Later came Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie with Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan and Jaco Pastorius.
Artists such as Noa, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Esperanza Spalding, Thomas Chapin and Esbjörn Svensson have been featured.
The festival also introduced an educational program for students and professionals which drew teachers including Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Juilliard School of New York and Fred Hersch.
There have been meetings in Vitoria-Gasteiz that have passed to the music history such as Dizzy Gillespie with Stan Getz, Chick Corea with Bobby McFerrin, Paco de Lucía with Wynton Marsalis and Jamie Cullum with José James.
The festival inspired Wynton Marsalis to compose Vitoria Suite with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Paco de Lucía as guest.