The Tbilisi Jazz Festival Features Pat Metheny

Tbilisi hosted the 22nd Jazz Festival on February 20 – March 2. The Festival was distinguished this year as legendary American jazz guitarist and composer, Pat Metheny was the major performer, featuring twice during the festival.

Metheny is the owner of 20 Grammy Awards and the only performer to have won in the Grammy’s 10 different categories. He is said to be one of those outstanding musicians who can freely improvise on stage and offer absolutely incredible compositions to audiences worldwide, and this he did in Tbilisi.

The three-day festival was opened with a new project ‘Tbilisi Big-Band’ & ‘New Jazz Generation’ in the Grand Hall of the Tbilisi Conservatoire. At the concert, the representatives of different generations performed together and mesmerized the audience with various jazz compositions.

On March 1, the Pat Metheny Trio took to the stage for more than an hour and transformed the evening into a real celebration for jazz enthusiasts, who twice called the performers back on stage for an encore, which they were happy to do.

The Tbilisi Jazz Festival was completed with the joint concert of Pat Metheny and the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vakhtang Kakhidze at the Tbilisi Concert Hall. The world-renown guitarist performed within the scope of the project Missouri Skies and More. The audience was given an opportunity to listen to the diverse and unorthodox presentation of the famous compositions.

“I am grateful to the organizers of the Festival for giving me an opportunity to work with such a legendary figure as Pat Metheny,” Kakhidze said after the concert.

Tbilisi Jazz Festival is organized by Eastern Promotions and TBC Status and supported by the Ministry of Tbilisi City Hall and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.

At the press conference, the Director of Eastern Promotions, Giorgi Kereselidze, focused on the importance of inviting such prominent guests to Georgia for promoting the country and contributing to the popularization of high-quality jazz music for the Georgian audience. He also noted that in order for everyone to be able to attend the event, the ticket prices would be "moderate" to attract many and encourage all generations to develop a love of jazz.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

Photo: Giorgi Nakashidze