Jazz fights in France: Jazz à Cluny

The composer and acoustic bassist Didier Levallet (pictured above) resigned as artistic director of the festival Jazz à Cluny after differences with the city's mayor, reports Clarisse Fabre ( Le Monde ). Out of solidarity many of the announced musicians, among them the clarinetist Louis Sclavis, decided not to perform. As reason for his resignation Levallet stated that his artistic autonomy had been curtailed by the city's cultural administration. When the city decided to appoint a general coordinator the atmosphere deteriorated even more. The mayor is angry: If the new coordinator whose name is Smaïn Mebarki "would have a name like Dominique Durand, there would have been much less brouhaha. This is racist." Levallet, he claims, had not signed one single contract with any of the musicians. And he declined any attempt of mediation sought by the city government.