Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Festival de jazz d'Antibes Juan-les-Pins, better known as Jazz à Juan, was founded on July 7, 1960 by Jacques Supplet and Jacques Hebey. He succeeded the festivals of Nice (1948) and Cannes (1958), and was distinguished from his first edition by prestigious programming, including American artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Mingus or Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The competition between musicians takes place in two emblematic places: the Fort Carré Stadium and the Pinède Gould, which quickly became the favourite venue for concerts.

The first edition of 1960 spanned nine evenings and dedicated the Dutch trio Pim Jacobs, Wim Overgaauw and Rita Reys as winners. Other awards are awarded, such as Raymond Court's title as best European trumpeter. Despite a brief interruption in 1971-72, when Nice took over the organisation, the festival was reborn in 1973 under the impetus of Norbert Gamsohn. The latter expands the programming to include young talents and different styles, while initiating television retransmissions marked by the foot of Jean-Christophe Averty.

From 1960 to 1990, Jazz à Juan hosted jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Nina Simone, as well as eclectic bands such as Pink Floyd. In 1992, the festival launched a unique tradition: the collection of handprints of artists, an idea by Victor Lévy-Perrault, then artistic director. These mussels, including those of Ray Charles or Oscar Peterson, symbolize the festival's legacy. Since 2021, a trio of advisors has provided artistic direction, perpetuating its international reach.

The festival enriches initiatives such as Jazz à Juan Révélations (2003-2012), highlighting new talents, and Jammin, a professional market dedicated to young artists. The live recordings of the concerts, from Dizzy Gillespie in 1963 to Keith Jarrett in 2003, testify to his artistic vitality. Today, Jazz à Juan remains a cornerstone of the world jazz scene, mixing heritage and innovation.

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