International festival TIME IN JAZZ - Eighteenth edition - Berchidda (SS), Sardinia - Italy, 11-15 August 2005
Having reached its 18th edition, Time in Jazz will present productions quite unlike those of its previous editions, by hosting a variety of expressions alongside jazz: visual art, cinema, ethnic, traditional and contemporary music and poetry, among others.
As in the previous editions, Paolo Fresu is the artistic director of the forthcoming festival. Organized by the Time In Jazz cultural association, the programme consists of a wide range of activities: live concerts, visual and contemporary art exhibitions, cinema and much more. According to its custom, this edition mainly focuses on a topic: “DIGITAL TRANCE". As well as leitmotiv of part of the scheduled events, the audience not only will enjoy a wide use of digital and electronic technologies and an unlike state of consciousness but will witness other music expressions as well.
This imaginary journey into an unlike state of consciousness begins and ends with two concerts held within the setting of Monte Limbara’s State Forest at dawn (August 11th and 16th ). These two performances by Paolo Fresu and the Alborada String Quartet encompass the extensive programme of TIME IN JAZZ Festival. Two performances, two repertoires, from the soundtracks composed by Fresu to an original production of pieces by the Lithuanian composer Arvo Pärt (Arvo PärTrance).
As suggested by the title itself, the initiative TrancEuropExpress (August 11th, 11.00 a.m.) marks the very start of this journey and provides an initial hint to the Festival’s main theme. On board on a special train, spectators enjoy performances of ethnic music from the Sardinian and Breton heritages. From station to station Luigi Lai, leader of the Launeddas Orchestra and the virtuoso player of this traditional Sardinian instrument, alternates with Patrick Molard, one of the Europe’s best biniou player. With the Brittany Bagpipes, an ad hoc ensemble featuring musicians from the Bagad de Concarneau, he joins and performs with the traditional Sardinian orchestra and its leader for the last stage of the journey, at the Chilivani railway station.
Breton sounds are still present on the occasion of Jacques Pellen’s performance (guitar) with his Celtic Procession in Piazza del Popolo (August 11th, 11.00 p.m.). By hosting the Algerian percussionist Karim Ziad, Jacques Pellen’s fifteen-year-strong ensemble brings African sounds on stage. The star-studded group of Brittany Bagpipes joins the Celtic Procession for the concert’s grand finale: Erik Marchand vocals, Paolo Fresu trumpet and flugelhorn, Jean-Michel Veillon flute, Jacky Molard violin, Ronald Pellen cittern and cello and Etienne Callac bass.
A magic repertoire focusing once again on Celtic sounds will be performed by the talented Triptyque group (August 12th 6.00 pm) inside the Nostra Signora Church (Oschiri). Renowned world wide, the ensemble features Jacques Pellen on guitar, Jacky Molard on violin and Patrick Molard on both Scottish and Breton bagpipes.
Still steeped in ethnic sounds and ancient cultural heritages, the Moroccan singer and guembri player Hamid El Kasri (August 12th, 9.30 pm and 13th 6.00 p.m. in acoustic version) and his Gnaoua Project call on supernatural entities like their Gnaoua ancestors used to. Supported by traditional instrumental sounds, El Kasri, with his strong and enthralling voice will gradually take possession of Piazza del Popolo and send it into a trance. His special guest Karim Ziad with his mesmerizing, throbbing rhythms will enhance the effect.
As the festival proceeds, digital and electronic sounds blend more and more with traditional strains from various areas of the globe. Worlds apart and apparently incompatible the genres meet, match and mingle by involving audience, step by step, in a mesmerizing atmosphere. This is the case of Mercan Dede and his Secret Tribe group, in the setting of Piazza del Popolo (August 14th, 9.30 p.m). This Turkish-born and Canada-based artist (player, composer, DJ and producer) will introduce the audience to his universal musical language, made of electronics, digital and folkloric sounds. The perfect balance between old and new, ancient and modern is the stunning result of the way he transposes his Sufi background into music.
Late in that same night, the impressive, eclectic Sex Mob group - one of Downtown New York’s most outstanding bands - and its leader Steven Bernstein will produce a total change of atmosphere on the Piazza del Popolo stage. Alongside Steven Bernstein’s slide trumpet, Briggan Kraus performs on the alto saxophone, Tony Scherr on the bass and Kenny Wollesen on the drums while the entire sound texture is enriched and backed by DJ Olive’s turntable art.
Bernstein will also feature the following day in the State Forest (August 15th 11.00 am). This time the artist will present his “Special Mountain Project", an original ad hoc production.
Recently the Norwegian music scene is one of the most representative of jazz and electronics sound mixing novelties. Opening Piazza del Popolo’s evening concerts, Jon Balke (piano and keyboards) performs with the Magnetic North Orchestra (MNO). Since 1992, this octet has been creating its very own unique sound by elaborating traditional jazz, contemporary classical, North and West African music. Three albums released for ECM, the MNO features: Jon Balke piano and keyboards and leader, Per Jorgensen vocals and trumpet, Fredrik Lundin saxophone (tenor and soprano) and flute, Bjarte Elike and Peter Spissky violin, Tom Pitty cello, Ingar Zach and Helge Norbakken percussion (August 11th).
Also from Norway, Bugge Wesseltoft’s music with techno-ambient sounds and funky synthesised takes is a warm example belying the myth of northern frigidity. Piano and keyboard player he performs with his group featuring Ole Morgan Vaagan on double bass and bass, Andreas Bye on drums, Jonas Lonna DJ and Rikard Gensollen on percussion and electronics (August 12th ).
Beside his performance as group leader, Bugge Wesseltoft also inaugurates the rural church concerts set in duo with Sidsel Endresen on vocals (August 11th 6.00 pm/Sant’Antioco di Bisarcio Basilica/Ozieri). This stunning formation provides an enthralling example of contemporary jazz and improvised music.
As to Jon Balke’s daytime performances, he will play in duo with Wesseltoft (San Paolo Eremita Sanctuary, August 12th ) and perform a piano solo in San Marco’s Church (August 13th ).
Translate (August 13th 9.30 pm), is a truly intriguing project, a real time sound simulcasting made of sampling, looping and electronics. The line-up features the bass player Michel Benita and the video artist Judith Darmont, with guests such as Erik Truffaz on trumpet and Philippe Garcìa on drums. That same night (11.00 pm) and in the usual Piazza del Popolo setting, the Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli revisits Experimentum Mundi Remix, his most prestigious opera. Conceived for a vivacious and unlikely sixteen-craftsman “orchestra", this imaginific live performance will feature real musicians on vocals and drums, the whole creatively supported and backed by Martux-m’s electronic sampling (alias Maurizio Martuscello).
A new and remarkable event highlights the 18th edition of the Festival. This is the “Fabrizio De André Original Project" by Danilo Rea, the renowned Italian pianist. In collaboration with the Fondazione Fabrizio De André, TIME IN JAZZ introduces a new venue, Tempio Pausania (August, 15th 6.00 p.m.) for this highly original production.
Sant’Antonio Abate Church in Nughedu San Nicolò (August 14th 6.00 pm) hosts an interesting performance: an outstanding and unusual duo featuring two celebrated Italian musicians like Furio Di Castri on double-bass and Gianluca Petrella on trombone.
Setting the tone of the TIME IN JAZZ Festival’s closing act, Gianluca Petrella (trombone) performs as leader of the Indigo Quartet. The group features: Francesco Bearzatti on tenor sax and clarinet, Paolino della Porta on double bass and Fabio Accardi on drums (August 15th ).
Fireworks and the Bollywood Brass Band’s rhythms make this night a very special event. Performing daily in the streets of Berchidda (7.45 pm), this multiracial band of strolling players features an unusual combination of ten musicians inspired by Bollywood blockbusters. The London-based multiethnic formation creates a unique blend of Hindi film hits, bhangra rhythms and brass arrangements, denoting influences from jazz and world music. It offers a boisterous blend somewhere between Indian and European, Jazz and Latin, set to the bhangra beat, with saxes, trumpets, trombones, sousaphone, snare and bass drums, and the ubiquitous tabla and dhol. Extracts from Bollywood films are shown on a screen for the pleasure of the band and passers-by alike.
Besides daily concerts, TIME IN JAZZ programme schedules many other events.
Three different generations of Sardinian poets masters of impromptu native-language poetry take part to the customary poetry competition: Giuseppe Porcu from Irgoli, Mario Masala from Silanus and Bruno Agus from Gairo. Coordinated by Paolo Pillonca, this event is held in the courtyards of the Casa di Riposo per Anziani (August 13th 7.45 pm).
In addition to a daily jazz club hosted in the Museum of Wine (Berchidda) every night after the evening concerts, this place deserves a special mention concerning two important initiatives. The main event is Aperitif & Jazz, featuring the Angelo Lazzeri Quartet (August 14th 12.00 am) conceived with a view to introducing spectators to the 18th edition’s wine label. Born five years ago, the group features some of Central Italy’s most outstanding jazz musicians. On this occasion the Quartet will present its second album released for the Giotto Music label (Perugia). This performance will be preceded by a review of “Paolo Fresu: la Sardegna, il jazz" written by the journalist Enzo Gravante last autumn.
Alongside a imposing concert listing the Festival also includes contemporary and visual art exhibitions as part of the P.A.V. (i.e. Progetto Arti Visive) project, organized by Giannella De Muro and Antonello Fresu. To date, P.A.V. has organised more than 70 exhibitions and events, involving more than 200 national and international artists including many living in Sardinia. Besides music, advanced digital technologies have been applied to other artistic fields not only to explore and enhance painting and photographic technique but also to develop video works and internet designs (web-art, net-art, or blog-art). Digit@l Trance the main exhibition on contemporary art will be held in different venues (Museo PAV and the Casa Meloni-Sanna courtyards) and involve work by both national and international artists. Other events at national level are: Progetto Neon, a video and digital art project, the brainchild of the historic Bolognese Galleria Neon held at the Casara. Territori della net-@rt coordinated by art critic Valentina Tanni and dedicated to art supported by digital technologies will be hosted in the courtyard of the recently restored Casa Meloni-Sanna. Beside local artistic video productions like V/ideo/azioni and BabelFish 2005, the project also involves other artistic performances and displays related to the Festival theme and hosted in the streets and squares of Berchidda (Lavori in corso). Many artists participating in the P.A.V. project exhibit ad hoc works on stage providing “scenery" for the concerts (Arte tra le note, scenografie d’artista).
As far as the annual photographic exhibition is concerned, this year’s edition features Racconti in Jazz by Antonio Sanna Randaccio (Museo del Vino, Berchidda).
Furthermore the P.A.V. Semida, a permanent exhibition at the Environmental Art Museum, features works by Clara Bonfiglio, Giovanni Campus, Bruno Petretto, Pinuccio Sciola and Monica Solinas inspired by the beauty of the local surroundings.
As far as cinema is concerned, film director Gianfranco Cabiddu presents Trance di Notte – Note in Trance, a selection of ethnographical documentaries, in collaboration with Nuoro’s Istituto Superiore Regionale Etnografico. A historical and anthropological glimpse of different forms of trance related to ethnic music. Hosted every night in Piazza del Popolo, this ethno-movie review starts after the evening concert.
The Time in Jazz cultural association management was enabled to undertake this massive five-day effort thanks also to the patronage of Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (Direzione Generale per lo Spettacolo dal vivo), Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (Assessorato allo Spettacolo e Attività Culturali e Assessorato al Turismo), Provincia di Sassari (Assessorato alla Cultura, Sport e Servizi Sociali), the Municipality of Berchidda, VI Comunità Montana “Monte Acuto", the Municipalities of Monti, Nughedu San Nicolò, Oschiri and Ozieri, and in collaboration with Fondazione Banco di Sardegna, Banco di Sardegna SPA, Trenitalia, RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana – Italian Railway Network), Fondazione Fabrizio De Andrè, Istituto Superiore Regionale Etnografico, Cult Network, Cantina Sociale Giogantinu, Rau, FAB Autoservizi and La Memoria Storica.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
