Jazz fans are gearing up to enjoy the 10th Riviera Maya Jazz Festival this weekend, November 22-24, 2012, on Playa Mamitas beach in Playa del Carmen, capital of the Riviera Maya. Mellow music, starlight, a gentle breeze and a beautiful Mexican Caribbean setting make this a must-see event for visitors and local music lovers alike, and this year’s line up offers something for everyone.

November 22
Big Band Joe D’Etienne
This Mexican big band performs traditional jazz and original compositions.

Pete Escovedo
Originally from Oakland, California, Pete Escovedo is hailed as one of the leading Latin Jazz musicians. He is joined on stage by his two sons who play percussion in his ensemble.

Victor Wooten
Award-winning bass guitarist Victor Wooten is a five-times Grammy winner and has been voted Bassist of the Year by Bass Player Magazine three times, the only musician to have won the award more than once. Born in Tennessee, he is a solo performer and member of Grammy winning group Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, in addition to being a composer, teacher and writer.

November 23
Nortec
From Tijuana in Baja California, Nortec are five-time Grammy nominees who play a vibrant and unique blend of banda and norteño music from northern Mexico and electronic sounds. Listen for the accordion and double bass that characterize the norteño musical genre so popular along the border, and the tuba, clarinet, horns and bass drums or tambora used in banda music from Sinaloa.

Poncho Sánchez
Latin jazz, soul artist and conga musician Poncho Sánchez takes his inspiration from conga drummer and composer Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Level 42
Originally from the Isle of Wight, this British jazz funk and dance rock band has a sophisticated sound that has been delighting music lovers since the early 1980s. Between 1980 and 1994, 20 of their singles made the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart, the most famous of which was Lessons in Love, which climbed to number 3 in the charts. The band celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2010 with a tour and a commemorative box set of their most famous songs.

November 24
Aguamala
Playa del Carmen born and bred, Aguamala has been the host band at the Riviera Maya Jazzz Festival for the last eight years. They have toured Mexico extensively and have performed at jazz festivals in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Wayne Shorter Quartet
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Wayne Shorter is a jazz legend. He was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet from 1964 to 1970 and then co-founded Grammy award-winning band Weather Report, the leading fusion group in the 1970s and 1980s.

John Scofield
Born in Ohio, John Scofield attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and is an Adjunct Professor of Music at New York University, in addition to his many recording and touring commitments. He is widely regarded as one of the finest jazz guitarists and a master of musical improvisation. During his glittering career, he also performed with other jazz legends such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Billy Cobham, George Duke, Charlie Mingus, Garry Burton and Miles Davis.

Don’t miss the chance to see world-class jazz musicians on stage in Playa del Carmen. Concerts are slated to begin at 7 p.m. at Playa Mamitas and admission is free.

Source: http://www.rivieramayajazzfestival.com

Featured photo by Mexico Today (Flickr)