Jazz I Am 2026 — When a small festival has more to say than a big one
Full photographic coverage of the eighth edition of the showcase organised by Taller de Músics at El Molino, Barcelona.
Some festivals impress with their scale. Others leave a mark through density and curatorial vision. Jazz I Am is the latter.
Organised by Taller de Músics — a reference music school in Barcelona since 1979 — it functions as a professional showcase over three days. Not a mass event. A space where artists, agents, venues, sponsors, journalists and institutions come together to build relationships and listen to music at the highest level. This year, at El Molino on Paral·lel.
Photography gives me the privilege of being present at unique and unrepeatable moments.
First day (March 11)
Five sets in brief format, each capable of surprising without exhausting. Endless Trio opened with a fusion of tradition and contemporary elements. Cris Lópezz Quartet blended flamenco, electronics and jazz with Mediterranean character. Barencia brought the Barcelona-Florence collaboration, with dancer Karen Lugo incorporating zapateado as an instrumental element.
A Welcome Drinks break on El Molino’s terrace enabled the professional conversations that make this festival a genuine networking space. The evening closed with Blood Quartet & Dongyang Gozupa: a Catalan-Korean artistic residency combining yanggeum, alternative rock, free jazz and electronics. A sonic kaleidoscope.
Second day (March 12)
Five ways of saying jazz. Magalí Sare opened with voice and multi-instrumentalism, resisting easy classification. Xavi Torres Trio presented original material alongside reinterpretations of protest songs, with an intimacy that hit deep. Daniel García Trio showcased their album Wonderland, dreamlike and globally influenced. Lucía Rey Cuarteto delivered modern piano-led sets with a flute that stole the spotlight. Marc Ayza Social Base closed the day with modern groove and electronic touches.
Third day (March 13)
The Showlabels section highlighted record label work through Fresh Sound New Talent presentations. Afternoon showcases included Gràcia x de la Cruz (intense, direct flamenco piano), Magnificat (Mediterranean gospel in multiple languages), Andrew Moreno (sophisticated improvised free jazz) and, to close, Tumbando a Monk: a revisitation of Thelonious Monk through Caribbean rhythms and Latin jazz with Andalusian elements that managed to avoid the easy tribute.
Coverage beyond the stage
Professional photographic coverage of a festival like Jazz I Am is not about photographing concerts. It is about documenting the event in its entirety.
That includes the performances, but also the informal moments: the conversations between professionals in the corridors, the exchanges during breaks, musicians listening to their colleagues from the audience. Everything that builds the community a festival like this creates.
Equipment: Canon 28mm f/2.8 · Canon EOS 5D Mark II · Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 II.
