Every year more than 30,000 guests pour into the festival’s gates awaiting Russia’s biggest open-air jazz festival, “Usadba Jazz.” The performances take place at 5 different stages and the festival lasts from 2 to 3 days. Every year the festival welcomes more than fifty bands from Russia and abroad. The 5 different stages are separated into styles and genres: The “Parter”, a spontaneous and multi-style stage, encompasses a variety of music from jazz-rock to world music. The “Aristocrat”, a slightly more sophisticated and exquisite stage, provides the listener with classics, jazz standards and contemporary jazz. “Kapriz” is the stage for those with dancing shoes who want to cut-a-rug to some swing, boogy-woogy and traditional rock-n- roll. If a more relaxed atmosphere is sought than the “Lounge”, with its acid jazz essence, provides the casual listener with a soothing environment. The most engaging and most flexible area is the “LiveJournal” stage. This is where the musicians get to fully involve themselves in a huge jam-session where guests and professionals share the stage in a very unique performance.
In 2008, for the first time, the festival included the Young Musicians Competition. More than 500 hundred musicians applied for the chance to perform at Usadba. The performers, who were all under the age of 35, came from all different parts of Russia and the CIS. The young musicians were chosen for participation through a jury of musicians, promoters and critics. In the end 7 bands were chosen to perform on June 12th, the festival’s opening day. The young performers were rewarded with valuable prizes for their skills and artistic endeavors. The success of the Young Musicians Competition will instill its presence in Usadba for years to come.
“Usadba.Jazz” festival participants 2004-2008:
Yusef Lateff and Belmondo Quintet (France)
Charlie Hunter Trio (USA)
Igor and Oleg Butman «Jazz Passion» project &Ty Stephens (Russia-USA)
Avishai Cohen trio (Israel)
Alexey Kozlov and “Arsenal” band (Russia)
Marcus Miller (USA)
Nino Katamadze and Insight band (Georgia)
The Brand New Heavies (GB)
Re:jazz (Germany)
Alexey Aigui and «4:33» (Russia)
The Shins (Germany-Georgia)
Billy Cobham (USA)
Karl Denson&The Greyboy Allstars (USA)
Tanok na Maidani Congo (Ukraine)
Markscheider Kunst (Russia)
Arkady Shilkloper (Russia)
Alex Sipyagin (USA)
Boris Kozlov (USA)
Nikolay Levinovsky (USA)
Datevik Hovanesian (USA)
Georgy Garanyan (Russia)
JVL Big Band
Lundstream Big Band
Billy's Band (Russia)
Red Elvises (Russia - USA)
Anatoliy Kroll (Russia)
Life is not a picnic (France)
