PAST CONCERTS

A jazz moment on Sunday at Place de Savoie with the band Richie's Washboard Four.

sabelle Leymarie is a jazz pianist who spent many years living and performing in New York. She is now based in Geneva, where she formed her band Tropics with outstanding musicians from the region. The group performs a blend of original compositions and jazz standards, with a strong Latin jazz influence.

The musicians of this ensemble brilliantly rise to the challenge of expressing themselves in the swing idiom of the 1940s and 1950s, a major influence on their musical journeys. Driven by an intense pulse and syncopated rhythms, they perform with passion and elegance a selection of standards from the essential Great American Songbook, enriched with lesser-known gems from the repertoire and original compositions faithful to the spirit of the era. Opening concert of Rive Jazzy 2024, Swincopation also paid a special tribute to Stan Getz on this occasion.

Guitarist, singer, composer and performer, RANIIIA is a Swiss artist of Tunisian and Dominican origin whose music leaves no one indifferent. Now, at just 17 years old, RANIIIA is performing live throughout the Lake Geneva region, both solo and with other musicians. Influenced from an early age by great artists such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Tupac, Kanye West and Jay Z, and inspired by the lyrics of great female figures such as Alicia Keys, Nina Simone, H.E.R, Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill, and by her mother's Oriental music and her father's Merengue and Bachata, this intrepid musician knows the power of words and rhythmic music, and blends all her inspirations to create her own music and bring her own energy. Accompanied by incredible musicians such as Joana Lazzarotto on bass, Zachary Lubicz on drums, Gaëtan Rey on keyboards, and Clyve J. on percussion, together they create a warm and authentic energy, their goal being to share their worlds with as many people as possible! SOul Fresh's vibe is a mix of gospel, jazz, funk, blues, reggae, R&B, and hip hop. For RANIIIA, these are the styles that represent her SOUL!

SMILE is a rock and rhythm & blues band that has been active for 28 years, performing songs from the 1960s and 1970s while reworking them in their own distinctive style. But SMILE is above all a highly professional, energetic live band whose passion is to share their music and give everything to their audience. Guaranteed great atmosphere! The band performs in a wide range of venues, from clubs and all kinds of events to major festivals (Paillotte, Jazz Cully, Montreux Jazz, etc.).

Although bringing together a rather exotic menagerie, Les Pandas Royals remain firmly rooted in a jazzy spirit, revisiting Belle Époque classics, moving through timeless waltzes and, of course, the iconic Fitzgerald/Armstrong duo, all the way to the hits of Amy Winehouse. Carried by the vibrant voice of singer Marie Bourg, clarinet, trumpet, accordion, baritone saxophone and guitar pulse along the old swing tracks, injecting freshness and spontaneity through original arrangements.

Alexander’s Ragtime Band plays and loves traditional jazz. The distinctive feature of this ensemble, which has existed since 2019, is that it includes two trumpeters, unlike the standard Dixieland orchestra line-up. Our interpretations are inspired by the styles of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Lu Watters, Bob Scobey and Jelly Roll Morton – in other words, jazz from the beginning of the last century through to the late 1920s. Especially for Lindy Hop dancers, we also perform swing from the 1930s and 1940s. Our music is based on collective interaction. We present the musical theme together and improvise freely during the instrumental solos. The two-part trumpet playing is a key element of our interpretations. Alexander’s Ragtime Band mainly draws inspiration from original sources such as old shellac recordings, which we then adapt to today’s requirements. The band always plays in a very spontaneous way. The repertoire includes Dixieland, New Orleans jazz, swing, boogie-woogie, blues, ragtime, marches, tangos, Creole rhythms, standards and many other styles that blended together in New Orleans to form jazz. Alexander’s Ragtime Band performs both to entertain and get people dancing, as well as in more formal concert settings. Alexander’s Ragtime Band aims to share with the audience the joy of life that early jazz can bring. Our music is appreciated not only by jazz enthusiasts, but also by a wide audience of all generations who wish to enjoy a relaxing moment with warm rhythms, as well as by everyone who loves to dance.

Founded in 2003, the Cosa Nostra Jazz Band has established itself as a leading name in the festive jazz scene in French-speaking Switzerland and beyond, performing at major festivals such as Montreux, Cully, Belfort and Megève, where they won the Jazz Contest in 2009. Over the years and through several line-up evolutions, the band has expanded its sound, moving from a traditional jazz style towards richer, more powerful big-band-inspired arrangements. United by a shared passion and shaped by diverse musical backgrounds, the musicians deliver an energetic, joyful and highly engaging performance, filled with swing, vitality and humour. Constantly evolving, the group continues to create new shows and collaborations, driven by one clear ambition: to keep jazz alive and share its infectious energy with audiences everywhere.

Drawing on musical influences from all over the world, SpareWheel crafts an energetic and immersive sound, perfectly suited to vibrant, engaging live performances. With a strong background in the blues – a musical language which, like jazz, has deep roots in African-American culture – the band takes audiences on a rich and varied journey, from Chicago Blues to Texas Blues and through the raw landscapes of the Delta. Blending inspired interpretations with original compositions, SpareWheel delivers a flavourful and spicy musical experience, reminiscent of a signature New Orleans dish where tradition, groove and creative freedom come together.

Step into the spellbinding world of Fanie Fayar, known as the voice of the Congo River, a magnetic artist who has been captivating audiences since 2015 with her vibrant, fusion-driven and contemporary sound. Drawing on a rich and diverse musical identity, she gracefully blends African rhythms, modern influences and global sounds, effortlessly moving between Lingala, Lari and other languages with captivating tonal colours. Her music transcends cultural and geographical borders, carrying a powerful message of unity and togetherness, as expressed in her song Bakana Sega: “What unites us is stronger than what divides us.” Her remarkable career has led her to major international stages, including the Francophonie Games in Abidjan in 2017, followed by opening for the legendary Youssou N’Dour at Paris Bercy the same year. At Rive Jazzy, Fanie Fayar promises an intense and radiant live experience, where voice, rhythm and emotion come together to offer the audience an authentic and deeply human musical journey.

Pianist Valentin Chappot draws us into a delicate reverie, an imaginary world shaped by softness and silence, where melodies sketch landscapes and repeating notes invite us to travel, to return, and to rise again. His music unfolds as a subtle dialogue between transmitter and receiver, a flow of waves and vibrations in which every impulse marks the beginning of a long journey through time and space. Like a radio capturing frequencies only to send them back into the world, the artist receives, interprets and transforms sound, offering it anew in a constantly evolving form. Within this endless cycle, creation becomes movement and transformation, questioning our place between origin and destination and inviting us to embrace our role as a sensitive messenger between what is born and what continues to resonate.

Dive into the captivating world of gypsy jazz with this outstanding band, ready to set the Rive Jazzy audience alight with fiery melodies and contagious energy. Behind their instruments, the musicians display impressive virtuosity, their fingers seemingly dancing effortlessly across the strings, while their deep passion for this iconic style resonates in every note. True to their creative spirit, the band has chosen to reinvent tradition by replacing the classic violin with a saxophone, creating a bold and distinctive sound identity. The warm, velvety tones of the wind instrument blend seamlessly with the driving rhythms of gypsy jazz, resulting in an intense, vibrant and highly festive musical experience. Carried by remarkable fluidity and strong stage presence, their music flows naturally and sweeps the audience into a whirlwind of emotions, promising a pure moment of enjoyment for both jazz lovers and curious listeners seeking new musical discoveries.

The project led by Geneva-based singer Angelo Powers embodies a vibrant fusion of modern sounds and musical heritage, drawing elegantly from a wide range of influences spanning neo-soul and groove, gospel and hip-hop, as well as subtle touches of funk and jazz. Carried by a warm and expressive voice, his music unfolds a rich and immersive sonic universe, echoing the inspirations of artists such as Kirk Franklin, Tom Misch, D’Angelo, Robert Glasper and J Dilla. On stage, Angelo Powers invites the audience on a true musical journey, driven by electrifying energy and positive vibes, delivering an authentic, generous and deeply engaging live experience.

Originating from the Lake Geneva region, this orchestra brilliantly captures the spirit of the bands that once filled the legendary clubs of Chicago, New York and New Orleans in the 1930s. Inspired by the musical legacy of the iconic Swiss Yerba Buena and Dry Throat Five Fellows, the seven-piece ensemble, led in particular by the warm and expressive voice of singer Antonella Vulliens, presents a refined and demanding repertoire drawn mainly from rare and lesser-known gems of traditional jazz. Through carefully crafted original arrangements, the group invites audiences to rediscover these forgotten treasures and immerse themselves in an authentic, vibrant and timeless atmosphere, true to the soul of swing and New Orleans jazz.

Reunited in 2018, the South West Oldtime All Stars have swiftly established themselves as a major force on the European traditional jazz scene, performing more than 200 concerts across the continent. Originating from south-west Germany, the band’s jazz-trained musicians passionately embrace the many shades of “classic jazz”, regularly enriching their performances with distinguished guest artists. Their first two albums are entirely dedicated to Louis Armstrong’s legendary Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings (1925–1928), widely regarded as a cornerstone of modern jazz, marking the rise of solo improvisation and described by critic Gary Giddins as one of the most influential recording projects in the history of American music. With their third album, The Blues And Some Other Abstract Truth, the ensemble broadens its musical scope by exploring the blues in all its expressive depth. Driven by the artistry and personality of its members — Thilo Wagner, a swinging pianist inspired by Oscar Peterson and honorary citizen of New Orleans, Martin “Ludwig” Auer, jazz trumpet professor in Leipzig and fluent in Armstrong’s musical language, award-winning clarinettist and saxophonist Gary Fuhrmann, Frankfurt Radio Bigband lead trombonist Felix Fromm, trained in the original Duke Ellington Orchestra technique, and virtuoso four-string banjo player Dave Ryan O’Hollyday from Bogotá — the band embodies with authenticity, elegance and vitality the living spirit of traditional jazz, as memorably showcased during their appearance at the Rive Jazzy Festival.

Formed by six outstanding musicians from the Lyon swing scene, The Stomp Factory made a strong impression during its previous appearance at the Rive Jazzy Festival, establishing itself as a key ambassador of traditional jazz while paying vibrant tribute to the early jazz bands and reviving the fiery spirit of legendary figures such as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and the iconic Buddy Bolden. Led by trumpeter and bandleader Thomas Le Roux, the group passionately carries forward the New Orleans jazz tradition, blending musical excellence, infectious swing and a strong sense of performance. Whether on stage or in parade format, their music brings audiences together in a shared festive momentum, driven by one simple and powerful motto: STOMP.

Founded in Lausanne in 2006, GADJO has established itself over the years as a leading figure of Gypsy swing in Switzerland and beyond. Bringing together four musicians from diverse musical backgrounds united by a shared passion, the band delivers an infectious energy driven by an iconic acoustic line-up combining two guitars, violin and double bass. Their rich and adventurous repertoire moves effortlessly between jazz standards, original compositions and inspired reinterpretations ranging from classical music to Eastern European influences and even unexpected touches of rock. Since the release of their third album Ramage in May 2021, Gadjo has been setting stages alight with a warm and fiery musical universe shaped through more than 200 concerts and acclaimed appearances at renowned festivals such as Cully Jazz, Lavaux Classique, Guitare en Scène, Jazz Contreband and Jazz Parade. With every performance, the band captivates audiences through sincerity, virtuosity and strong musical chemistry, offering an experience that is both festive and deeply authentic.