At the Heart of the 47th Rhino Jazz(s) Festival!

Driven by a 47th edition once again marked by a wide stylistic openness (that famous “s” added to the word jazz), the Rhino Jazz(s) Festival once more delivered a lineup where major blues voices, emerging projects and music from every horizon shared the stage. The traditional Blues Night offered a superb bill with Justina Lee Brown and Robert Finley, whose exclusive videos we present here thanks to our partner Ti and Bo.

For Ludovic Chazalon, artistic director and programmer, “the 2025 Rhino Jazz(s) Festival has been a great success, with nearly 80% attendance across the 29 partner venues”.

🎥 Relive the Rhino Jazz(s) Festival with this Ti and Bo playlist

Discover 9 exclusive clips from the Blues Night featuring Robert Finley, Justina Lee Brown and the full concert by Cynthia Abraham!

47 years already!

In nearly fifty years of existence, the Rhino Jazz(s) Festival has become a major cultural event between Loire and Rhône. “At the beginning, the festival created by Jean-Paul Chazalon offered one or two days of programming, then quickly expanded to become today an itinerant event gathering around thirty venues across the territory”, recalls Ludovic Chazalon. A way to anchor the project locally while multiplying encounters with very diverse audiences.

A roaming, trend-setting festival

The festival’s identity lies as much in its artists as in its venues. “Its DNA is first and foremost the discovery of artists who, for some, have gone on to become internationally renowned (Youn Sun Nah, Tigran Hamasyan, Sandra Nkaké, Fatoumata Diawara, Hiromi…)”, explains Ludovic Chazalon. “Its particularity is to invest highly varied places for its concerts, from industrial heritage sites to the Saint-Étienne Opera House, including small churches.”

“Blues Night holds a special place”

A night apart

Over the years, Blues Night has become one of the festival’s highlights. “Blues Night holds a special place because it is the evening awaited by both blues fans and newcomers. It is the meeting point of different audiences and every year we try to shape it into a real event of its own”, notes Ludovic. A moment of strong stage emotions that draws a loyal audience.

This year, the evening left a strong impression. “Stunning in emotion thanks to the very personal voice of Justina Lee Brown, she completely captivated the audience. Robert Finley was highly anticipated. His story is so singular, which makes him such a unique artist; his concert reflected that remarkably.”

These two performances sum up the ambition of this Blues Night: combining artistic excellence with shared enjoyment. Blues is a celebratory music, it’s worth remembering.

When asked about his finest memories of these Blues Nights, several evenings stand out. “Three artists or groups come to mind. When we imagined with Jack Bon a unique concert, the “Route 69 to Le Havre” band, bringing together Little Bob, Jack Bon, Eric Delbouis, Puce, Robert Lapassade… The Eric Bibb 4et concert, and that of Otis Taylor”, recalls Ludovic Chazalon. So many moments that helped shape the Rhino’s legend.

The Rhino Jazz(s) in 10 years

Asked to imagine the future, Ludovic remains true to the festival’s spirit: “That we may continue to appeal to an audience that places its trust in us every year.” A seemingly simple wish, yet one that summarises the guiding principle of the Rhino Jazz(s) Festival: staying a place of discovery and encounters, year after year.

➕ To find out more about the festival: https://rhinojazz.com/