ART HAPPENING - SAN JOSE JAZZ WINTER FEST: COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE

 

Northern California's renowned non-profit arts institution San Jose Jazz announces its 2023 WINTER FEST, February 16 - March 3, co-curated by Am I Jazz? Festival, the leading-edge jazz programmer in Kyiv, Ukraine, presented in downtown San Jose, Calif. For this initiative, COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE, San Jose Jazz and Olga Bekenshtein (Founder, Am I Jazz? Festival) celebrate the rich Ukrainian culture that the Russian war on Ukraine seeks to eliminate with an arts festival unlike any other ever presented before. To mark the devastating one-year milestone of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (February 24, 2023), the co-curators program for the first time a true cross-cultural collaboration between Ukraine-based artists performing alongside many of today's lauded American jazz artists for a multi-media festival shining the light on the best of improvisational music, Ukrainian fine art, independent films, and dance. 

COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE exposes the intimate stories of Ukrainian artists fighting to keep their cultural identity intact for generations to come. At the same time, the Russian war in Ukraine seeks to erase their past 300 years of existence.

 

SAN JOSE JAZZ WINTER FEST: COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE unites jazz presenters worldwide with its urgent and unique programming that brings together a collective of artists who all eloquently speak through pervasive works of art. SJZ WINTER FEST encompasses the South First Street arts district in downtown San Jose with venues SJZ Break Room, The Continental, Tabard Theatre, and Mama Kin Bar & Restaurant, as well as the venerable South Bay performance venue the Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University. Patrons will have the opportunity to support Ukraine through a special general admission ticket to most shows that includes a $10 donation. All donations received through the festival will benefit Nova Ukraine (LINK), a singular nonprofit providing humanitarian aid directly to Ukraine. All events will also provide information on text donations. 

SAN JOSE JAZZ WINTER FEST: COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE 

 Presented by San Jose Jazz (San Jose, Calif.) and Am I Jazz? Festival (Kyiv, Ukraine) COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE: Spotlighting Ukrainian Resilience and Cultural Identity with First-Time Collaborations Featuring Ukrainian Improvisational Artists and American Jazz Musicians at SJZ Winter Fest 2023 + Commissioned Original Works for COUNTERPOINT WITH UKRAINE from 

Five Headlining Acts Experience Ukrainian Culture at a Stateside Multidisciplinary Jazz Festival Through the Power of Music, Art, Film, and Dance From February 16 - March 3, 2023 Initial Artist Lineup: Jazzmeia Horn with the Marcus Shelby Orchestra, Ambrose Akinmusire & Rafiq Bhatia, Madison McFerrin, GEORGE Featuring Dancer Alina Sokulska, SJZ High School All Stars Play John Hollenbeck, Kassa Overall, Orrin Evans, Marcus Shelby Orchestra, Vadim Neselovskyi: Odesa, Dennis Adu Quintet, Mark Guiliana, Vân-Ánh Võ & Olesya Zdorovetska, SJZ Collective & Yakiv Tsvietinskyi Play the Music of Roy Hargrove, Karine (DJ Set), Shakolin (DJ Set), and More!

 Tickets On Sale Now (Tickets: $10 adv./$15 door - $35 adv/$40 door)