Jazztage Schwetzingen Opening: CIRCE

Alessandro Bravo is no stranger to Schwetzingen. Years ago, Manfred Kern from the Schwetzingen Jazz Initiative heard the Italian pianist at a festival in Umbria and got to know and appreciate him. Invitations to the Electoral Palatinate followed, but now he is coming to the Jazz Days as part of Enjoy Jazz for the first time - with a band that has it all. He will be joined by bassist Igor Spallati, who has lived in Berlin for many years and comes from Perugia. He studied with Greg Cohen and John Hollenbeck, worked with Fred Hersch, Joe Chambers and Jonas Burgwinkel, among others, but also has a soft spot for rock music - for subtlety and pointed accents. Drummer Ugo Alluni is also originally from Perugia and ended up in Berlin via New York, where he studied. He is naturally involved in the scene there and has also played with Rossano Emili, the Perugia Jazz Orchestra, Joe Chambers, Alessandro Lanzoni, Marcin Masecki, Tarek Yamani and many others. The Roman saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco, born in 1952, discovered his love of jazz at an early age and tried to play Duke Ellington's records spinning on his turntable at home. He quickly rose to prominence in the 70s - and is now regarded as an Italian jazz legend. He has worked with Aldo Romano, Chet Baker, Phil Woods, Billy Cobham, Lester Bowie, Paolo Fresu, Enrico Rava, Steve Lacy, Kenny Wheeler, Uri Caine and Michel Portal - to name just a few of his fellow musicians. He can be heard on 150 albums, many of which he has recorded as a leader, and he has also emerged as a film composer and author (with a book about Sonny Rollins). Elisabetta Antonini has worked with Maurizio Giammarco on several occasions. The singer and composer is one of the most impressive young talents on the Italian scene, romping around in more experimental realms but feeling at least as comfortable when it comes to straight forward interpretations of standards or bossa nova classics. She has performed on stage with Kenny Wheeler, Paul McCandless, Paolo Fresu, Dado Moroni, Roberto Gatto and Enrico Pieranunz. As you can see: The Circe Quintet brings together masterful musicians and promises a brilliant start to the Jazztage Schwetzingen.