The afternoon starts at 14:00 with 2 masterclasses with musicians of international importance:

Drummer / vibraphonist Jim Hart and saxophonist Seamus Blake.

Registration to watch the masterclasses: producao.portajazz@gmail.com

At 18:00 , there will be combos' presentations which will involve dozens of Jazz students from some schools in the center and North of the Country (Conservatório do Porto, Conservatorio de music de Coimbra, Conservatório de Música da Jobra; Academia Valentim de Carvalho, Jahas).

The relationship between music and other art forms has been deepened in the Porta-Jazz / Guimarães Jazz project, developed through an artistic residency with creators from various areas. There have already been meetings between music and theater and dance, for example, and now the video is on the scene. In this edition of the Porta-Jazz Festival, you can watch the combination of composer and pianist João Grilo and visual artist Miguel C. Tavares, who are joined by two Norwegian musicians of international prestige: drummer Simon Olderskog Albertsen and double bass player Christian Meaas Svendsen. It is, therefore, a conversation between music and images, without definition of protagonists or secondary actors, in a constant balance between urban and natural, movement and stillness, abstract and real. The edge of this razor is both narrative and arbitrary, creating an engaging show that shuffles the clues to reveal something new.

One of the most important jazz groups in Portugal is called Coreto Porta-Jazz. It was created in 2010 by João Pedro Brandão and had in 2012 its first record, “Aljamia”, followed by “Mergulho”, “Sem Chão” and “Analog”. It can be said that it is a composition laboratory, both by João Pedro Brandão and a series of other Porto musicians, inside the ensemble (AP, Susana Santos Silva, José Pedro Coelho, Rui Teixeira) and outside it (Nuno Trocado, João Guimarães, Filipe Lopes, Tomás Marques, Paulo Perfeito). But there was also a place for international collaborations, the names of Torbjorn Zetterberg and Ohad Talmor being able to be mentioned, both as interpreters and composers. This being the tenth edition of the Porta-Jazz Festival and the tenth anniversary of the Bandstand, this performance will also be the celebration of a decade of musical services, revisiting some of the strongest compositions written for this group, with 12 musicians on stage. It is an excellent way to celebrate the complicity between these two entities, since Coreto is the resident ensemble of the Porta-Jazz Association and a regular presence at the festival.

Is it possible to make a memorable album in two days? Jim Hart and Alfred Vogel thought so and set out to challenge the weather that surrounded them with good music. In fact, the weather references are more than many, from the album's title, “Come Rain Come Shine”, to the names of the themes themselves. It is then clear that making music about the weather is as fertile as making conversation about the weather, especially if it is April. However, it is necessary to bear in mind that we are facing two talented musicians, with more than evidence given around the world. Jim Hart is a renowned vibraphonist and Alfred Vogel has become famous in the drums, the latter also being at the Porta-Jazz Festival with Blechbaragge. So expect a smell of April in February and the revelation that a Brit and an Austrian can understand each other musically, as long as the heater is on and there are hot drinks close by.

The concert will be followed by a Jam Session.

So that jazz ceases to be a mystery, there is a commented concert conducted by pianist and composer João Grilo. It will enlighten questions, scare away ghosts and explain how this unique music is made, showing the role of improvisation, composition, interaction and intuition in its creation. In the process, one becomes more aware of the differences in relation to other musical genres, but also of the many shared features, helping to bring the audience closer to this much discussed, old and ever-changing jazz.

"PULSE!" appears as a creative response to the invitation with carte blanche addressed to Ricardo Coelho by the Porta Jazz Association within the scope of its 10th Festival.

It is a quintet formed by this vibraphonist from Porto, the prestigious Brazilian bassist Frederico Heliodoro and the unique Mané Fernandes (guitar/electronics), José Diogo Martins (piano/keyboards) and Diogo Alexandre (drums).

An admirable cast that will reveal new compositions by Ricardo Coelho and show another aspect of one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. We're talking about someone whose curriculum includes collaborations with such varied names as MINA, Capicua, Jafumega, EduMundo or The Mantra of the pHat Lotus, not to forget his own trio and the group THE FOUNDATION. In sum, jazz, improvised music, hip hop and world music in the same line and in the same person. You wouldn't expect anything else from a creator who started playing the piano at the age of four, passing by the drums and finally established himself in the vibraphone. At this rate, this tale hasn’t probably stopped here yet!

The elements of this trio say they make music for the music and with half their brains disconnected. Therefore they leave one hemisphere flying free and the other floating over rationality, meaning that there is both written as well as improvised in this group’s themes. It is a group formed by guitarist António Pedro Saramago (AP), bassist Diogo Dinis and drummer Miguel Sampaio. Three Portuguese one born in Porto, another in Ovar and the last one in Minho, all spinning around with this complicity thing, a feeling as dignified on a coffee table as in a rehearsal room. They decided to put everything at stake, throwing themselves into drifting sessions with tuned compasses and coming out with a set of improbable themes. Everything was worth it from rhythmic ideas to colour exploration, not forgetting some signs of groove or unredeemed melodies. But always from a heracletian perspective, that is, without ever playing the themes twice the same way. Therefore you can count on the unexpected in their compositions approach at the Porta-Jazz festival. A trio without certainties, for sure.

Pedro Neves Trio's new album inspiration came from the movement of birds in flocks. The way they change direction, the elegance of the traces they create on the landscape and the unpredictability of their flight were good guidelines for a group that always seeks to innovate and then leave each new second of their themes open. The trio led by pianist Pedro Neves is already on its third record, always with Porta-Jazz Seal, all of which have received praise from various quadrants, as well as invitations to national and international performances. In addition to their mentor, the group is formed by Miguel Ângelo (double bass) and Leandro Leonet (drums), proudly exhibiting the fact that they have been an unchangeable band throughout their 10-year existence. Pedro Neves has also recorded with Mariana Vergueiro and Bruno Macedo, besides integrating Lucia Martinez's quartet. He has also collaborated with the singer Sónia Pinto, whom he recently released an album with, edited by the German Mons Records.

As mutation is a constant element of life, the news of a second album of the Impermanence collective could only be received naturally and joyfully in equal shares. Realistic, because something as successful as the gathering of these talents could only have its continuity as a consequence, just like the day follows the night; Rejoicing, because in life even things that are taken for granted should be duly celebrated. Thus, since the topic is impermanence, it would be wrong to expect a repetition of the previous album. This is, after all, a group that praises change, led by Susana Santos Silva, a trumpeter who has done everything she can to avoid falling into formalism. That's why a constellation of similar minds has been assembled, which are Hugo Raro (piano and synthesizer), João Pedro Brandão (alto sax and flute), Torbjörn Zetterberg (electric bass) and Marcos Cavaleiro (drums). They have come to the Porta-Jazz Festival to release this new album, unveiling not only seven new compositions but also the will to create an unrepeatable moment. Things of restlessness, therefore.

We associate a serene atmosphere, made of laid-back afternoons appreciating the rain outside, to the title of João Mortágua's new album, "Inside the Window". We are talking about a cosiness facing the musical creation, coming from the right side of the window, looking at an outer space that may be less comfortable but still always inspiring. This world and music peacefulness could only be achieved in the right companionship, the one provided by a group of friends. Namely, José Pedro Coelho (tenor sax), Miguel Moreira (guitar), José Carlos Barbosa (bass) and José Marrucho (drums). Curiously, when looking for João Mortágua's new album at Brandcamp, a theme by the Brazilian Luden called “A Lifetime In A Room With A Closed Window” pops up on the screen. Well, musical considerations aside, this coincidence ends up attracting attention because of its contrast, because the idea suggested by Mortágua is actually quite different, much less claustrophobic. There couldn't be a better help than this to define the new themes of the Porto saxophonist, one of the most talented (inter)national musicians.

One might even call it fate, but the truth is that Peter Evans and the Matosinhos Jazz Orchestra will meet again. The Festival Porta-Jazz is the witness to this conversation resume, having as its main conductor a handful of interpretations by the American trumpeter and carrier of a unique sound.A major figure in jazz world, he is surrounded, once again, by a renowned big band. A big band with 23 years of experience and collaborations with musicians going from Chris Cheek to Carla Bley. Present in the first editions of the festival, and always showing support for the Porta-Jazz movement, the OJM is once again part of the festival in it's 10th anniversary. This performance has the title "Perception Beyond Knowing", the name of a theme from Peter Evans' most recent album. It includes new musical arrangements for some of his records, created in several periods, in addition to "I Want to Talk To You", a standard by Billy Eckstein haunted by the magnificent version by John Coltrane. A bridge between classical and contemporary jazz, without forgetting the classical music.

Although I was born in 72, it wasn't until the mid-1980s that I started buying music. Until then I lived a little inhibited by my older sister, who found that practically everything I liked was cheesy. And in many ways she was right. However, it was with the arrival of the 90s that I opened the chest of black music. On the ride of acid jazz, I wanted to dive deeper into both jazz and soul, which then led me to disco, hip hop, techno, house, even drum'n'bass, but especially to funk, which was my area of expertise for almost the entire time I was spinning records, about 12 years. In the meantime, my daughter was born and for more than a decade, I haven't spent much time with records. Porta-Jazz's invitation to spin some records at “Jazz ao Relento”, in August last year, was, therefore, special. And now it is with the same enthusiasm that I return, bringing a jazz-funk set up my sleeve. I hope it's good for everyone.

Hop Dance Studio is a dance school created in 2015, specialized in American vintage dances (Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz, Tap, Blues, Shag and Balboa). These dance styles share the same genesis (their roots are in the African culture) and they also shared a time marked by a musical style very characteristic of the 1930s, the Swing and the Blues.

In addition to standard classes Hop Dance Studio offers weekly practice and regular parties where students and the rest of the community can dance socially. If you like to have fun and make new friends, these dances are for you!

If the city of Porto has six bridges (and a new one is on the way, so they say), nothing could be more natural than an association of this city establishing solid connections with counterparts from other countries. This is what the Porta-Jazz Association has done with the well-known AMR, an association of musicians created in the 1970s in Geneva. The national team is composed by João Guimarães (saxophone) and Acácio Salero (drums), with Benoît Gautier (double bass) and Thomas Florin (piano) on the Swiss side. They have been together in an artistic residence and each musician will be responsible for leading 1/4 of the proposal to be presented in this Festival Porta-Jazz, in a most certainly unforgettable concert. This is the fourth edition of a partnership between the two associations, which began with an interprogram of bands and this year has gained a much more ambitious dimension. Not to miss!

No doubt that some music projects leave us with a smile on our lips. The Blechbaragge are definitely in that group. They have a cutting tone that increases our dopamine levels, even when they want to be mean and go the wrong way on the cacophony road. The explanations may be various, but there is no doubt that the combination of a tuba, a drum and a saxophone (or clarinet) gives us, in the very first instance, the guarantee of facing something quite different. However, the sense of humour of Joe Bärr, Alfred Vogel and Andreas Broger is an indispensable asset, outstanding both in the studio and on stage. But you'd better not believe everything they say. For example, the fact that they have called their first album "We Play the March For You" is not in any way a sign that they are going to play us a march. A very slight concern to be taken so that everything goes well in their appearance at the Porta-Jazz Festival, resulting from the partnership with the Bezeau Beatz Festival.

The word Utopia is central to the MAU trio. Starting by the name, which in full stands for Miguel Ângelo Utopia. Then, by his first album, which is precisely called "UTOPIA". Well, this is a word with history and which, since Thomas More, has become a synonym of fantasy. However, it can also be seen in the perspective of future fulfillment, taking into account its Greek origin. The Porta-Jazz Festival will present the combined bass of Miguel Ângelo, the guitars of Miguel Moreira and the drums of Pedro Melo Alves (recorded by Mário Costa in the album), an utopia in quest for the perfect theme, with both improvisation and writing, guided by merely circumstantial rules. If in theory it had everything to go well, in practice it has materialized even better, forming a musical archipelago where one goes with one's senses wrapped in the mysteries of the path. Note: the Porta-Jazz Festival is only responsible for the single sound trip, the return plans will depend on the criteria of each viewer.

Translating Hermann Hesse and Ernest Hemingway's literature into music? It may seem unlikely, but that was exactly what the Jeffery Davis Quintet did. It works as a kind of transcription in free association, with the musical notes acting out as lyrics and assigning the rest of the service to the imagination. But that was just one of the missions of this group. Actually, it was created by this musician to show that the vibraphone can be used innovatively in an ensemble and composition context, filling the tank with the required harmonious and melodic fuel.

It was, by the way, this design that led him to choose the band, having selected a group of musicians with the right characteristics to achieve the sound he desired. In this context, amongst the many figures he could have called, he selected Óscar Marcelino da Graça (piano), José Soares (alto saxophone and soprano), Nelson Cascais (double bass) and Marcos Cavaleiro (drums). A group with several geographical origins, from Basel to Lisbon, Figueira da Foz and Aveiro, not forgetting our host musician’s Canada (with many years of permanence in Portugal).

Asceticism is associated with the idea of deprivation. Hugo Carvalhais found a source of inspiration for his translucent sound there, made of clarity and silence for a timeless hearing. It is the perfect epilogue to the journey that the musician has undertaken throughout recent times, materialized in the albums "Nebula, Particle and Grand Valis". They are sound recordings with a spatial background, and even with some references to science fiction, giving the right motto to his sound routes. In this contemplative stage, the bassist has gathered a sextet to which he invited a long-time friend: the Lithuanian saxophonist Liudas Mockunas, an unquestionable name in the new European improvised music. An excellent time for Hugo Carvalhais' premiere at the Porta-Jazz Festival.

The Spanish composer and trumpeter Ricardo Formoso is coming to the Porta-Jazz Festival to present his second original project. The title is "Implosion" and succeeds the well received "Origins", edited with the Porta-Jazz Stamp, bringing to the stage a true mosaic of talents and geographies. We are talking about a quintet formed by Ricardo Formoso himself (trumpet and flugelhorn), the Canadian Seamus Blake (tenor saxophone), the Catalan Albert Bover (piano), the Argentinian Demian Cabaud (double bass) and the Portuguese Marcos Cavaleiro (drums). Some of them have chosen Portugal to live in, others will only be passing through, but it's a fact that, among themselves, they form a beautiful sample of the recent jazz history, with careers linked to remarkable personalities from the music scene and from several generations. It will be a privilege to see them together on stage bringing to life the themes of Ricardo Formoso, an author who has already crossed the stage of promises to become a certainty on the global scale.

There will be a Jam Session after the concert.