The life of a touring jazz musician isn't what it used to be. And with budgets being slashed from major arts festivals, conditions aren't improving. The Croatian-American vocalist Thana Alexa offers a solution with the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival, located on a tiny, car-free island off the coast of Dubrovnik in Croatia. It's a spectacular place for a music fan, but it might be even better for the artists.
"My question was: What would happen if very creative people at different points in their career were put on an island together with no plan to leave for a few days?" Alexa said. "And then after talking about music all day, actually play music and create something together."
In this episode of Jazz Night in America, we go behind the scenes of this musicians-first festival, where artists are invited to work on themselves and find inspiration. We also hear a live performance from Sofia Rei and her trio, and hear what happens when a violent Adriatic storm interrupts concerts with Ben Wendel and Michael Mayo.
Credits:
Host: Christian McBride; Writers and Producers: Simon Rentner and Sarah Geledi; Mastering: Ron Scalzo. Sofia Rei's set recorded by Mario Suica and mixed by Neal Tevault. Executive Producer: Steven A. Williams; Executive Producer at NPR Music: Suraya Mohamed; Executive Director of NPR Music: Sonali Mehta.
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