Ascona Jazz Festival award is presented annually during the Jazz Ascona festival and is supported by the municipality of Ascona. Ascona Jazz Festival Ascona Jazz Festival, or Jazz Ascona, is an annual jazz festival held in Ascona, Switzerland. The 10-day festival takes place from late June to early July on the Swiss shores of Lake Maggiore and is devoted to historical styles of jazz, particularly New Orleans jazz. Under the direction of Nicolas Gilliet, Jazz Ascona features more than 200 concerts, 300 musicians, and events such as gospel choirs, jam sessions, exhibits, conferences, and films. Established in 2006, the Ascona Jazz Awards recognizes
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival In addition, parades are held throughout the duration of the event. They include parades by the Mardi Gras Indians, marching bands, brass bands, and social aid and pleasure clubs. The Festival has been held annually since 1970 when it was founded by the New Orleans Hotel Motel Association to form "the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation" that owns the Festival. George Wein's Festival Productions was contracted to produce the Festival. Wein produced the Newport Jazz Festival (1954) and the Newport Folk Festival (1959) in Newport, Rhode Island. To produce the Festival in New Orleans, Wein assembled advisers, among them