Veneto Jazz Winter

Published: 2009 - April/May, Cultural and Artistic Paths

To trace the routes is the work of an artistic director, proposing a vision, albeit personal, that at the same time takes into account the needs of the public and the places. This winter review is no exception as it extends until May and puts on show many diverse souls from contemporary music research. Next to well known names, the program welcomes emerging talent, some for the first time in Italy, others unknown to the main public.
After the exploits of Esperanza Spalding, young double bass player and singer and among the new stars of jazz (she will also be with us next summer), Aca Seca (4th April, Teatro Villa dei Leoni, Mira, Ve) and Hiromi (17th April, Teatro Accademico, Castelfranco Veneto, Tv) are other artists to keep an eye on. The first, never heard in Italian festivals, represent the new Argentinean folk music: excellent collaborations (one among others from Pedro Aznar from the Pat Metheny Group) and unexceptionable technique, go straight to the heart, with sensitivity and humility. Hironi, Japanese pianist, in spite of an exceptional mentor, Chick Corea, with who he recorded live, is not seen very often in our country: a prodigy, with an perfectly modern vision of improvised music, that takes in funk, rock and classical. Myron Walden, versatile saxophonist, and Aruan Ortiz, innovative Cuban pianist, lead a quartet that incorporates oriental and African sounds (3rd April, Auditorium San Nicolò, Chioggia, Ve). It’s the contemporary jazz from across the Atlantic on stage in Chioggia. The Auditorium Maxlive di Costabissara (Vi), in my opinion one of the most modern spaces in Veneto for live music, hosts the most Pop name on the bill, reinvented for a jazz collection that explores different territories and takes into account the experimental results of the research by every artist. ’Pomodoro Genetico’ by Antonella Ruggiero, memorable voice of Matia Bazar, is the emblem: it’s an unpublished and surprising work created with the keyboard player and arranger Roberto Colombo, and has inspired two video artists Fabio Massimo Iaquone and Luca Attili (4th April). A performance of music, voice and images that meets my idea of contemporary performance able to cross the boundaries of acoustic music, making use of other means of artistic expression. The other voice in the review, Teresa Salgueiro, ex-leader of Madredeus, reinvents herself as a soloist and, accompanied by Lusitania Ensemble who include some of Portugal’s finest musicians, present a repertory dedicated to the music past and present from this country (19th April). Authentic funk from James Browns’ pupil, Maceo Parker, one of the few on today’s scene who can embody that full-blooded sound without concessions(18th April), while Nick The Nightfly, friend and historic voice of Radio Montecarlo Nights, has the date for traditional swing, with his fabulous orchestra (9th May). Other artists on the edge enrich the review, like Enzo Jannacci, who I have always considered very “jazz” for his narratives of odd tempos, improvisations and movements(16th May). His son Paolo and other good jazz players will accompany him in this project.
The curtain has just gone down on Nu Fest, the electronic music festival in Padova that put on show djs and international artists in the theaters and clubs (Mouse on Mars, Plaid, and Eivind Aarset). A new chapter in the story of Veneto Jazz which in the past has already supported this contamination. Nicola Conte with his Nu jazz is one of the European references (24th April, Teatro Vivaldi, Jesolo, Ve).