Projazz | DM Productions
Projazz has been founded and initiated his activity in January 1st 1989, having as main activity the production of Jazz Festivals and Concerts, also the promotion, within the local cultural market, of top US Jazz artists.
Duarte Mendonça, his founder and mentor, initiated as Jazz Producer of concerts and Festivals in 1974, with the then Cascais Jazz/Luis Vilas-Boas.
He conceived and implemented in 1982 the Festival “Jazz On a Summer Day” which from 1990 added the designation of “Estoril Jazz/Jazz on a Summer Day”.
Estoril Jazz main aim is to present and spread Jazz music through live concerts, with first rate US and European Jazz Musicians and groups, with principal focus on US musicians which seems obvious, trying to diversify when possible the caracteristics of the groups – Voice, Trios, Quartets, Quintets, Big Bands, Vocal Groups, Blues, Swing, New Orleans, Mainstream, Bop, etc.
On top of above initiative of National and International projection, supported by the Cascais Town Hall, Estoril Tourism Office, ICEP (tourism promotion), Culture Ministry and Estoril Sol (Casino owners), Projazz also produce every year since 1988 the “Galp Jazz” financed by Petrogal (oil company).
Projazz also have in mind, and as main target to present in Portugal the majority of different Jazz Big names, that never been here before, situation that, after 26 years of non stop activity in this area, is becoming more difficult.
In the recent past 90-91 Projazz has implemeted workshops with the production of “Projazz Internatioanal Courses” which meanwhile although very successfull have to be abandoned due to lack of financial support from local Town Hall/Culture/Tourism.
Since the inauguration of Centro Cultural de Belém in 1993 (Lisbon Portuguese equivalent on the Linciln Center in NYC) Projazz has been working with this prestigious institution in a close relationship, booking names like Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Joe Louis Walker, Mulgrew Miller, Gary Bartz, Nicholas Payton, Stephane Grappelli, Charlie Haden, Trudy Lynn, Tony Bennett, Lucky Peterson, Betty Carter, Blue Note All Stars, Bobby Watson, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Phil Woods, Shirley Scott, David “Fathead” Newman, Jane Ira Bloom, Diana Krall, “Tribute to Gerry Mulligan” with Nick Brignola, Gary Smulyan, Ronnie Cuber, “Guitar Summit” with Kenny Barron Trio, plus Mark Withfield, Russell Malone, Doug Raney, Golden Gate Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Abbey Lincoln, Frank Foster Orchestra, (Loud Minority), Vanessa Rubin, Leroy Jones, “II Women In Jazz/97” with Jessica Williams and Ingrid Jensen, most of them since 1995 on a co-production agreement.