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With the contagious instrumental precision of the extraordinary musicians of Banda Mantiqueira, which last night delivered a certainly unforgettable concert at the auditorium of Usina del Arte, the 2012 edition of the Buenos Aires Jazz came to an end. A little earlier, Juan Cruz de Urquiza’s nonet – revisiting the work of Charly García – and Javier Malosetti’s quintet had closed out the series of concerts at Centro Cultural Recoleta, the Festival’s main venue over the last six days. In total, over 70 thousand people attended the festival, what represents a 40 percent growth from last year and proves the Festival’s power to attract large audiences through a rich and varied program of great music, including – mostly free – concerts at theaters, cultural centers and public spaces of Buenos Aires. More than 70 concerts featuring more than 280 musicians on stage were held over the last six beautiful Buenos Aires spring days, as part of the City’s great celebration of jazz.

The grand closing concert will take place tonight at Usina del Arte at 8.30 p.m. Banda Mantiqueira, a Brazilian big band created by clarinetist and saxophonist Nailor Azevedo in 1991, will close out a fabulous six-day jazz-packed program. Following the tradition of ensembles such as Count Basie’s, Duke Ellington’s and the Orquesta Tabajara of the legendary Severino Araújo (deceased last August, at 95), this dream team of great Brazilian musicians comes for the first time to Buenos Aires and for such a special occasion as the closing night of the Festival’s successful 2012 edition. There are tickets available, and the easiest way to get them is by purchasing them on this website.

Today, Monday (public holiday), the quintet of Javier Malosetti (photo), an iconic name on the Buenos Aires jazz scene, will close out the series of free concerts held on different stages of the C. C. Recoleta, on the fifth and last day of the Festival. The performance of the band led by this bass and guitar giant is scheduled for 8 p.m., when night falls on the beautiful stage of the Terraza of C. C. Recoleta. The concert lineup will begin earlier at El Aleph with performances by Gustavo Lorenzatti and Santiago Bartolomé (3.30 p.m.) and Hernán Jacinto Quinteto (4.30 p.m.). At 6 p.m., Terry Zwigoff’s revealing documentary Louie Bluie,about the particular life story of musician Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, will be screened at the Microcine. At the same time, Ramiro Penovi & The Swing Serenaders will perform on the stage of the Terraza. And at 7 p.m., there will be a highly awaited debut album concert: the Noneto de Juan Cruz de Urquiza will premiere Indómita luz, a jazz tribute to the work of Charly García. And then, Javier Malosetti will be in charge of closing out five full days of jazz with his extraordinary ensemble.

On Sunday, the Festival offers a rich and varied menu of musical delights at El Aleph and on the Terraza of C. C. Recoleta, in addition to the attractive permanent exhibition El jazz se ve, with photos by Laura Tenenbaum at the Meeting Point, and a film by the great pianist Keith Jarrett at the Microcine. To top it off, Mole Quartet – made up of Mexican musicians Mark Aanderud (piano) and Luri Molina (double bass), Argentine drummer Hernán Hecht and American musician David Gilmore –will perform at 9 p.m. Earlier at El Aleph, the "Unplugged" section will feature a solo piano recital by Diego Schissi at 3.30 p.m. and a concert by the exquisite string quartet led by Swiss violinist Sophie Lüssi at 4.30 p.m. And on the Terraza, the "Jazzology" section will present singer Laura Hatton (6 p.m.) and the legendary Porteña Jazz Band (7 p.m.). And before Mole Quartet closes out a great day, the acoustic quartet led by guitarist Gonzalo Bergara will take the stage at 8 p.m. A treat for film and music lovers will be the 6 p.m. screening at the Microcine: Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation, a documentary by Mike Dibb that explores the extraordinary talent of Jarret, both as a solo performer and leader of his legendary trio.

Puente Celeste, a dream team of Argentine multi-instrumentalists that invites listeners to travel the world with its music, closes out a day of concerts at the Anfiteatro del Parque Centenario at 9 p.m. Earlier, the Festival program will offer great jazz music outdoors, in a privileged setting, all afternoon long. The day’s concert lineup begins at 5 p.m. with Trío Desatanudos; continues at 6 p.m. with Pan Negro, a supertrio composed of Jorge "El negro" Gonzalez (double bass), Jorge Araujo (drums) and Martín Porto (guitar), and at 7 p.m. with the innovative swing ensemble Raskoski Hot Club. At sunset, 8 p.m., there will be a performance by the trio of legendary saxophonist Ricardo Cavalli. And good music will keep playing, paving the way for a great finale by Puente Celeste.

Tonight’s free concerts on different stages of the Centro Cultural Recoleta and at the Anfiteatro del Parque Centenario are an invitation to fully enjoy good jazz and great musicians at comfortable public settings. On the Terraza of the C. C. Recoleta, the schedule includes a concert at 9 p.m. by superband Córdoba Reunión, composed of Argentine musicians living in Europe such as Javier Girotto (sax), Gerardo Di Giusto (piano), Carlos “El Tero” Buschini (double bass) and Minino Garay (percussion); and a concert at 10.15 p.m., with many surprises in store, by the charismatic trumpeter Gillespi (photo), who is also a radio presenter, comedian and above all a great friend of musicians on the local jazz and rock scene. And at the Anfiteatro de Parque Centenario, the main shows will feature the drumming duo of Quintino Cinalli and Jorge Araujo (8 p.m.) and the quartet led by saxophonist Gustavo Musso, including great musicians such as Francisco Lo Vuolo, Eloy Michelini and Jerónimo Carmona (9 p.m.).

Saturday will have an early kick off at the C. C. Recoleta with a must-attend event: an open meeting with the outstanding guitarist Ralph Towner, moderated by journalist Sandra de la Fuente, held at El Aleph at 10 a.m. The program for the afternoon includes good music, a great photo exhibit and the touching story of Billie Holiday as part of the screenings of the "Cinema & Jazz" section. For your information: the permanent photo exhibit El jazz se ve by Laura Tenenbaum, at the meeting point, will be open until 10 p.m.; the film Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday, a great documentary by Matthew Seig, will be screened at the Microcine at 6 p.m. And there will be good music – of course! At El Aleph, the "Unplugged" section will feature Gerardo Di Giusto in a solo piano recital (3.30 p.m.) and the guitar duo of Juampy Juárez & Luis D' Agostino (4.30 p.m.). And on the Terraza, the "Jazzology" section presents Trío Fraga-Motta-Giunta (6 p.m.) and Jorge López Ruiz Cuarteto (7 p.m.). When the night falls, also on the Terraza, the quartet led by great Colombian pianist and composer Ricardo Gallo will take the stage at 8 p.m. And there is all the good stuff that is yet to come in the evening…

The performance of Florencia Otero Sexteto at 9 p.m. will be the highlight of Friday’s free jazz concerts at the beautiful Anfiteatro de Parque Centenario. Singer and guitarist Florencia Otero, accompanied by great musicians including Rosario-born pianist Paula Shocrón, will perform her highly praised album Nocturno mundo, featuring music by Joni Mitchell. "We started to play the songs pretty much in the original version, and then we began making arrangements. This was a collective work; everyone was free to make their own contribution, with open arrangements,” Florencia Otero has recently said about the album’s creation process. Before her performance, the band La Mujer Barbuda will take the stage of the amphitheater at 7 p.m. and Abel Patrone Trío will do so at 8. With a seating capacity of 1,600, the amphitheater is located inside the park, near the intersection of Ángel Gallardo and Leopoldo Marechal, and has its entrance on the intersection of Lillo and Marechal. Admission, again, is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

The band Escalandrum (photo), a recent winner of the Gardel de Oro (a top award in the Argentine music industry), stands out in the program of evening concerts on the Terraza of the Centro Cultural Recoleta. At 9 p.m., preceded by the ensembles of bassist Mariano Sivori and saxophonist Gustavo Musso, Escalandrum will close out another great day of free music and cinema at the C. C. Recoleta. This Friday’s schedule begins at 3.30 p.m. with a solo piano recital by Colombian Holman Alvarez at El Aleph and continues at 4.30 with the performance of rotating trio Senanes3, at the same auditorium. On the Terraza, singer Helena Cullen will take the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Jorge Anders Jazz Orchestra (7 p.m.), as part of the "Jazzology" concert series. Also at 6 p.m., there will be a screening of footage from an extraordinary concert by Mingus: Charles Mingus: Live at Motreaux 1975. And at 8 p.m., on a city’s typical springtime sunset on the Terraza, the quintet led by Guillermo Klein will deliver a performance, further enhanced by the participation of outstanding Catalonian singer Carme Canela.

Ensamble Real Book Argentina will perform a great concert at 9 p.m. on the Terraza, closing out the first full day of Festival music on different stages of the Centro Cultural Recoleta, with free gigs and screenings of the "Cinema & Jazz" section. Real Book Argentina, an initiative of Esteban Sehinkman, is a project aimed at compiling and sharing the best Argentine jazz, featuring an array of talented musicians. Thursday’s schedule begins at 3.30 p.m. with a solo piano recital by Alejandro Manzoni at El Aleph; then continues at 4.30 with a performance by the duo of pianist Tatiana Castro Mejía and saxophonist Ada Rave at the same auditorium. And at 6, the film A Cabin in the Sky (1943) – directed by Vincente Minnelli and featuring stars such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne – will be screened at the Microcine. At the same time, on the Terraza, the “Jazzology" series kicks off with a concert by Jazz Gitano Ensamble, followed by a performance by American, Buenos Aires-based pianist Johnny Z Glatzer. At 8, the trio led by guitarist Armando Alonso will premiere their new album, Autopista.