Bringing back to the scene a genre that boasts great talents from Asti, such as Gianni Basso and Paolo Conte.
A genre that has a strong historical connotation, but always current and with an eye to the future, thanks to the continuous encounter with other sounds: this is how AstiJazz was born, a festival created by the Municipality with Piemonte live and included in the program of the prestigious Torino Jazz Festival Piemonte. Traveling between classics and experimentation with international guests.
The program continues this evening, Monday 1 July, at 9.30 pm at the Teatro Alfieri in Asti with «Essentially Ellington & Strayhorn»: a concert tribute to two giants of the genre, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
The concert starts from a question: «The nature of the collaboration between Ellington and Strayhorn has remained a mystery to the public and critics. Who composed what?”
The answer is in the notes of Tony Kofi (alto and soprano sax), Marco Marzola (bass), Nico Menci (piano) and Alfonso Vitale (drums): artists of excellence, revisiting the repertoire of the two famous composers.
«We will have on stage a formidable ensemble of cutting-edge musicians – comments Enrico Regis of the Fondazione Piemonte live – a very dynamic and unique ensemblewhere the English saxophonist of Ghanaian origins Tony Kofi stands out, winner of numerous awards, including two BBC Jazz Awards».
Tony Kofi
Kofi is a jazz multi-instrumentalist, playing alto, baritone, soprano, tenor saxophone and flute. After cutting his teeth in the Jazz Warriors of the early 90s, he has established himself as a musician, teacher and composer. In addition to performing and recording with Gary Crosby’s NuTroop and Jazz Jamaica, Tony’s playing has also been a feature of many bands and artists he has worked and recorded with, including Macy Gray, Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s Coltrane Configurations and Ornette Coleman, to name a few. His flowing and fiery hard-bop style keeps him in constant demand.
He currently leads his Tony Kofi Quartet, Tony Kofi Sphinx Trio, Future Passed Trio and is also co-founder with Jonathan Gee of the Monk Liberation Front, a group dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk. On the stage of the Teatro Alfieri he will guide the audience in an experience full of emotions based on the extensive revisited repertoire of the two famous composers.
Street University
As in 2023, also in this edition the event offers the stage to young talents: this is the case of Street University. Formed by Mauro La Mancusa, Lorenzo Simoni, Matteo Bonti, Fabrizio Doberti, it will be in concert Wednesday 10th July at Alfieri: «These four young musicians met at the Siena Jazz University – says Regis – but their quartet was born and raised on the street, bringing jazz to the streets of Lucca, making it known to a heterogeneous audience”.
Piana, Albano, Tallini, Maiorino, Pache, Coscia
On Thursday 11 July, the Alfieri Theater will once again host Franco Piana (trumpet), Fulvio Albano (tenor sax), Stefania Tallini (piano), Alessandro Maiorino (bass), Adam Pache (drums) and Gianni Coscia accordion: they will be on stage together to pay homage to Dino Piano, one of the greatest exponents of Italian jazz, who recently passed away at the age of 93.
«The collaboration with Piemonte dal Vivo is also fundamental this year – he underlines Paris CandelaresiCouncilor for Culture of the Municipality of Asti – demonstrating that networking creates opportunities for quality aggregation and entertainment that can reach the most diverse audiences, including the younger ones.”
Depending on the concerts, tickets range from 10 to 25 euros (8 to 23 for concessions), available at the Alfieri ticket office and on ufficioveloce.it.
