Sax fans on the Costa Tropical get a familiar face this Friday, when Erly Thornton opens the seventh Jazz en Otoño in Almuñecar. Nashville-born Thornton, a regular on southern Andalucian stages, shares the opening bill with Granada guitarist David Margam in a project called The Funk Assembly.

Jazz en Otoño runs from 9 to 11 October at the Auditorio Martin Recuerda, inside the Casa de la Cultura on Calle Puerta de Granada 19. Each night starts at 8pm. Organisers bill the cycle as the indoor autumn arm of Jazz en la Costa, the open-air July festival that began in 1988 in Parque El Majuelo, under Castillo de San Miguel. This October series itself dates from 2020, a shorter follow-on once the summer dates are done.

Friday’s funk bill with Erly Thornton and David Margam

Friday 9 October belongs to Erly Thornton and David Margam: The Funk Assembly. Thornton on saxophone lines up with Margam on guitar, Jaime Parrizas on drums, Miguel Angel Gil on bass, Jose Luis Lopretti on piano, Andres Garcia on guitar, Gaston Lopez on percussion and Sista Funk on vocals. Margam, founder of Funkdacion, is out with Magnetic, his second studio album, recorded with players from the United States and Europe. Their set pulls contemporary jazz, funk, soul and R&B into one groove-led night. Diputacion de Granada describes the band as built for a live room that wants rhythm first, and Thornton’s recent ties to the Andalucian scene are the reason his name sits at the top of the poster.

Jesse Davis and Ludovic Beier fill the weekend

Saturday 10 October brings Jesse Davis Quartet. Davis, a New Orleans saxophonist who studied with Ellis Marsalis, has shared stages with Clark Terry, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Kenny Barron, Benny Golson and Wynton Marsalis. He arrives with Reflections, a record that keeps a hard-bop line and a personal reading of the American jazz tradition.

Sunday 11 October closes on Ludovic Beier Montmartre Quartet. French accordion and accordina player Beier is joined by Pierre-Alain Goualch on piano, Gautier Laurent on double bass and Frederic Delestre on drums. Swing, West Coast jazz and Brazilian colour sit in the same set.

A school session tied to the cycle, backed by Fundacion SGAE, uses live music, projections and astronomy material for younger listeners.

Tickets, times and how this differs from September’s cycle

Single tickets cost €15. A three-night pass costs €30. Sales run on RedEntradas and at the Casa de la Cultura box office, Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 2pm, plus an hour before each concert. Ayuntamiento de Almuñecar organises the dates, with the provincial culture office and the Jazz en la Costa technical office. Full listings also sit on Visit Almuñecar.

Readers who caught September’s II Ciclo de Jazz at the same hall were at a separate Juventudes Musicales programme. July’s open-air festival stays the big outdoor date. October’s bill is the closer indoor follow-on, and the town’s 500th anniversary of its coat of arms means Almuñecar already has a full cultural diary running through the same weeks.

Monday, October 12 will be a public holiday across Spain as the country celebrates its National Day, giving residents across the Axarquia and Costa Tropical a break from the normal working week.

For residents in areas including Rincon de la Victoria, Velez-Malaga, Torre del Mar, Caleta de Velez, Torrox, Nerja, Frigiliana, Maro, Almuñecar-La Herradura, Salobreña, Motril and Lobres, the biggest question is simple: what will actually be open? The answer is not quite as straightforward as “everything is closed”.

Banks and public offices will shut

Banks will be closed on Monday, as will town halls and most government offices. Schools will also be closed, while most businesses that operate normal Monday-to-Friday office hours will not be working. Anyone needing to deal with Spanish bureaucracy should therefore get their paperwork done before the weekend or wait until Tuesday.

Post offices and other services operating normal weekday schedules should also be expected to close, although essential services and businesses with their own holiday arrangements will continue operating.

Shops can open on October 12

This is the important distinction for anyone planning the weekly shop. October 12 is an authorised shopping day in Andalucia, meaning larger shops and supermarkets are legally allowed to open. That does not mean every supermarket will open its doors.

Individual chains and branches decide whether to trade and what hours to use, so checking locally is still essential. Some larger retailers and shopping centers have already announced opening hours for the holiday. Smaller shops may also open, particularly in coastal and tourist areas.
So if the fridge is empty, there is no need to panic, but don’t assume your usual supermarket will be operating its normal Monday timetable. Mercadona is the main one to watch for closures.

Restaurants, bars and cafes

For residents along the coast, Monday’s holiday should feel rather different from a normal weekday. Restaurants, bars and cafes are generally able to open, with businesses in popular areas such as Nerja, Torre del Mar, Torrox, Almuñecar and the Costa Tropical likely to benefit from Spaniards taking advantage of the long weekend.

Official ceremonies will also take place

October 12 is more than a public holiday, with Spain marking its Fiesta Nacional through official ceremonies across the country. The main national celebrations take place in Madrid, including a military parade attended by the Spanish royal family and senior political figures.

For readers in Malaga province, the date also has particular importance for the Guardia Civil, as October 12 is the Día del Pilar, the force’s patron day. Ceremonies traditionally include Mass, an official act and a parade, with Guardia Civil personnel, local authorities and members of the public taking part.

There is plenty happening locally

The holiday also falls at a particularly busy time of year for the region, with October fiestas and traditional celebrations taking place in several towns. That means residents do not necessarily have to travel far to find something going on, although the details vary considerably from one town to another. For many British residents, however, the biggest attraction may simply be having a Monday when the normal Spanish working routine stops without the summer crowds of July and August.

Bavarian vibes will fill the streets of Torre del Mar as the iconic beer festival returns on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11. This popular fun filled event will treat you to live music, food and of course big beers.

What is happening in Torre del Mar?

The famous Oktoberfest beer festival, will once again take over Avenida Tore Tore, in Torre del Mar on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 starting from 1pm on both days. Visitors can soak up the Bavarian feels exploring the stands full of authentic food and snacks and craft beers.

Six concerts are planned to get you moving over the weekend. Live music starts at 4pm with various bands hitting the stage. Popular groups such as Malabares, performing the hits of Estopa, Iberia Sumergida, a tribute to Heroes del Silencio, the rock band from Zaragoza and Aire, playing the pop songs of Mecano, the trio that rose to fame in the 1980s.

Local groups join in the fun too

Its not just acts from outside of the area, local groups are getting a taste of Bavaria too. Performers include the choirs Coro Luz del Alba and Coro Peña Buena Amistad, along with the groups Feel the Music and Fit Easy Dance. A castanet troupe called Ganas de Vivir will also perform.

A successful returning event

Beatriz Galvez who is the council’s councillor for commerce and industry, says the event is part of an effort to keep the town busy outside of the summer months. In her view, it gives both residents and visitors something to enjoy in autumn and brings extra customers to local shops, bars and restaurants.

This is an unmissable event for the local area. Swing along to Avenida Tore Tore and soak up the atmosphere. For full information and scheduling visit the Velez-Malaga town hall website.