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The Euskadi Jazz festivals have had to adapt to the crisis, sometimes having to cut the length of duration or some of their sections. Despite tightening their belts, however, organisers say they’ve been able to "maintain or even improve" on previous editions.

Festival Internacional de Getxo

The 33rdInternacional Festival of Getxo, originally set to take place between1st and 5th July has been pushed back to 12th-14th July. This year, thefestival will reunite such acts as Paquito DïRivera, Spyro Gyra, Michael Camimo, Imar Sossa and singer Diane Schuur.The battle of the bands and the Third Millenium section and night-timejamming session will not be absent from the 33rd edition, and themarching band will play through the nearby streets as always. OrganiserIñaki Saitua, recognised that, being the smallest of the festivalsthere was no need to shorten the programme.

All three festivals play as part of the Jazzeuskadicampaign, designed to promote the tourist potential of the BasqueAutonomous Community. As such, packages are on offer which togetherwith entry to the festivals, include hotel accommodation at reducedprices, special offers in restaurants and on entrance to the Guggenheim.

Jazz Festival, Vitoria-Gasteiz

The second festival in the line up, the Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz which takes place between 12th and 18th July has been moved from Armentia (where set-up is expensive) to the Mendizorroza sports centre. Director of Jazz Vitoria explained the decision that "given the crisis situation we preferred to change location than shorten the length of the festival."

Instead of the usual seminar, this year organisers are counting on some master classes from the best jazz guitarist of the moment, Pat Metheny, who on Wednesday 15th July will play will Charlie Holden and a number of Spanish musicians, including Kepa Junkera.

A last minute change of programme has also been made due to the hospitalisation of Randy Crawford and pianist Joe Sample. That concert, planned to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Billie Holiday, will now feature the unmistakable voices of Madeleine Peyroux and Jazz singer Didi Bridgewater, currently recording a CD of Billie Holiday songs.

This year, the Alavan festival will also recover its gospel feel with guitarrist John Scofield and his New Orleans band together with the most important Gospel group currently in the world, The Blind Boys of Alabama. In the same act, the public will also be able to enjoy the electric basses of Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten; acts from Wynton Marsalis fronting Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra next to Chano Dominguez and Paco de Lucía, with their rendition of Marsalis'' ''Vitoria Suite'', his tribute to the city. Blues artist Jymmy Cobb will also be playing, as well as many others.

44 Heineken Jazzaldia

Organisers of the 44 Heineken Jazzaldia have cut the festival short by one day, starting on 22nd and ending on 26th July. The programme this year includes four legendary names from the world of Jazz: piannists Hank Jones, Abdullah Ibrahim and Randy Weston, and drummer Roy Haynes, who last played the San Sebastian festival back in 1983.

This year''s festival will once again take place at the Plaza de la Trinidad, after a only a year away. The line-up here will also include Roy Hayenes, Esperanza Spaldin, Randy Weston, Joe Lovano, Perico Sambeat, Pintingo, Melissa Laveaux and Jamie Cullum.

The Jazzaldia will furthermore play host to a number of acts at the Kursaal, among them the acoustic sounds of Brad Mehldau; Carla Bley and her Big Band; Joe Lovato; trumpeter Dave Douglas and New York’s Animal Collective; Brazilian musician Joao Gilberto, the core of Cuban music Buena Vista Social Club, and the legendary James Taylor. Free concerts on the Zurriola beach will come from Vetusta Morla, Russian red, Eva Cortés y los reyes del nuevo soul, Black Joe Lewis &' || 'amp; The Honeydreamers.