Forthcoming Summer Jazz Festivals in--- Italy!

By Luca VitaliGiornale della Musica,
for Europe Jazz Media, http://europejazzmedia.net/​

The new Europe Jazz Media initiative: once every season, our writers recommend forthcoming jazz festivals in their country or region and share their recommendations with the readers of all member media!

May 26 – June 12: NOVARA JAZZ, XIII EDITION

With great attention to the contemporary scene – Italy, Europe and the entire world – though not forgetting roots and tradition: Novara Jazz in Piemonte region is today one of the best summer jazz festival in Italy. A heterogeneous program characterized by high quality that brings Fire! Orchestra of Mats Gustafsson to continental Italy for the first time, dedicates a creative residence to Rob Mazurek (which will see him engage with Italian artists), and will see several of the best elements of the Italian creative scene come together; among these, the “Multikulti” project by Cristiano Calcagnile dedicated to Don Cherry stands out. A festival that offers plurality and transversality on a par with unpredictability, sophistication and quality – trying to connect Italy with the rest of the world. Two weekends in which the public can enjoy Piemonte’s gastronomic delights in bars and restaurants and rejoice at the music in a setting of ancient castles and villas, old mills, enchanting places in the town centre, but also in the parks. Many collateral events will be held: book presentations, street jazz, bike excursions, DJ sets and much more.

June 9 – 12: SILE JAZZ 2016, V EDITION

This edition is entitled “Beyond the Border”, a theme of the program that will take the concerts to ten different municipalities on the Sile river in Veneto region. Other than the usual Italian artists, this year there will also be several international musicians. A festival that offers a peaceful atmosphere and is beginning to make a name for itself, thanks to the ever more interesting and quality propositions without having to resort to the usual names. Four days of churches, village squares and charming places discovering the real and unknown Veneto. There will be various original projects that will see international artists – Amir ElSaffar, Norbert Dalsass, François Houle, Samuel Blaser – interact with some of the best elements of the Italian scene: Nicola Fazzini, Enrico Terragnoli, Alessandro Fedrigo – but also Enten Eller, Max De Aloe…

Sile Jazz

July 29 – 31: CLUSONE JAZZ 2016, XXXVI EDITION

A festival that has written some of the most important pages of Italian jazz in over thirty years of of its history (see Clusone Trio – Michael Moore, Ernst Reijseger and Han Bennink). In order to face the ever more stifling economic difficulties, it is limited to only one weekend, and will be held at its original venue (Clusone, in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy), but with an as always out-of-the-ordinary program under the banner of a well-researched quality.

Clusone Jazz

August 8 – 16: TIME IN JAZZ, XXIX EDITION 

Mid-summer festival in Sardinia conceived and directed by Paolo Fresu in his native village, Berchidda. Several neighboring centers will be involved in the morning and afternoon concerts – Bortigiadas, Calangianus, Chiaramonti, Ittireddu, Loiri Porto San Paolo, Mores, Ozieri, Pattada, Posada, San Teodoro, Telti, Tempio Pausania and Tula – to make room for the sociocultural, historical and natural value of the territory. Following the editions dedicated to “Feet” and “Wings”, this year it’s the “Eyes” turn. An important festival which without daring too much keeps a bird’s-eye view attentive to the contemporary with international artists – Charles Lloyd, Michel Portal, Bugge Wesseltoft, Minu Cinelu – not forgetting the Italians: Ada Montellanico, Gianluigi Trovesi, Gianni Coscia, Daniele di Bonaventura, Stefano Battaglia, Petra Magoni and Ferruccio Spinetti, Marco Bardoscia, Rita Marcotulli.

TIME IN JAZZ