The Pomigliano Jazz festival in Campania returns from 16 to 31 July 2022

Exclusive concerts, unreleased productions and special projects. The Pomigliano Jazz festival in Campania returns from 16 to 31 July 2022 with a program of events that, in addition to the city of Pomigliano d'Arco, will also touch Avella, Boscoreale and the summit of Vesuvius, for the now classic concert on the crater.

Over the course of two weeks, jazz stars, musicians from Campania and big names in Italian and international music will take turns on the traveling stage of the 27th edition. From the Japanese pianist Hiromi to the Cuban stars Chucho Valdés and Paquito D'Rivera, from the Israeli bassist and singer Avishai Cohen to the vocalist Raiz, from Enzo Avitabile with the Neapolitan Jazz Orchestra to the Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset. And again, Enrico Pieranunzi, Marco Zurzolo, Gigi De Rienzo, Francesco Nastro, Alessandro Tedesco, Valentina Ranalli, the trio Marziani-Napolitano-Del Pezzo, Claudio Romano, Franco Piccinno, the producer Marco De Falco.

In addition to music, the festival directed by Onofrio Piccolo will also host the exhibition “Sound Stories” at the Palazzo dell'Orologio in Pomigliano d'Arco, guided tours and tastings, book presentations and workshops to guide you in listening to jazz.

Planned and financed by the Campania Region and the Ministry of Culture, the festival is organised by the Pomigliano Jazz Foundation with Scabec, in partnership with the Vesuvius National Park Authority and the municipalities of Pomigliano d'Arco and Avella.

Hiromi will open this edition of Pomigliano Jazz. The Japanese pianist and composer, one of the most talented protagonists of the new world jazz scene, will perform at the Roman amphitheater in Avella on Saturday 16 July, with her The Piano Quintet. In the only Italian date this summer, she will present her latest album “Silver Lining Suite”, released last October and composed during the quarantine while she was engaged in a series of streaming performances to support the Blue Note of Tokyo and New York. Accompanying her on this intense musical journey, an excellent string quartet composed of Tom Pigott-Smith (violin), Shlomy Dobrinsky (violin), Meghan Cassidy (viola) and Gabriella Swallow (cello).

Hiromi's set will be introduced by a live performance by Alessandro Tedesco, who will perform his latest album, “Magma”, published by Paolo Fresu's Tuk Music, in a trio with Giovanni Francesca and Angelo Funaro.

On July 21, the festival moves to the slopes of Vesuvius and lands in Boscoreale, at the Vesuvius National Park Museum, where “Cantare Pieranunzi” will be performed: an intimate concert for voice and piano with Enrico Pieranunzi and singer Valentina Ranalli. Live, the duo presents new exciting vocal versions of original compositions by the Roman pianist, in a perfect artistic symbiosis.

The opening act will be the all-Neapolitan trio composed of Francesco Marziani (piano), Antonio Napolitano (double bass) and Massimo Del Pezzo (drums) who will present live the songs from their debut album, “Troisi”, dedicated to the unforgettable actor and director.

Also at the Vesuvius National Park Museum, Avishai Cohen is expected for the first of two concerts at Pomigliano Jazz. The Israeli bassist, singer and composer will propose two different projects with two different formations. The first on July 23 in Boscoreale, where he will present his latest album “Shifting Sands”, published in May of this year with his new trio that includes the exceptional pianist Elchin Shirinov and the young and talented drummer Roni Kaspi.

On Sunday 24 July, instead, he will be the protagonist with Raiz of the sunset concert on the summit of Vesuvius. On the edge of the Gran Cono crater, at an altitude of 1200 meters, Avishai Cohen and Raiz, together with Francesco Nastro at the Fender Rhodes, will give life to an original project commissioned by the festival: “Mmiezo/Baemtza”. A unique and unrepeatable performance, in a highly evocative location, which draws inspiration from Neapolitan and Sephardic Jewish songs, passing through jazz, Israeli pop and the Mediterranean tradition.

From July 28 to 31, the festival will be held at the Pomigliano d'Arco Public Park, in the place that marked the success of the event founded in 1996. The park that has hosted memorable concerts by legendary jazz musicians: Chick Corea, Charlie Haden, McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, Stanley Clarke, Jan Garbarek, Roy Hargrove, Art Ensemble of Chicago.

The first day – with free admission – will be dedicated to the activities of Young Jazz Lab, a project of the Pomigliano Jazz Foundation, funded by the Department of Education of the Campania Region and the Ministry of Culture, created with 12 schools in Campania. On Thursday 28 July, from 20.30:1600 pm, the Orchestra del Ritmo e dell'Improvvisazione will perform, an ensemble born from the annual experience of Young Jazz Lab, which involved a total of 8 boys and girls from 18 to XNUMX years old.

From July 29th Pomigliano Jazz comes to life with 3 performances every evening. From 20.30:XNUMX pm, the electro-jazz set of the duo composed of pianist Franco Piccinno and producer Marco De Falco will inaugurate the concert program, giving life to a different performance each time.

The absolute protagonists of the evening of Friday, July 29 will be the legendary Chucho Valdés and Paquito D'Rivera with their Reunion sextet. After starting their tour last May at the Mastercard Jazz Fest in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the two Cuban musicians arrive in Europe for a series of exclusive dates. With them, a superb ensemble that includes Diego Urcola on trumpet and valve trombone, Armando Gola on double bass and electric bass, Dafnis Prieto on drums and Roberto Vizcaino Jr on percussion.

Before them, the duo performance by Francesco Nastro and Marco Zurzolo with a preview of the new project produced by Itinera, the festival's label.

Saturday, July 30, the meeting between Enzo Avitabile and the Neapolitan Jazz Orchestra, directed by Mario Raja, is renewed. With an original production that retraces live, with an ensemble of 16 musicians, the artistic and human path of the Neapolitan singer-songwriter and composer through significant songs, world idioms, devotional songs and meetings that have marked his life-music.

Opening with a curious live performance for drums only by Claudio Romano dedicated to Max Roach.

The final evening of the XXVII edition, Sunday 31 July, will see the quintet led by Gigi De Rienzo with Marco Zurzolo, Carlo Fimiani, Vittorio Riva and Paolo Sessa on stage with the project “Viaggio in Italia”. A revisitation of some of the most beautiful arias from the operatic repertoire, popular songs and classics of Italian pop music presented live in a completely new guise. Following this, the Eivind Aarset Quartet will present its latest work, “Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey”. The Norwegian guitarist returns to Pomigliano Jazz with his particular formation – with two drums – capable of skillfully mixing energy and creativity, jazz and electronics.

Tickets to attend the concerts of the XXVII edition of the Pomigliano Jazz festival in Campania are available on the Azzurroservice circuit and in the main regional sales points.

Season tickets are also available for the events on July 23 and 24 and for the concerts in Pomigliano d'Arco on July 29,30, 31 and 081. For advance booking information: tel. 5934001 XNUMX – www.azzurroservice.net.

For information and contacts: www.pomiglianojazz.com – tel 3313581151 – info@pomiglianojazz.com.