The greats of jazz protagonists in Vicenza

A dream eighty-eight keys long: this is the title chosen for the new edition of New Conversations – Vicenza Jazz, the renowned music festival that will enliven the theaters and squares of the Venetian capital from 13 to 19 May 2024. On the centenary of Bud Powell’s birth and on the 50th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s death, the event will open with a tribute to the two great pianists, then maintaining the piano as the key instrument of the entire event, with numerous events featuring artists of the caliber of Uri Caine, Omar Sosa and Craig Taborn. The scheduled performances will range from original productions to national premieres, creating a dialogue between the classic and the contemporary enriched by solo performances and highly appealing piano summits. THE GREATS OF CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ON STAGE IN VICENZA In addition to the piano, the great protagonist of this edition, Vicenza Jazz 2024 will offer the usual variety of sounds, thanks to the participation of top-notch musicians: from the trumpet of Paolo Fresu, protagonist of two unmissable duets, to the clarinet of the great Cuban jazz player Paquito D’Rivera, the festival will offer a program full of exotic timbres and more traditional sounds, testifying to jazz’s constant ability to blend cultures and genres into a single, harmonious sound experience. As always, the event will not remain closed to the theaters but will conquer the churches, bookshops, clubs, streets and squares of the Venetian city, transforming Vicenza into a large open-air stage, for a week full of events and concerts. FROM FRESU TO OMAR SOSA, THE GUESTS EXPECTED AT VICENZA JAZZTo best celebrate this special jazz festival, a series of parallel events are planned, such as Proxima, the event dedicated to young talents, and the program of late-night concerts, to continue to live the magical atmosphere of the festival even after the end of the prime time shows. With the long-awaited tribute to one of the main instruments of this musical genre and the rich program of concerts and collateral events, Vicenza Jazz 2024 promises to be much more than a festival, announcing itself as an all-round cultural experience that will delight all jazz enthusiasts.[Immagine in apertura: Paolo Fresu & Omar Sosa – Food. Foto di Roberto Cifarelli]