VICENZA, Italy (May 6, 2019) -- Jazz is back in Vicenza, starting off May 9 and ending May 19, and there is a big variety of concerts to choose from.
This year's Jazz Festival, "Beyond the Pillars of Hercules, Looking for a New Moon," is in its 24th year.
At the press conference held March 20 at Bar Borsa -- Jazz Cafè Trivellato, the 10-day festival was described: Mayor of Vicenza Francesco Rucco spoke about jazz in the city of Vicenza; the president of Teatro Comunale of Vicenza, Roberto Ditri, presented the schedule of concerts that will take place there; and Riccardo Brazzale, the festival's artistic director, shared a complete rundown of all of the jazz artists that will perform this year all with the help of co-producer, Luca Trivellato.
Like last year, the first concert will be held in Thiene on May 9 at the Auditorium Fonato with Claudio Fasoli's Ensemble "Inner Sounds." Fasoli was a member of the progressive group "Perigeo," playing his wonderful saxophone.
May 10 brings -- all the way from Cuba -- the Chucho Valdès Jazz Batà Quartet at Teatro Comunale, Vicenza. Chucho does not use drums in his band, but instead prefers the batà, so the jazz beat will be danceable.
On May 11 in the beautiful Piazza Dei Signori, Roy Paci & Aretuska will perform, sure to bring the house down with their rhythm, from ska to swing, rock, a touch of carbine and -- not forgetting -- traditional music from Sicily.
The Olympic Theater, Teatro Olimpico, will host Uri Caine Trio "Calibrated Thickness" on May 12. And the next day, May 13, music-lovers have within their grasp the great Peter Erskine Quartet at Teatro Comunale. Erskine is an American jazz drummer who was a member of jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead.
May 14 brings the one and only Paolo Fresu to the Olympic Theater. Fresu will be "A Solo," just him and his trumpet. Fresu is an Italian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, as well as a composer and arranger of music. Mauro Ottolini & Fabrizio Boss feature "Storyville Story" May 15; the duo are two of the most brilliant Italian brass players. Their performance will take listeners back to the old jazz days of New Orleans and Chicago.
Three concerts will take place May 16 at the Olympic Theater. The first, at 9 p.m., is Shai Maestro Trio, all the way from Israel. Just as they finish, Ambrose Akinmusire & David Virells perform their duet with piano and trumpet. The third concert starts at midnight at the cemetery of Acattolico with Trio Ammentos & Diana Torto with the accordion and voice.
Teatro Comunale plays host to four different concerts May 17, starting with Top Jazz Night, and moving on to Fedeerica Michisanti Trio, Franco D'Andrea Trio, and Lydian Sound Orchestra featuring Ambrose Akinmusire. If you're not superstitious, there is a midnight performance at the Maggiore cemetery, featuring Gabriele Mirabassi Trio + Ernst Reijseger.
The one and only Enrico Rava-Michel Portal-Ernis Reijseger-Andrew Cyrille performs May 18: "Free Connection" with that Afro-American rhythm and free jazz.
This brings us to the last night of Vicenza Jazz, May 19. This will be the epilogue with Jorge Rossy Pedrrolo Clinic Ensemble + Pietro Tonolo "Lennie's Pennies" featuring Jorge Rossy, in collaboration with the Conservatorium "Pedrollo" of Vicenza.
Every night during the festival, there will be music at Jazz Cafè Trivellato--Bar Borsa and at the Basilica Palladiana under the arcade in Piazza Dei Signori. The concerts there will be free, beginning at 10 p.m., followed by an 11:30 p.m. jam session.
For more information, check out the site www.vicenzajazz.org . Buy tickets online at biglietteria@tcvi.it; or at Teatro Comunale, Viale Mazzini 39, Vicenza (Tel 0444-324442). In case of inclement weather, open-door events will take place at Teatro Comunale.
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