The two big draws from abroad are veteran blues master John Mayall and New Orleans-born jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton. “Legend” is an epithet that is often thrown into marketing mixes just to draw the consumers’ eye and purse, however Mayall certainly warrants that description. Now in his seventies, the British-born, singer-guitarist-harpist, was among those responsible for reviving the flagging fortunes of the blues back in the ’60s, following in the able footsteps of other British pioneers such as Cyril Davies and the redoubtable Alexis Korner. The blues had been marginalized in its original homeland of the United States until the likes of Mayall, and later fellow Brits Peter Green and Eric Clapton, helped remind Americans of their own roots music.

Although he belongs to a different generation, it may be argued that the 37-year-old Payton is also a beneficiary of Mayall and his ilk’s sterling revivalist work. With his New Orleans background, one presumes the blues – the substructure of jazz – heavily informs Payton’s approach to music.

“I actually consider myself a blues musician,” says the trumpeter.

Although the average jazz fan readily identifies with the genre’s accepted title, many purveyors of the music frown on its use. “Actually, I’m not too sure what jazz is,” he says, adding a seemingly enigmatic line that is proffered by many of his professional counterparts. “I don’t look at it as styles, genres and categories. That is something the human mind does to make things more easily digestible. I’m a lover of great music.”

PAYTON COMES from a musical family and, from very early childhood, was enraptured by his father’s exploits on bass and once even on a gargantuan sousaphone. Despite the fact that New Orleans and its environs are generally considered the birthplace of blues and jazz, Payton says he did not specifically home in on the two styles. “I was drawn to music, period,” he states emphatically.

Caesarea Amphitheater in the site of the Jazz Festival by Flickr user heatkernel

Mentored by two New Orleans jazz masters (Clyde Kerr Jr. at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans), Payton starting playing music at the tender age of 4 and emerged on the New York scene in the early ’90s when he was still in his teens. He soon hooked up with fellow New Orleans native – and Jazz at Lincoln Center artistic director – Wynton Marsalis, and for some years was a regular fixture feature at the institution.

Payton embarked on a speedy learning curve, sharing bandstands with senior, established stars of the jazz firmament, including drummer Elvin Jones. That, says Payton, was a formative experience. He especially benefited from “the level of consistency that separates someone of Elvin’s masterful skill from everyone else. Getting to witness him play every night under different circumstances, every performance was at least masterful. And then, on some nights, it went beyond that. As much as a powerful force that he was, he was as sensitive as well, and a great listener and a great follower, which is a common attribute among great leaders.”

Over the years, Payton has alternated between purely acoustic settings and electrically embellished ones. The trumpeter says that this is not the result of any calculated approach – rather a matter of just going with the flow. “I don’t really consider it. It is the musician that creates the music. An instrument is just an instrument. It’s the person behind the instrument that creates the music. It doesn’t matter what it is.”

Payton is similarly laissez faire about what he will be offering us at his Caesarea show, although he did give some pointers. “I don’t know what we’ll be playing. I’ll see how I feel. That will be dictated by the energy in the space I will be playing. The people are guaranteed to hear some music from my [last] album Into The Blue and perhaps some previews from my upcoming release, Bitches.”

Mayall plays in Caesarea on June 3 at 10 p.m. Payton’s gig is on the following day at 10:30 p.m.

Elsewhere in the three-day festival lineup, local slots will be filled by celebrated vocalist Noa with jazz-world music pianist David Dorantes (June 5, 7:30 p.m.). At 10 p.m. they will be followed by French-Israeli singer-songwriter Keren Ann, pianist-vocalist Shlomi Shaban and jazz trumpeter Avishai Cohen.

[via JPost]

Rihanna in Jerusalem

R&B singing sensation Rihanna took to the stage in front of an Israeli audience for the first time Sunday night as part of her latest world tour.

It’s the first time in the Holy Land for the 22-year-old Barbados native. The concert was part of her Last Girl on Earth tour, which began three weeks ago in Europe.

Rihanna spent the two days prior to her show touring Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, holding press conferences, and meeting some of her fans. She said her time in Israel was an “amazing, amazing experience.”

On Saturday evening, Rihanna held a press conference at the “Kfir” Scouts center in Tel Aviv. She helped paint the building’s walls, took part in the creation of a wall painting and posed for photos with the young volunteers.

The concert’s organizers invited the audience to take part in various volunteering activities for four hours in order to be eligible to buy tickets for the show. Apart from the right to watch the concert, the many volunteers got the chance to join he singer at the “Kfir” center.

In addition to her tour of Jerusalem, Rihanna’s first visit to Israel also included a taste of hummus in Abu Gosh. She refused to tell the reporters what she wrote in the note she hid in the Western Wall, saying it was between her, God and the wall.

The reporters were asked not to ask the singer about her personal life or about the cancellation of the Elvis Costello gigs in Israel. Most of the press conference was devoted to the volunteering project, with Rihanna expressing her delight over the success of the campaign.

Tel Aviv is Rihanna’s last destination in her current European tour, which was launched following the release of her latest album, “Rated R”. In the past two months she performed in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Scotland. Her US tour will be launched in about two months.

[via Ynet]

Breaking barriers for women in rap, the one-woman hip-hop machine maintained a string of hit albums and singles throughout the next decade, including collaborations with Pink, Busta Rhymes and Lil Kim.

Her albums include Da Real World (1999), Miss E…So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), This Is Not A Test (2003) and The Cookbook (2005).

[via JPost]

Legendary British heavy metal rocker and former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is to perform in Israel in September, his official website has announced.

The performance will apparently take place on September 28, at Park Hayarkon in Tel Aviv, as part of a tour which begins in Folkstone, Britain on June 29.

Other destinations on the international tour include Moscow, Athens and Istanbul, as well as numerous stops in the United States.

Osbourne joins a rapidly expanding list of global music stars who will be performing in Israel this summer. Those set to appear include Elton John, The Pixies and Rod Stewart.

Last year, Israel hosted an array of world famous performers, including The Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Leonard Cohen, Depeche Mode and Morrissey.

[via Haaretz]

Representatives from the network are slated to sign a media agreement in the coming days with Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, and Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai.

In the event, which will be held at the Yarkon Park, international artists will perform alongside Israeli artists.

MTV producers are in negotiations with music artist Pink and rapper Jay-Z regarding the event. Talks are also being held with Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce, but as of now, the chances that she will be coming to Israel this summer are not particularly high.

Steinitz already set his targets on MTV a few months ago when he asked that the MTV Europe Music Awards be hosted in Israel, but Spain was ultimately chosen as the destination of choice.

However, MTV management apparently took Steinitz’s determination seriously and agreed to hold its summer party in Israel. The party will be broadcast live to dozens of countries throughout the world.

Assessments in Israel are that the party will serve as a significant springboard for Israel’s tourism sector.

[via MTV]

Detailed proposals have already been handed to the three aging artists, and Israel is impatiently awaiting their responses.

Add to this list Paul Anka, Elton John, and Rod Stewart – who have or will perform in Israel as well – and a certain golden oldies trend may be perceived.

Paul McCartney and Leonard Cohen, who also stood on Israeli stages this year, are other examples of artists who peaked long ago. Their shows drew large crowds, however, and were largely praised.

Of the artists being asked to perform Sir Cliff Richards, who will hit 70 soon, is perhaps the most prestigious. The British knight had a dazzling music career that began in the late fifties and lasted around 20 years, and he put on a show in Israel in the early seventies.

The man who invited him this year is the same who secured his appearance way back then, Shmuel Tzemach. He has already booked the Nokia hall in Tel Aviv for two September shows and awaits the star’s arrival.

But Richard is also being courted by another music-savvy Israeli, businessman Kobi Sidi, who is simultaneously propositioning Diana Ross.

[via Ynet]

No confirmation has yet been received from Israeli producers.

The singer will arrive in the Jewish state after visiting Turkey as part of his July European Tour. It has not yet been reported whether he will be accompanied in Israel by his wife, German supermodel and TV presenter Heidi Klum.

Seal, 47, is best known for two chart-topping hits from the 1990s: “Crazy” and “Kiss from a Rose”. He has won multiple Grammy awards over the years for his achievements in music.

The singer has three children with Klum and has also adopted her daughter from a previous marriage.

His latest album, “Soul,” a collection of renditions of famous soul classics, was released two years ago. Last year he released a hits compilation as well as a DVD documenting one of his live shows in New York.

Click here for more information on Caesarea or on concerts in Israel this summer.

International superstar Rihanna is rumoured to be performing in Tel Aviv in the end of May. RihannaDaily.com report that she’s been invited to perform at a show organised by Orange at the Bloomfield Stadium on May 30th. The performance is expected to be a part of a giant Orange production by company Sofrfos.

More when we get it…