R.S.J.F. was launched in 1987 as a four day international jazz festival with 9-10 concerts per evening, 6 clinics with guest artists and nightly Jam sessions. The festival is held yearly in the last week of August, between Monday to Thursday.

Cultural policy

R.S.J.F. strives to introduce to the public the broadest possible musical spectrum, from New Orleans jazz to the contemporary, including Latin and World music. The festival presents guest groups from all around the globe plus Israeli top groups. The festival is also active in the jazz education field in Israel, promoting original jazz compositions and youth jazz bands.

Venues

Concerts:
outdoors within the area of the Eilat Sea Port. 4 open sky concert halls of 1,500 – 3,000 seats.

Clinics:
held at the King Solomon Hotel, Eilat – 400 seats.

Jam Sessions:
held at the pool court of the Riviera Hotel, Eilat.

Audience

Concerts average: 2,500 a concert; Peaks: 3,500; total average audience per festival: 70,000; clinics: average 350.

Guest Artists in the Festival

1987: The Brecker Brothers; Mel Lewis & Friends; Tito Puente; Red Rodney 4et; Ronnie Cuber 4et; Jim Mullen 4et. 1988: Phil Woods 5et; Azimuth; Eddie Palmieri Orchestra; Dave Liebman-Richie Beirach; Joe Pass; James Moody 4et; Randy Brecker’s Group. 1989: Michel Petrucciani; Courtney Pine; Clark Terry/ Major Holley; Olimpia Brass Band; Lew Soloff Ensemble; Joanne Brackeen 4et; Shiela Jordan; Jean-Loup Longnon Big Band; Leonid Chizhik-Vladimir Chekassin. 1990: Ed Wilkersons 8 Bold Souls; Zbigniew Namislowsky 4et; Freddie Hubbard 5et; Tommy Smith 5et; George Coleman 4et; Wayne Shorter 4et; Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. 1991: Betty Carter; Eddie Harris & Edward Peterson 4et; Dick Hyman; Spyro Gyra; Didier Lockwood 4et; Ian Car Group; Don Grolnick 5et; Eberhard Weber; Patricia Barber Trio; Michail Alperin Trio. 1992: The Steve Colson 7et; Emil Viklicky 4et; Tania Maria Nouvell Vauge; Benny Golson 5et with Curtis Fuller; Joe Henderson Trio; Steve Williamson 6et; Mike Stern-Bob Berg Band; Eric Le Lann 5et; Vacheslav Ganelin. 1993: Michel Petrucciani Solo; Mingus Dynasty; Eddie Daniels-Gary Burton- Makoto Ozone; The Zawinul Syndicate; Preservation Hall Band; Ray Barretto; Orphy Robinsons 4et; Andre Ceccarelli Trio. 1994: Michel Camilo; American Diary; Archie Shepp 4et; The New Horizons Ensemble; Dave Liebman Group; Stan Tracey 4et; Wolfgang Dauner-Charlie Mariano; Rava-Galliano-Marcotulli-Pietropaoli; Bireli Lagrene’s Trio; Blood Sweat & Tears. 1995: Toots Thielemans; Mongo Santa Maria; Maceo Parker; Joshua Redman 4et; Roscoe Mitchel; Famoundo Don Moye; Rufus Reid; Jodie Christian; Kurt Elling & Laurence Hobgood Trio; Scott Henderson-Gary Willis’s “Tribal Tech”; The Fringe. 1996: Spyro Gyra; Courtney Pine; Dee Dee Bridgewater; George Coleman 4et; Phil Woods 5et; Michel Camilo; The Preservation Hall Jazz Band; Didier Lockwood 5et; Elvin Jones Jazz Machine; The Brecker Brothers. 1997: Tower of Power; Diane Schuur; Los Van Van; James Moody 4et; Jerry Bergonzi 4et; Tuck & Patti; Aziza Mustafa Zadeh; Orchestra National de Jazz; Django Bates; Contemporary Bebop Quintet; Trio Clusone. 1998: Sax Summit; Michel Petrucciani/Toni Petrucciani/Louis Petrucciani; Allan Holdsworth; Larry Coryell’s 11 th House; Diana Krall; Steve Turre & Sanctified Shells; Jimmy McGriff/Hank Crawford; Georgie Fame & the Yaron Gottfried 4et; Lennart Aberg 4et; Niels Henning Pedersen. 1999: Chick Corea & Origin; Dianne Reeves; The Kenny Garrett 4et; John Scofield 4et; The Damon Brown 5et; Brad Mehldau Trio; Victoria Tolstoy & Esbjorn Svensson Trio; Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band; Palatino; Airto Moreira & Flora Purim. 2000: The Manhattan Transfer ; Olympia Brass Band; Abbey Lincoln 4et; Theo Travis 4et; Benny Green, Russell Malone & Christian McBride; Astral Project; Masada Satlah featuring John Zorn; Los Hombres Calientes; Brazilia featuring Dave Liebman; Henri Texier Azur 5et; 2001: New York Voices; Theodossi Spassov Trio; Boby Watson; Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner; Dr. White; John Surman; MMW; Ron Carter/Eric Reed/Donald Harrison/Billy Cobham; Take 6; Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca. 2002: Freddy Cole 4et; Regina Carter; Courtney Pine; Spyro Gyra; Francisco Molina; Babos; Didier Lockwood; Mike Stern; Phil Woods; Goran Bregovic. 2003: The Mingus Big Band;James Moody 4et; John Abercrombie/Miroslav Vitous; The Swingle Singers; Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio; Stefano Di battista 4et; Dena DeRose; David El Malek 4et; Tina May; Ute Lemper; Paul Winter Consort & The Dimitri Pokrovsky Singers. 2004: Charlie Haden/John Scofield; Eric Trufaz; The Walt Weiskopf 9net; Diane Schuur; Mano Dibango;The Bad Plus; Russel Gun; Charles Lloyd 4et; Hevia.

Festival’s Special Productions

1987: East West Ensemble. 1988: Randy Brecker/Mark Egan/Danny Gotlieb/Barry Finneti; Vacheslav Ganelin/ Borris Gammer/ Micha Markovitch. 1989: Leonid Chizhik/Vladimir Chekassin/Victor Svoskin/Clark Terry/Ronnie Cuber/Major Holley/Danny Gottfried/Arale Kaminsky; Shila Jordan/Danny Gottfried/Eli Magen/Guy Ben-Barak; Peter Wertheimer/Nahum Perperkovitch. 1990: Ed Petersen/Eddie Harris/Jodie Christian/ Kelly Sill/Robert Shy; Mel keller/P.C. Usherovitz/Edna Goren/ Nahum Perperkovitch/Emil Ram/Pepo Levy. 1991: Ed Petersen/Eddie Harris; Don Grolnick/Randy Brecker/Eddie Gomez/Bob Mintzer/adam Nussbaum; Eberhard Weber. 1992: The Steve Colson 7et; The Eilat Promenade Big Band Feat; Jean-Loup Longnon; Liz Magnes/Jermi Steig. 1993: The Eilat Big Band Feat; Jack Walrath; Aladar Pege/Danny Gottfried Duo; Nancy Ridley & The Chicago Jazz Masters; The Brad Goode Chicago Project; Double Bass Eddie Gomez (USA) & Eli Magen (Israel); Allaiance-Petras Vysniauskas; Vacheslav Ganelin-Arkadi Gottesman; Kevin Mahogany-Franco Ambrosetti & The Danny Gottfried Trio. 1995: Avi Piamenta Mystic Flute. 1996: Zaviot; The Gottfried’s father-son Piano Duo; The Israeli All Stars Band; The Jimmy Smith Dynasty; Yoni Rechter’s Consort; 1999: Kedma Trio; The Ex-Centric Sound System; The Jazz Beatles. 2000: Ruthi Navon; Boris Gammer; Satlah; Albert Beger 4et. 2001: Birds Nest; Yellow Submarine; Zonzee; Isradixie Band; Rony Holan & Friends; Kedma Trio; Saxrange; Po; The Israeli Miles Davis Dynasty. 2002: Uri Bracha & Origins; Funkapella; Funk’n’stein; ; Journey to the Red Sea with the Dan Gottfried Quintet; Zig Zag Latin Jazz; Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Robert & Erez. 2003: Miroslav Vitous/John Abercrombie; Eli Degibri & the Holon Big Band. 2004: Charlie Haden/John Scofield

Main activities are recorded and broadcast by local radio & TV stations. The festival is reviewed by national press and by international specialized press.

Nature of the Organization/Funding

Non profit organization, promoted by the Municipality of the City Eilat and supported by the Government Ministries of Culture & Tourism, The Eilat Hotel Association, plus various business sponsors.