Estonia's Jazzkaar Festival Celebrates Its Best Year Yet - Full Festival Recap
We can definitively say that in our eyes, the Jazzkaar Festival in Estonia is one of our favorite events of all time. What started out as a vacation to visit the beautiful city of Tallinn, quickly changed into a week-long event filled with some of the greatest Jazz performers located all across Europe, the UK, and the US. What we experienced across its 8 days changed our lives and opened our minds in the greatest way possible.
Since its inception in 1990, the Jazzkaar Festival has become a shining star in the Estonian cultural landscape and the largest jazz festival in the Baltic states. Jazzkaar has earned a reputation for its captivating and innovative programming, making it a standout event in the North. Just being there for a week, they proved to us that not only do they know how to throw an event, but their collective hospitality was off the charts!
Over its eight-day span, Jazzkaar attracts the largest number of visitors of any festival in Estonia, with more than 3,000 foreign artists from 60 countries gracing its stages. The festival's pinnacle moments have garnered international media coverage, and thanks to Klassikaraadio and EBU transmissions, millions of jazz enthusiasts across Europe have been able to partake in the experience.
Jazzkaar has earned acclaim in Europe, having been certified with the prestigious EFFE stamp of quality for multiple years. As a member of the European Jazz Network, Jazzkaar collaborates with partner festivals both in Estonia and abroad, fostering a vibrant jazz community.
Jazzkaar has played host to an impressive array of international jazz luminaries, including Bobby McFerrin, Angie Stone, Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Jan Garbarek, Richard Bona, John Scofield, Charles Lloyd, Bill Frisell, Gregory Porter, Pat Metheny, and countless others. Each performance contributes to the festival's rich tapestry of musical excellence.
For us though, it’s actually difficult to nail down who stood out the most, because everyone managed to be incredible. If we had to though, specific performers like Maria Faust (who we saw at an intimate home concert), The Baylor Project, the Ramuel Tafenau Quarter, and the TIKS DJ’s were major standouts. Every show brought a different aura of greatness, and having the opportunity to be so close was a joy that is literally priceless.
Though most of our readers are located in the US, we have to say, that if you ever manage to find yourself in Tallinn, Estonia, you MUST get to the Jazzkaar Festival. We hope to return next year, but of course in the meantime we’ll be following them close on their social media and website to stay informed. We suggest you do the same by clicking the links below.
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