Description
Perugia is preparing to welcome back, from July 6th to 15th, 2012, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the more popular Umbrian Festival with the Festival Of The Two Worlds, the Spoleto Festival.
Over the years this event has certainly changed, from traveling and totally free to stable and fee (not all concerts, ed.).
And also the billboard was changed: not only pure jazz, but a musical proposal that includes pop, soul, reggae, blues and experimental. So much so that the Umbria Jazz 12 can be divided into 4 macro-sections:
- Evening Concerts. Will be held at the Arena Santa Giuliana (concerts start at 21:00), which has become the historic arena of the Festival. The honor and the responsibility to perform as first on stage, July 6th, 2012, will be up to Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani, a duo who was born in the 2009 edition of this Festival. And then again on July 7th, 2012, for example, will be the turn of Herbie Hancock and his quartet that will perform in a deep funk. The July 11th will be up to two great voices to warm up the audience of the Arena, Al Jarreau and Erykah Badu. The July 13th an Italian exclusive with Sonny Rollins, the Sax Colossus. To close the Festival a not proper jazz artist, but certainly it has experienced in his career and very much loved by the general public: Sting on July 15th, 2012 will celebrate its 25th anniversary solo status as well as the 25th anniversary of his concert here at Umbria Jazz Festival (July 11th, 1987 with Gil Evans orchestra), performing with his "Back to Bass Tour".
Every day the Santa Giuliana Arena will open at 19:00, and at the bar and restaurant adjacent to the main stage, you can enjoy food and drink, being able to hear live performances from 19:30; - The Jazz at the Morlacchi Theatre: the Tributes to Thelonious Monk and Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter, Melody Gardot. Umbria Jazz 12 will honor Thelonious Monk 30 years after his death and 100 years since the birth of Gil Evans with some interpretations and tributes at the Morlacchi Theatre, such as Ryan Truesdell Eastman Orchestra, accompanied by soloists of the caliber of Paolo Fresu, Fabrizio Bosso, Stefano Di Battista and Francesco Cafiso, who will propose some new songs by Gil Evans, who will propose some unpublished works by Gil Evans. Thelonious Monk's music will have many tributes, including that of Lydian Sound Orchestra and "Mostly Monk", opera by four great pianists like Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, Eric Reed and Benny Green. At the Morlacchi Theatre will also perform Wayne Shorter, founder of Weather Report, and Melody Gardot, one of the most "fresh" and innovative jazz artist in recent years;
- Conad Jazz Contest, 1st edition. Umbria Jazz 12 will host the first edition of Conad Jazz Contest, a national musical competition reserved for emerging jazz projects, groups and soloists. And the 9 winners (Donatello D'Attoma Quartet, Raw Frame, M.O.F. 5Tet, Omit Five, Humpty Duo, Macromatic, Ferrian's Nutimbre, Zig Trio e Organic 3) will have the opportunity to perform in the afternoon at the Conad Stage set to Carducci Gardens;
- Music, and not only, at the Bottega del Vino and at the Tavern. The free concerts: Piazza IV Novembre, the Carducci Gardens and the Street Parade. At Bottega del Vino and at the restaurant La Taverna will be possible to combine good music and good food with a Jazz aperitifs Jazz Lunch, Jazz Dinner, Jazz wine & gourmet cuisine. At the Giardini Carducci, over Conad Jazz Festival, Music Non Stop - Self Service Restaurant & Snacks from 13:00 until midnight. At Piazza IV Novembre Doctor Dixie "60th Anniversary" Band, Jazz School Berkeley Lab Band, Salerno University Big Band and many others. The Street Parade, through the streets of downtown, will be entrusted to a welcome return: the Funk Off.
Fabrizio Galeazzi
The Box Office in Corso Vannucci will be active from May 21st, 2012. For more information and to purchase tickets online visit the official website umbriajazz.com.