The 24th edition of Festival Banlieues Bleues, Jazz in Seine-St-Denis, hosts a number of performances by jazz bands in 16 towns of the department 93 in the northern suburbs of Paris. This year there is a special focus on the influence on jazz of funk and hip hop, with British artists giving a number of concerts:

Soweto Kinch (Saxophone), Abram Wilson (trumpet/vocalist)
Friday 23 March - Espace Fraternité in  Aubervilliers

Bitty McLean and Sly & Robbie (Reggae)
24 March – Gymnase Maurice Baquet in Bagnolet

Spring Heel Jack invites Paul Lytton, Pat Thomas and Alex Ward
30 March – Salle Pablo Neruda in Bobigny


And in the framework of educational activity:

- Bitty McLean will give workshops on the practice and discovery of Jamaican reggae songs with young people from Bagnolet. For the past 10 years his Jamaican reggae songs have been very successful in the UK and the West Indies.

- Spring Heel Jack will give a masterclass on music and improvisation at Blanc-Mesnil.

- Soweto Kinch will meet with young people to discuss jazz and hip hop and will invite them to join him in a rap and slam session in Aubervilliers.


9 March – 7 April 2007

Various venues in the department 93000

http://www.banlieuesbleues.org