Each year, the Paris Jazz Festival gets bigger and more successful, finally becoming one of the most important musical events on the Paris calendar.

Each weekend until the end of July, the Parc Floral de Paris will swing to the sound of various groups including The James Taylor Quartet, Diane Reeevs, Angélique Kidjo, Zap Mama...

But the festival is much more than just concerts. For a start, if you show your ticket at one of the jazz clubs on the rue des Lombards (the Duc des Lombards, Baiser Salé, Sunset or Sunside), you'll get 5 euros off the entrance price. Then there's a photo exhibition by Sophie Leroux called "The hands of jazz", black and white photos of musicians playing their instruments, and another exhibition with over 300 objects (photos, reports...) showing jazzmen offstage, at ease. For the kids there are the Musical Structures by Etienne Favre, a set of wooden instruments that children can hit, turn and use to make music, as well as musical workshops in the afternoon. There are also dance classes for adults at 12.30pm each weekend, including "Shake It Good" and "Spirit of Lindy"!

Taking place in a park, the festival is also very eco-conscious. Not only are all you encourages to used the correct recycling bin when throwing away your rubbish there, but there will also be the collection of plastic bottle tops by an association that recycles them into wheelchairs! The organisers also ask you to not leave your cigarette stub in the grass. Each year several tons of rubbish is collected after the concerts, and it's much more pleasant to be able to sit down without having to pick up other people's rubbish...

The official site also says, slightly tongue in cheek, that jazz helps the flowers and plants grow!
Hotel Paris
Here's all the essential information for the Paris Jazz Festival 2008

When: each weekend between 7th June and 27th July 2008
Where: Parc Floral de Paris, Paris 12th arrondissement. Métro: Château de Vincennes (line 1). Bus n°s 112, 46
Opening hours: Park opens 9.30am. Fanfares start at 1pm, concerts start between 3pm and 4.30pm (programme here)
How much: adults 5 euros, concessions 2.50 euos
Official site with annoying music: here


Bigger map here