Festival year 1981
16th festival started on July 9th and closed on July 12th. Both the press and the audience considered it as a return to the roots of the festival – it was a good, old time grand jazz festival with beautiful weather, great music and lots of people.
The Chico Freeman Quartet and Gil Evans became the official sweethearts of the press and the audience liked them as well though Queen Ida with her accordion gained more attention among the people. Press stated that Chick Corea was a skillful player but that he could have chosen other kinds of songs to perform.
Financially the festival was rather fair with 37 000 tickets sold.
