Musicastrada

Stefano Battaglia, Paolino Dalla Porta, Massimo Manzi
2 August 2001 Montopoli

Since the ’80s, maverick Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia has been responsible for a stack of about fifteen records as a leader on the homegrown Splasc(h) label, as well as plenty of sideman appearances and discs elsewhere.
Before turning towards jazz, Stefano Battaglia studied classical piano at the Milan Conservatory.Since the late 1980’s he recorded a string [...]

Franco Nesti “EUROMUSIC” quartet featuring Nicola Stilo
30 July 2002 Montopoli

Nicola Stilo (born 1956 in Italy) is a jazz and pop instrumentalist, specialising in flute, guitar and piano. He worked extensively with Chet Baker during the 1980s. He has also worked with Luca Flores, Roland Kirk and Toninho Horta
Franco Nesti: contrabbasso.
Nicola Stilo: flauto, chitarra
Sandro Gibellini: chitarra
Alessandro Fabbri: batteria
www.myspace.com/franconesti
www.myspace.com/nicolastilo
www.alessandrofabbri.net

Nico Gori quartet “Groovin’ High”
6 August 2002 Montopoli

Nico Gori, born in Florence on September 13, 1975, started studying clarinet at the age of 6, graduating from the L.Cherubini Conservatory in Florence in 1993. He began studying both saxophones and piano in 1985 and obtained the 5th year diploma in 1994. In 2003 he obtained the Jazz Music Diploma, under with the guidance [...]

Silvia Bolognesi Quartet
28 July 2003 Montopoli

Silvia Bolognesi: double bass
Mariano di Nunzio: trumpet
Sergio Casale: alto sax alto and flugehorn
Owen Hart: drum
www.myspace.com/silviabolognesi
www.myspace.com/owenhartjr

Lello Pareti, Marco Tamburini, Danilo Rea, Piero Borri
5 August 2003 Montopoli

One of Italy’s leading jazz pianists, Danilo Rea received a solid musical training, obtaining his degree from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. Among the artists he has worked with on-stage and in the recording studios are Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Bob Berg, Michael Breker, Billy Cobam, Aldo Romano, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano [...]

Microcosmo Duo, special guest Gianni Cazzola
26 July 2004 Montopoli

Matteo Addabbo: piano
Luca Necciari: double bass
Gianni Cazzola: drum
www.myspace.com/lucanecciari
www.myspace.com/matteoaddabbo
www.myspace.com/giannicazzola

Lello Pareti, Antonello Salis, Stefano Cantini
2 August 2004 Montopoli

Antonello Salis born in Villamar, a small village in the south of Sardinia, on February 28th 1950. Self taught, he started playing accordion at the age of seven and later approached to the piano.
He took part in many studio sessions and played with a number of musicians in Italy and abroad including Enrico Rava, Paolo [...]

Michael Blake & Blake’s Tartare
18 July 2005 Montopoli

In the last decade this saxophonist, composer and arranger has established a commanding presence in the jazz idiom. His work gracefully erases the borders between fields of music. In 2002 he was recognized in Downbeat Magazine’s 50th Annual Critics Poll TDWR (Talent Deserving Wider Recognition) categories for tenor sax, soprano sax and jazz artist of [...]

No Soft Guitar, Giulio Stracciati, Michela Lombardi, Silvia Bolognesi
25 July 2005 Montopoli

An unusual combo band (double bass, vocals and guitars) in which three promising musicians (a kept promise!) of Italian Jazz trace back to the history of modern music, with original compositions, and from the American Songbook (“Summertime”), Rock (“My Generation”, “Message in a Bottle”, “Smoke on the Water”) up to the South-American (“Insensatez”), on the [...]

Smell Trio, Nico Menci, Paolo Benedettini e Gianni Cazzola
1 August 2005 Montopoli

After the “dazzling” meeting of last year that (with the help of the good Tuscan cuisine, a couple of glasses of red wine…), thanks to Tagete Edizioni it has become true a book dedicated to his life (“A Life in Swing”). Our friend Gianni will gig with his trio. During the performance, his book will [...]

Bens Belinga Quartet
17 July 2006 Montopoli

Ben Belinga, a saxophonist from Cameroun, has been inspired by the ever-famous jazz players John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, King Curtis etc. In 1975 he moved to Paris where he met Toure Kanda and his African band. They have been playing together for 7 years. Then he founded his own new group, Kaoma. “Lambada” is the [...]

Roma-Amsterdam Jazz Quartet
24 July 2006 Montopoli

Music made up by rhythm and melody, north and south, pasta and French fries, lines and spaces… Two Dutchmen playing wind instruments and two Italians at drums and upright bass. A pianoless quartet where music breathes inside and outside. Counterpoint and groove are melting together, slowly but relentlessly as it is happening all around Europe…Distances [...]

Matt Renzi, Simone Guiducci, Oscar del Barba
31 July 2006 Montopoli

Tenor saxophonist/clarinettist Matt Renzi was born into a musical family. He received a BA in performance from Berklee College of Music and studied with George Garzone, John Handy, Joe Henderson and South Indian Vocalist R.A. Ramamani. Matt has appeared at festivals and venues throughout North America as well as Europe, Japan, Israel, India, Singapore and [...]

Paolo Innarella Melodic Art Quartet
16 July 2007 Montopoli

“Our music is deeply linked to the name of the quartet meaning our attention to the Italian melodic tradition. As if speaking with the listener’s hidden side you could find the deepest and most reserved motivation of your own music …”. This is how Paolo Innarella describes his quartet, a group of jazz stars. Walter [...]

Claudio Giovagnoli Native Quartet
23 July 2007 Montopoli

Various original compositions, grooves, an ensemble of rhythms, changes in atmosphere, a complex plot to enable more freedoms maintaining a control on every component. Native Quartet is Claudio Giovagnoli’s last creation. Claudio is a young sax player coming from Tuscany. He proposes his music in an emotional, instinctive manner as a result of single [...]

Dirk Blümlein Terzett
30 July 2007 Montopoli

A melodic trio with unusual instruments: electric bass, sax/clarinet, drums. Dirk Bluemlein, also a bass player of a German pop band called Fools Garden, he finds, with his own group based in Stuttgart, the right way to show his ideas: what kind of sound comes up from a small ensemble? His best partners [...]

Gianni Cazzola, Mattia Cigalini, Gianluca di Ienno
14 July 2008 Montopoli

Cazzola, veteran and pure interpreter of the jazz drums in Italy, comes back after a few years to remember us that he is “honorary citizen” of Montopoli and for which reason he has deserved this recognition. He has a real nose to recognize the true talents (considering that he has played with so many great [...]

Carla Marciano Quartet
21 July 2008 Montopoli

Carla Marciano, saxophonist and composer from Salerno, is considered among the best new talents of the international jazz, appreciated both for the great passion and instinct, for his unique sound and the interpretative vein. With the precious collaboration of a quartet by now stable from years, the project confirms the intention to develop a coherent [...]

Andy Gravish and Daniele Gorgone Trio
28 July 2008 Montopoli

He has been professionally playing since he was 12 years old, in Pennsylvania clubs and pubs. He won a scholarship at Berklee College Of Music in Boston, where he graduated. After that he was called by the big band of the ‘great’ drummer Buddy Rich, where he played trumpet jazz. With this band he also [...]

Steve Grossman Two Tenors Quintet
20 July 2009 Montopoli

Although he started out playing in fusion-oriented settings, Steve Grossman developed into an excellent hard bop tenor in the tradition of Sonny Rollins. He started at the top as Wayne Shorter’s replacement with Miles Davis, playing in his fusion group from 1969 to 1970, and was with Lonnie Liston Smith in 1971. He spent a [...]

Pisorno Jazztet
27 July 2009 Montopoli

An old folkloristic rivalry beetween two cities of Tuscany now becomes a marvellous musical project with musicians from Pisa and Livorno. Song from latin tradition and tango and originals enriched by melodic sound of chromatic harp in contrast with the rock-blues of ekectric guitar.
Federico Bertelli: chromatic harp
Gabrio Baldacci: guitar
Gabriele Evangelista: double bass
Daniele Paoletti: drums
www.myspace.com/federicobertellijazzharp
Pisorno Jazztet [...]