Articles by Marco Iacoboni

Interview

Jacopo Fagioli: The Relentless Pursuit of Sound

by Marco Iacoboni
June 9, 2026

Recently crowned “Best New Italian Talent" in the prestigious Top Jazz 2025 critics' poll organized by the monthly Musica Jazz, Jacopo Fagioli has emerged as one of the most thoughtful and versatile voices on Italy's scene. From the chamber-like restraint of his duo with Nico Tangherlini on Bilico (AMP Music & Records, 2022) to the electric and conceptually ambitious sound of his latest quartet on Dialogue (Aut Records, 2025), the Tuscan trumpet and trombone player has charted a path that ...

Interview

Yazz Ahmed: Bridging Worlds Through Sound

by Marco Iacoboni
May 22, 2026

Yazz Ahmed is one of the most compelling and innovative voices in contemporary jazz, an Anglo-Bahraini trumpeter and composer acclaimed for her fusion of jazz, avant-garde electronics and Middle Eastern musical traditions. Her music creates soundscapes that feel at once ancient and futuristic, deeply rooted yet constantly searching for new directions. Rather than using music simply as a vehicle for performance, Ahmed approaches it as a means of building bridges between cultures and reshaping perceptions--through a musical language ...

Interview

Johnathan Blake: 'My Life Matters'—Genesis of a Small Masterpiece

by Marco Iacoboni
May 21, 2026

Johnathan Blake is among the most authoritative drummers on today's international jazz scene. His playing embodies the energy, sophistication and restless curiosity of contemporary New York jazz, shaped through collaborations with artists such as Kenny Barron, Bill Frisell, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Tom Harrell. At the helm of a quintet of remarkable depth and sensitivity, Blake combines technical command, compositional vision and collective interplay with striking naturalness. We met him during the European tour presenting My Life Matters ...

Year in Review

Marco Iacoboni's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025

by Marco Iacoboni
January 7, 2026

2025 has gifted me with deep and rich listening experiences, diverse inspiration, and fulfilling encounters. From the American scene, I will especially remember Johnathan Blake 's concert with his quintet project My Life Matters and the Paul Cornish in trio, two remarkable projects and artists, both heard in the small italian city of Siena at Untubo, a small club always at the forefront of avant-garde programming. Regarding international European music, I'll cherish the wonderful interviews with Yazz Ahmed ...

Catching Up With

Kit Downes: The Art Of Sonic Curiosity

by Marco Iacoboni
November 11, 2025

Some use the piano to tell stories, and some use the pipe organ to create entire universes. Then there's Kit Downes, who does both, with a sensitivity and talent that have made him one of the most interesting and sought-after names on the European scene. Winner of the prestigious BBC Jazz Award, nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, and acclaimed for his revolutionary trilogy of solo organ albums on (ECM Records), Downes has redefined the role of the pipe organ ...

Interview

Rita Marcotulli: Crafting a Self-Portrait Through Jazz and Passion

by Marco Iacoboni
August 19, 2025

Before her solo piano performance at the Connetto Festival Jazz 2025, we sat down with acclaimed Roman pianist and composer Rita Marcotulli to discuss her artistic evolution, the influence of technology, and the challenges and opportunities for young musicians in today's jazz scene. All About Jazz: Let's begin with your Autoritratto project, a return to solo piano. What inspired this introspective work? Rita Marcotulli: I named it Autoritratto--Italian for “self-portrait"--because it reflects my life's journey, an ...