at the closing concert of the Festival, on March 27th, by the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, which commemorates its 20th anniversary.

The program will once again have a very special session dedicated to the Jazzterrasman Award (D 8), which in 2026 marks the career of local saxophonist Guim Balasch, closely linked to Jazz Terrassa and the musical training side of the city. And the legacy of the Liverpool quartet will be reviewed in "The Beatles, en Blanc i Negre by Nito Figueras", accompanied by four high-flying voices: Txell Sust, Mone Teruel, Anna Luna and Susana Sheiman (J 26).

In addition to the offer in the Nova Jazz Cava, which will host up to 15 performances, live music will have a presence in various stages of the City and its region in already consolidated formats, reaffirming the open and participatory nature of the Festival, such as the outdoor stages in Plaça Vella -Tòfol Martínez Blues Band-, Plaça Catalunya -Luismi Segurado Trio-, MNACTEC Patio -Belén Bandera & Carla Motis feat Horacio Fumero-, Plaça del Rector Homs -Pere Soto "Tribute to Charlie Parker "Bird"-, and the Parc de Sant Jordi –New Old Cats Swing-.

In this most popular area, the Picnic Jazz will once again be the great spring party with four top-notch performances at the Parc de Vallparadís (D 22) with Fredi's Jazz Band, Sara Dowlin & Ignasi Terraza Trio, Against The Blues and Dani Nel·lo, celebrating 40 years on stage. An inclusive event that combines music, gastronomy and children's activities in the Pícnic Xic space in an unmissable day.

For three intense weeks, the Terrassa Jazz Festival will once again dialogue with the cultural fabric of the city and display a wide range of parallel activities, such as exhibitions, conferences, workshops, master classes, jam sessions and proposals designed for all audiences.

The organization of the Jazz Club of Amics de les Arts and JM thanks the support of sponsors and collaborators, and invites you to participate over 22 days, where a diverse and extensive offer will take place with 56 concerts and activities starring more than 200 musicians, which will take place in 23 spaces in Terrassa, Matadepera, Vacarisses and Viladecavalls. Again, it will be a collective celebration of jazz as a language of freedom and community to keep asking ourselves “What is jazz?”.

This 45th edition is dedicated to the memory of Al Foster (1943-2025), Paul Stocker (1952-2025) and Roger Torruella (1964-2025)

CREDITS

Organization: Jazz Terrassa / Amics de les Arts i JM

Artistic Director: Valentí Grau

Coordination: Susanna Carmona

Technical Production and Sound Engineering: Oriol Bacardit

Production / Hospitality: Marina Utset / Mercè Borràs

Digital Communication / Ticketing: Marc Ribera

Press: Olga Àbalos / David Traver

Administration: Mónica Díaz

Nova Jazz Cava Coordination: Xavi Arnau

Morning Logistics / Jazz Picnic: Adrià Font / Joan Soler