Tower of Power band, Stanley Clarke lined up for Tbilisi Jazz Fest 20th anniversary

Acclaimed American band Tower of Power and Grammy Award-winning bassist Stanley Clarke are in a roster of famed jazz names and emerging talent set to celebrate an anniversary edition of Tbilisi Jazz Festival.

Opening in two weeks’ time, the celebration will host music enthusiasts for three dates at Tbilisi Event Hall.

The launch event will involve long-standing American jazz and RnB band Tower of Power, established in California in 1968.

Their Tbilisi appearance will come within the band’s European tour and ahead of their 50th anniversary next year.

The Joe Lovano Classic Quartet, led by the American saxophonist and composer, will take over the celebrations on November 4, before the concluding show involving local and visiting talent.

It will see double bassist Eddie Gomez, who worked with the celebrated Bill Evans Trio as well as famed artists including Miles Davies, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.

The stage will also host Grammy Award-winning bassist Stanley Clarke, whose band features Georgian pianist Beka Gochiashvili.

Georgian pianist Beka Gochiashvili (left) will appear at the festival with the Stanley Clarke band. Photo: stanleyclarke.com.

The Papuna Sharikadze Trio, led by the teenage jazz prodigy from Georgia studying at the Berklee University, will complete the roster for the show drawing the curtains for the festival.

Established during the Soviet era in 1978, the festival was kick-started by jazz bands from the Union’s republics.

The social and political changes in the USSR in the 1980s saw the festival go international for its 1989 edition.

The event’s legacy was continued within the independent Georgia since 2000, with legendary artists including Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette and Herbie Hancock.