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The 2009 Panama Jazz Festival runs from January 12 through January 17 in Panama City, Panama. The festival is in its sixth year. Founded by a Panamanian pianist, Danilo Perez, the Panama Jazz Festival attracts jazz artists and devotees from throughout the world. In addition to performances the Panama Jazz Festival features auditions for prestigious music scholarships, and workshops for aspiring jazz musicians.

According to the Panama Jazz Festival 2009 web site featured artists at this year’s festival include American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter's quartet with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade, and Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, Marco Pignataro, Eddie Gómez, Billy Drummond, Luba Mason, Hubert Laws, Jimmy Haslip, and Rubén Blades.

Panama Jazz Festival Scholarships

According to the Panama Jazz Festival web site, “Auditions for admission and scholarships to the New England Conservatory, Berkley College of Music, and the Conservatorio de Puerto Rico will be scheduled during the week of the festival.”

Panama Jazz Festival Classes

Panama Jazz Festival classes include “ensemble, flute, trumpet, guitar, composition, drum, bass, piano, and saxophone workshops by the New England Conservatory Ensemble, led by jazz department chair Ken Schaphorst, and master classes by Berkley professors Jim Odgren and Jim Kelly. All classes will take place at the Ascanio Arosemena Educational Center, on the Panama Canal Administration Campus. Chucho Valdés, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, and pianist Edna Golandsky (with the Golandsky Piano Institute) are among the artist/instructors.”

The web site goes on state that, “The Boston-based Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, who founded the festival in 2003 and whose Danilo Perez Foundation coordinates its educational component, anticipates more than 16,000 attendees.

“The festival will open with a gala concert at the Teatro Nacional by a flamenco jazz group from Spain, sponsored by the Spanish Embassy. Other artists scheduled to perform at the festival are the Puerto Rican saxophonist Marco Pignataro and his quintet, featuring Eddie Gomez and Billy Drummond; American singer Luba Mason, whose quintet includes flute master Hubert Laws, bassist Jimmy Haslip, and vocalist Rubén Blades and the young Panamanian saxophonist Jahaziel Arrocha, who won a Berkley College of Music scholarship at the 4th annual Panama Jazz Festival and currently attends Berkley as a Presidential Scholar.”

One of the goals of the Panama Jazz Festival each year is to get people to come and stay in Panama for awhile instead of just passing through. The Panama Jazz Festival celebrates world music and its diversity.

If you live in Panama you can add the Panama Jazz Festival to your list of “must do” events. If you are thinking of visiting Panama come during the festival and enjoy great jazz while visiting the tropical paradise that is Panama.