Jazz Today - Francesco Miniaci

This jazz music review wants to be the beginning of a propaedeutic and innovative acceleration for this artistic sphere; a particular road that the Vecchio Mattatoio venue in collaboration with the Agimus of Catanzaro, wanted to take, considering past experiences and projecting themselves further, towards a more complete and reasoned organisation of the event. In the twentieth century, in parallel with the exponential rapid change of everything, in the artistic and musical sphere we witnessed a high number of stylistic changes, accompanied by the most varied contrasts. In this scenario, jazz was able to strongly interpret and propose the image of a new culture, it was able to "listen to" and "see" the needs and necessities of a certain social status that was emerging in early 20th century America. Jazz was a vital testimony, a fundamental crossroads, a singular stage in the passage from modern to contemporary music. Not relegated to the limbo of the academies, jazz has made its way by contaminating and allowing itself to be contaminated, spreading as a heterogeneous and experimental music, which renews itself whenever it breathes the elements, needs and events that society produces.

The "Jazz Today" festival is a musical framework within which we find an interesting artistic programme, as musicians of great artistic depth are present on the bill. On Friday 12 January at 9 p.m., there will be a jazz concert by Catanzaro pianist Francesco Miniaci, who will perform in a quartet, Francesco Miniaci on piano, Domenico Ammendola on clarinet, Andrea Brissa on double bass, and Giovanni Caliò on drums. The repertoire will focus on compositions from famous soundtracks revisited in a jazz key. Francesco Miniaci Pianist from Calabria, graduated in Classical Piano and Jazz Piano respectively from the F. Torrefranca Conservatory in Vibo Valentia and the Corelli Conservatory in Messina. He has about 100 concerts to his credit in Italy and in various Italian and foreign countries. He has participated in workshops held by Kenny Barron, John Hicks, Roscoe Mitchell, Uri Caine, Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Mintzer, George Cables, Francesco Cafiso.

He has recorded two discographic works under his own name, a Piano Solo disc dedicated to the figure of Thelonious Monk with the Apulian record label Dodici Lune to be released in February 2021, and a Francesco Miniaci Quintet disc entitled Virgilius. On behalf of Radio Rai, he recorded with CJO feat Francesco Cafiso at the Mediterraneo Festival in July 2020 and in March 2021 alongside Javier Girotto. He is the author of two texts on piano technique with the publishing house Utterson S.R.L (2020). He has played and collaborated with musicians from the national jazz scene: Francesco Cafiso, Simona Molinari, Piero Cusato, Stefano Di Battista, Fabrizio Bosso, Rosario Giuliani, Javier Girotto and many others. He carries out intense teaching activities at state and private institutions.

Appointment therefore at the Vecchio Mattatoio in Lamezia Terme, on 12 January 2024 at 9 p.m. Booking is appreciated.