South Tyrol was, until the First World War, a part Austria, and then he Italy annexed. There is little Italian in it South Tyrol, both in appearance and ambience. It is, in fact, a unique combination of well-maintained vineyards and Alpine mountain massifs with the dominant Dolomites (on the UNESCO World Heritage List). Climate with more than 300 sunny days, it makes South Tyrol a rewarding destination for lovers of active holidays (especially suitable for hiking and cycling). However, the lovers jazz he is sewing something else. Südtirol Jazz festival began modestly, but interestingly, under the name "Jazz Summer". In 1982, Nikola Chiardi and a group of friends organized a concert by the American group CODONA (Collin Walcott, Don Cherry & Nana Vasconcelos), which was considered an authentic, daring and successful project on the avant-garde jazz scene of the early eighties.
Already the following year, 5 groups performed at the Festival. In the years that followed, the Festival continued to grow both in scope and importance. At first it was held only in Bolzano, but over time it spread throughout South Tyrol. The festival is attractive because it offers a combination of alternative jazz and unusual concert locations. It always starts on the last Friday of June and lasts until the first week of July, in various, mostly atypical places. This year, the Festival presented around 150 musicians at more than 50 concert performances and received an award from the European Jazz Network (European Jazz Network) for a boldly composed program. The prize went into the right hands. Festival president Stefan Festini Cucco, vice-president Roberto Tubaro and manager Max von Pretz have been representing the boldest and best of European jazz for years. It is important to note that the concerts are mostly free, thanks to the support of the local community and sponsors.
JAZZ IN THE FOREST
The festival opened with an orchestra performance Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, composed mainly of Norwegian musicians. The orchestra consists of three drummers, three double basses (Peter Eld, Ole Morten Wogan and Ingebrit Höcker Flaten), six saxophones (Eirik Hekdahl, Per Texas Johansson, Kjetil Moster, Vera Petersen, Macej Obara, Andre Roligeten), two trumpets (Thomas Johansson and Goran Kajfes), and trombones (Erik Johansen, Guro Kvale). The arrangements were made by the orchestra leader and saxophonist Andre Roligaten, and they are designed to naturally encourage the musicians to show their dominant side in the performance, without creating the impression of overcrowding in a sound that is unique and powerful. This orchestra is one of the trump cards of the European jazz scene that should be paid attention to.
The next day, in an unexpected location, in the forests of South Tyrol, Eirik Heckdahl performed with Sissel Vera Petersen - a combination born from Supersonic Orchestra. A program full of intense, evocative improvisations in forest landscapes takes on a new meaning. The same performance in one of the proven concert halls would seem much different than in the forest at 1787 meters above sea level. This is one of the favorites of the Jazz Festival: bold placement of new podiums in unexpected places, which allows for a unique experience.
After they had performed with the orchestra the previous evening Supersonic, Goran Kajfes and his Subtropic Orchestra"they took the stage at Piazza Walter square and presented their ethnic project under the strong influence of Balkan folklore. The performance was marked by odd rhythms with particularly inspired solos on the trumpet. Music that could interest a wider audience as well.
JAZZ IN CHURCH
Part of the Festival was also held in the local cinema. The Catalan Cinematheque sent several amateur films from the 1930s, parodies of the works of Dali, Buñuel and Miró. It's hard to say whether these are successful ventures, but double bassist Andrea Grossi and trombonist Matteo Paggi brought a dose of excitement by improvising music fueled by moving images.
The Russian pianist who lives in Berlin, Svetlana Maritsenko, performed in the courtyard of the Free University of Bolzano. Her group SVM3 feat. Beatdenker presented the contemporary Berlin scene. Joe Bitdenker (guitar and sampler), Felix Henkelhausen (double bass) and Philip Dornbusch (drums) performed with her. The most important quality of this band is the extraordinary mutual cooperation, with a lot of maturity and patience. The influences of progressive rock are noticeable. A fascinating musical event.
As part of the Festival, there were also morning performances called Sonic Reactions. Spontaneous improvisations between musicians who previously had no opportunity to collaborate with each other. The performance of violinist Anais Drago and pianist Keith Downes, who also played the double bass on that occasion, was held in the hall of the press center and attracted a lot of attention. The extraordinary interaction of these musicians justifies the idea of the morning segment in the most beautiful way. The challenge of improvisation at work at its best.
One of the most interesting moments of the festival is the performance of the Swiss group Knobil. Louise Knobil (bass and vocals), Chloe Marcigny (bass clarinet) and Fabien Girotto (drums) easily attract attention. Musical magic at work. Knobil fondly mentions his role models, Charles Mingus and Esperanza Spalding, happily engages in excellent interplay and noticeably dominates the stage. Due to bad weather, the concert was moved to the "Bed Ratzes" hotel. But even if they had played in the open air, they would have sounded just as extraordinary. A dose of humor and a desire to prove themselves fuel every moment of their performance.
At the end of the performance, Louise Knobil sang the standard "Cheek To Cheek" superbly. A moment that suggests there could be more vocal tracks.
The unusual duet combination of trombone-harp, Matteo Paggi (trombone) + Rafael Rinodo (harp), was remembered not only as unusual, but also as fruitful. Everyone agrees, one of the brightest moments of the festival. Perfectly coordinated and imaginative improvisation. A concert whose only flaw is that it didn't last longer.
At Gries Church, Keith Downes gave an impressive performance on the church organ. A mystical musical mix in which genre divisions lose their meaning and therefore disappear for a moment. The environment and space play an important role and become a key factor in improvisation, which finds its origin in an experience strictly related to the venue of the performance. A concert that is hard to forget, and we recommend Keith's album to your attention Obsidian, recorded for ECM in 2018.
FIVE HOURS OF JAZZ
This is followed by a concert that also attracted attention due to its unusual venue. Namely, the former prison area in the town of Brixen has been adopted Matteo Paggi Quintet (trombone): Lorenzo Simoni (alto saxophone), Vittorio Solimene (piano), Andrea Grossi (double bass) and Andrea Carta (drums). One would expect a performance in prison gray to be a harrowing venue, but the former prison doesn't seem that way at all. Decorated and redesigned, it seems warm and friendly, no matter how strange it may sound to some. Matteo Paggi is an excellent trombonist and bandleader, continuing the tradition of out-of-the-box trombonists in Italian jazz. The band seems well-coordinated and combines electronics with ease mainstream, solving effective solo games. It looks natural, no matter what they're doing. A quintet that doesn't have to worry about the future.
In the long series of all kinds of oddities at the Festival, one that borders on the unbelievable stands out. The concert lasts five hours, without a break. It sounds like an unsalted joke, never ending. Despite the length of the concert Ensemble Cabarilla – Delphine Joussen (flute, electronics, vocals), Lukas Krancelbinder (bass), Johannes Schleiermacher (saxophone, flute, electronics), Simon Pop (drums), Ceren Oran, Jaroslav Ondrus, Dante Murillo (dancers) – it's not exhausting. On the contrary. The longer the concert lasted, the more convincing it became. The project appears once a year, lasts for a continuous five hours and then disappears in a puff of smoke. Extremely unusual, even for a Festival where oddity is commonplace.
South Tyrol Jazz Festival is very well designed and realized. It presents visitors with what could be the future of European jazz at the present moment. Good attendance at all concerts and a friendly outstretched hand to those who are not necessarily a jazz oriented audience. Festival events never cease to surprise in a positive sense. The audacity of the organizers is charming and impressive. They are happy to embark on jazz adventures that most organizers would rather avoid.
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