La Spezia: the 55th edition of the International Jazz Festival begins

La Spezia: the 55th edition of the International Jazz Festival begins.

At the 55th edition of INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVALLA SPEZIA, scheduled from 25 July to 2 August in Piazza Europa, with great names from the international jazz scene on the calendar:

• July 25 STANLEY CLARKE,
• 26 July THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER (50th anniversary and Final World Tour);
• 27 July EARTH, WIND AND FIRE EXPERIENCE BY AL MCKAY WITH GREG MOORE,
• 28 July DOCTOR 3, 30 July AL DI MEOLA, 02 August Homage to Astor Piazzolla with DANIELE DI BONAVENTURA AND THE HYPERION ENSEMBLE.

Il INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVALLA SPEZIA it is produced by the Municipality of La Spezia, Fondazione Carispezia, Società dei Concerti ETS; with the patronage of the Liguria Region and the support of the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea. Main Sponsor: Iren SPA – Partners: MBDA, PA Digital.

18 July 1969 La Spezia. This is the date that marks the start of the jazz festival in the city of the Gulf of Poets which this year celebrates its 55th edition and boasts the honor of being the longest running event of its kind in Italy. Born from an idea by Tiberio Nicola, it has seen internationally renowned artists take to the stage, from Mingus to Keith Jarrett, Weather Report, Bollani, but also big names not expressly linked to the genre such as BB King, Mogol or Kronos Quartet.

The mayor of La Spezia Pierluigi Peracchini declares: “The fifty-fifth edition of the La Spezia International Jazz Festival is about to begin and the city is ready to host the great internationally renowned artists who will take the stage in Piazza Europa. This event is now a tradition because it is one of the protagonists of the La Spezia summer with over half a century of history, big names and successes, which brings energy, creativity and fun through the universal language of jazz. I thank all those who made this new edition possible, the artists, the musicians, the technicians and all those who worked for its organization."

“There is much more jazz than you think. Jazz has taken on a fundamental role in the evolution process of modern pop music, so much so that it is considered its 'parent'. Today, thanks also to its contaminations, it is a genre that can be enjoyed not only by enthusiasts, but by a wider audience" declares the Artistic Director Lorenzo Cimino.

Pre-sale tickets for individual concerts available on this link.

STANLEY CLARKE:

He is a four-time Grammy Award winner and will take the stage with the band 4EVER composed of Jeremiah Collier on drums, Jahari Stampley piano and keyboards, Colin Cook on guitar, Emilio Modeste on saxophone. Clarke is considered one of the most influential bass players of the 70s worldwide. Recording 19 albums throughout his career, he experimented a lot and, in reality, kept quite a distance from the genre which (at his beginnings in New York) placed him alongside sacred monsters such as Gil Evans, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and many others.

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER:

The date is part of the Word Tour with which the historic group definitively bids farewell to the musical scene. It will therefore be an evening with a strong emotional impact in the splendid setting of Piazza Europa. The American group has been present in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame since 1998. The concert will be opened by the Jazz Vocal Esemble of the “G.Puccini” Conservatory of La Spezia with Michela Lombardi. Guest Karima with the direction of Pietro Gaddi.

EARTH, WIND AND FIRE EXPERIENCE BY AL MCKAY WITH GREG MOORE:

The opening of the concert will be entrusted to Joe Castellano Super Blues & Soul Band. With a career spanning more than 40 years, the numbers achieved by Earth Wind and Fire are impressive: they have sold over 90 million records, won the Grammy Awards several times (obtained 20 nominations and won 6) and the American Music Awards (12 nominations and won 4). They are also present in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and can boast a star in the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

DOCTOR 3:

The trio is made up of Danilo Rea on piano, Enzo Pietropaoli on double bass, and Fabrizio Sferra on drums. The formation was born in 1997 with an album ('The tales of Doctor 3') which the following year was already cited by the magazine Musica Jazz as the best Italian album. The formation's highly recognizable imprint and style led them to be decreed the Best Italian Jazz group for three years (1999, 2001, 2003).

AL DI MEOLA:

The expected protagonist of this edition, considered an absolute genius of the guitar, Al Di Meola explores different styles in his career, among which jazz fusion with Latin influences stands out. Not only a soloist, he boasts numerous collaborations such as the one with the group Return To Forever (with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White), the famous acoustic guitar trio with fellow virtuosos John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia and the Rite of Strings trio with bassist Clarke and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.

DANIELE DI BONAVENTURA with the HYPERION ENSEMBLE will pay homage to the great Argentine composer and musician Astor Piazzolla. The Union of Jazz and Tango will kick off a unique show that will close the 55th edition of the Jazz Festival. The artistic career of Daniele Di Bonaventura from the Marche region boasts, from the beginning, around 30 records published for highly respected publishers and record labels on the international scene. He has played, recorded and collaborated with many artists including Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Oliver Lake, David Murray. The Hyperion Ensemble, for its part, boasts more than 1000 concerts around the world, bringing its unique and totally immersive Tango.