The finale of the 24th Bydgoszcz Jazz Festival will be an event of exceptional artistic significance. One of the most outstanding pianists in contemporary jazz will perform on the Opera Nova stage — Emmet Cohen — will perform on the Opera Nova stage with a special project titled “Miles and Coltrane at 100,” prepared to mark the 100th anniversary of the births of two giants of world jazz—Miles Davis and John Coltrane—in 2026.

It was the work of these two visionaries that forever changed the history of improvised music, setting new directions for the development of jazz and inspiring subsequent generations of artists around the world. The program curated by Emmet Cohen is not a reenactment of their achievements, but a contemporary take on the musical legacy of these two geniuses. It is a creative dialogue with their compositions, ideas, and artistic courage—a concert that demonstrates that great jazz remains a living, ever-evolving art form.

The project’s leader, Emmet Cohen, ranks among the most important pianists of his generation. A winner of the prestigious American Pianists Awards and a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, he performs at the world’s most important jazz festivals and venues. He also gained international recognition for his original series “Live From Emmet’s Place,” which attracted millions of viewers during the pandemic and became one of the most important online projects promoting jazz, restoring a close connection between improvised music and its audience.

For this anniversary program, Cohen has invited outstanding representatives of the New York jazz scene to collaborate with him. Joining him on stage will be: Tivon Pennicott on tenor saxophone, Benny Benack III on trumpet, Joe Ranieri on double bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. These are musicians who have been collaborating for years with the biggest names in world jazz, forming a band characterized by impressive energy, virtuosity, and extraordinary freedom of improvisation.

The concert program will feature new, original interpretations of compositions that have left an indelible mark on jazz history—from “Giant Steps” and “Sketches of Spain,” to pieces from the groundbreaking periods in the careers of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Above all, however, it will be a story about their artistic legacy—music that continues to inspire, provoke exploration, and set the highest standards in the art of jazz.

The “Miles and Coltrane at 100” concert will be a fitting culmination of the 24th Bydgoszcz Jazz Festival—an encounter with world-class music performed by artists who, with great respect for tradition but also with their own creative imagination, carry on the legacy of jazz’s greatest masters. This is an event not to be missed—the festival’s finale, celebrating the past, present, and future of jazz.

Performers:
Emmet Cohen Quintet
Emmet Cohen – Piano
Tivon Pennicott – Tenor Saxophone
Benny Benack III – Trumpet
Joe Ranieri – Bass
Joe Farnsworth – Drums

Tickets: https://bydgoszczjazzfestival.com.pl/wydarzenia/gwiazdy-swiatowego-jazzu-emmet-cohen-presents-miles-and-coltrane-at-100/

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24th Bydgoszcz Jazz Festival | Stars of World Jazz

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