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The 2006 edition of Douro Jazz International Festival took place when the 250 years of the Demarcated Douro Region were being commemorated, and joined those commemorations by presenting a program headed by an unusual group of artists.
The renowned Amsterdam Klezmer Band circulated on Douro Jazz's stages with its vibrant songs and virtuous instrumentals. From the United States of America arrived Carolyn Leonhart, a singer whose voice The New York Times considered comparable to that of a young Ella Fitzgerald. Also from USA came Lee Konitz, a sixty-year career sax player and composer and a historic jazz musician who shared stages and studios with such names as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, or Miles Davis. In 2006 Lee Konitz recorded, with Orquestra de Jazz de Matosinhos, the CD “Portology”. The concert at Teatro de Vila Real intended to present, for the first time, that new record, edited by the American label Omnitone. Sexteto de Mário Barreiros joined the program to show the best jazz from Portugal.
To close the 2006's edition of Douro Jazz was scheduled a unique concert in Portugal: Jean-Luc Ponty, a “pioneer and undisputed master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock”, who has played in the company of Frank Zappa, George Duke, and John McLaughlin and, besides his own band, plays in trio with Al di Meola and Stanley Clarke.
Organized by Teatro de Vila Real, with Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto and Associação Chaves Viva as partners, Douro Jazz went from September 22 to October 21 with concerts in three towns: Régua, Vila Real and Chaves. The opening happened at Solar do Vinho do Porto, with the performing of the Spanish group Dixiemulando. This band gave another concert at the medieval Tower of Quintela (Vila Real), Douro Jazz's association with that year's European Heritage Days.
Following the example of the previous editions, there was a range of parallel activities intended to diversify and consolidate audiences, such as the photo exhibition “Five Minutes of Jazz” and the installation “My Funny Valentine”, which evoked Chet Baker. Furthermore, the book “Capitais da Solidão”, from poet Rui Pires Cabral, was published during the Festival with the support of Delegação Regional da Cultura do Norte. Also, the 2004 and 2005 vintages of “Douro Jazz” wine, a Lavradores de Feitoria production, was presented on September 23. Those two vintages correspond to the Festival's previous editions, and the participant artists are evoked on the respective labels. "Douro Jazz" wine is also a way of strengthening the relation between the music and the Douro region.