Baku International Jazz Festival
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The Baku International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz event organized by renowned saxophonist and Baku resident Rain Sultanov. The festival aims to showcase the country's long-running attachment to the American-born art form, a connection first established in the country during the 1950s and 1960s, a time when jazz was outlawed by Soviet authorities. Many famous musicians from a dozen countries participate in the festival, countries such as: Georgia, Portugal, Italy, Israel, USA, Germany, Canada, Russia and many more.
The jazz acts appearing at the inaugural event in April 2005 included The Joe Zawinul Syndicate, Germany's Christoph Busse Trio and Russia's Yakov Okun Quarter, in a 14 day event that laid tribute to such Azerbaijani jazz predecessors as Rafig Babayev and his Gaya quartet as well as jazz pianist and composer Vagif Mustafa Zadeh. At the end of the first festival it was announced that the festival would become an annual event.
In 2006 the festival took place from 19 to 27 June and was headlined by Herbie Hancock and Al Jarreau.
