Articles by Francesco Martinelli
French Showcase at the 2023 European Jazz Conference
by Francesco Martinelli
Palais du Pharo/Théâtre La Criée European Jazz Conference Showcases Marseille, France September 14-17, 2023 The showcase program of the 9th European Jazz Conference (see separate article) was inaugurated in the comfortable Auditorium of the Palais du Pharo--the main venue of the conference--by the Orchid Big Band. Born inside the musical collective Déluge and conducted by Thomas Julienne, the orchestra displayed on stage its perfect gender balance, and one could not but love them for that ...
read moreEuropean Jazz Conference 2022
by Francesco Martinelli
European Jazz Conference 2022 Toplo Centrala Sofia, Bulgaria September 22-25, 2022 More than 300 professionals, representing 180 member organizations from 38 countries, came together in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, for the eighth annual European Jazz Conference. The event is organized by the Europe Jazz Network, an organization founded in 1987 (full disclosure, with the help of this writer) that transformed its own General Assembly in a major forum for discussion, reflection, meetings and idea ...
read moreIn memoriam: Alessandro Giachero
by Francesco Martinelli
Only with a very heavy heart one can write an obituary for a young friend and great musician who left this world suddenly, prematurely and unjustly, leaving his colleagues and pupils, but above all his family, in mourning. It will hopefully be useful to leave a trace of his musical contributions and a lead for future listeners. Softly-spoken, reserved, much loved by colleagues and students, Alessandro Giachero never threw anything in-your-face—not his music, not his presence, nor his ...
read moreEmanuele Primavera Quintet: Above the Below
by Francesco Martinelli
From the very first notes of “Walk Away," the opening track of this album, one perceives a special feeling of poise, weight, balance and intense storytelling, a marker of great music. These young musicians have something to say, and they know how to speak their piece. As a composer Emanuele Primavera combines melodic invention with harmonic openness, leaving an open field for the inspired contributions of the other members of the quintet, all from Sicily apart from Florentine ...
read moreBilge Gunaydin: Daydreams
by Francesco Martinelli
Once this disc by Turkish pianist Bilge Gunaydin is in your CD player, you may find it hard to take it out again. There are several reasons for this. One is to hear the beautiful sound once crafted by composer Sinan Sakizli in his Hayyam Studio, down the hill from Istiklal towards Kasimpasa, a go-to location for quality recording in Istanbul; another is to listen to the instrumental voices of the band members, some of the brightest lights ...
read moreAkBank Jazz Festival 2019
by Francesco Martinelli
AkBank Jazz Festival Istanbul, Turkey October 18-25 2019 I arrived in Istanbul during the world-wide outrage that followed the United States pull-out from Syria and the consequent military intervention by Turkey. The new humongous airport looked rather empty compared to the crowded spaces of the old one; the trip to city centre was long in kilometres but on a rather free road, and the light traffic made for a transfer that was not longer ...
read moreEnrico Rava Special Edition at Teatro Nuovo
by Francesco Martinelli
Enrico Rava Special Edition Pisa Jazz Teatro Nuovo Pisa, Italy Sept. 25 2019 Enrico Rava, the musician who almost single-handedly gave Italian jazz an international profile in the '70s with his recordings, turns 80 this year and celebrates the milestone in the way he knows best: in music. He's touring with a Special Edition of his band, a flexible unit gathering many of the young bloods he worked with in the past decade ...
read moreA Quarry Concert in Italy
by Francesco Martinelli
Rossano Emili / Fat Fingers Saxophone Quartet Hermetica at Marble Quarry Vagli, Italy August 3, 2019 Summer in Tuscany is full of concerts in interesting, sometimes unique places. In fact, a variety of acoustic musics like jazz, chamber and folk have proven an invaluable tool to revitalize historical buildings, ruined chapels, man-made marvels of architecture. More complex and nuanced is the relationship with nature. A lake, a park, a wooded mountain can ...
read moreAthens Aqua Jazz Festival 2018
by Francesco Martinelli
Athens Aqua Jazz Festival Athens, Greece July 9-12 2018 Jazz, like many other things, lives a precarious life in post-crisis Greece. Despite a widespread talent, as demonstrated by the numerous jazz musicians from Greece who live and record abroad and overseas, the jazz scene in Greece is fragmented and much dependent on local conditions: the major jazz teaching program is in the island of Corfu, and international jazz events happen in the summer not ...
read moreLjubljana International Jazz Festival 2018
by Francesco Martinelli
Ljubljana International Jazz Festival Cankarjev Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia June 27-30, 2018 The Slovenian capital of jny: Ljubljana has rightly become in the last few years one of the most loved tourist destinations in Europe. Hugged by its namesake river, crossing it with a variety of bridges, the city holds great artistic and historical memories, pleasant and wide green areas, great food and a positive, youthful vibe due to university students from all ...
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