Jazz in Tuscany: Grey Cat Festival

One of the most relevant, Tuscan jazz festivals -the Grey Cat Festival- has started on July 24 with a worldwide jazz star: Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Surrounded by the charming contryside and beaches of the Maremma territory in Tuscany, the Grey Cat Festival will surely amaze all the jazz lovers.

Here’s the schedule:

Wednesday, August 3, Follonica – Teatro all’aperto Le Ferriere
AREA “Reunion” in concert
Ares Tavolazzi, bass, Paolo Tofani, guitars and synth, Patrizio Fariselli, keyboard, e con Walter Paoli, drums
David Murray Cuban Ensemble

Thursday, August 4, Grosseto – Parco di Pietra – Cava di Roselle
David Murray Cuban Ensemble – Plays Nat King Cole “En Español”
David Murray (composition, direction and sax), Roman Filiu O’Reilly (sax), Ariel Bringuez Ruiz (sax), Mario Morejon (trumpet), Denis Cuni Rodriguez (trombone), Reinier Elizarde (bass), Pepe Rivero (piano), Georvis Pico Milan (drums)
Raffaello Pareti “the roar at the door”

Friday, August 5, Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, Giardini pubblici di Piazza Matteotti – free entrance
Raffaello Pareti “the roar at the door”
Raffaello Pareti (doouble bass), Francesco Bearzatti (sax), Mauro Ottolini (trombone), Walter Paoli (drums)

Tuesday, August 9, Boccheggiano – Piazza Sebastiano Agostino – free entrance
Furio di Castri “zapping in 3″
Furio di Castri (double bass), Bebo Ferra (guitar), Mattia Barbieri (drums)

Wednesday, August 10, Gavorrano – Teatro delle Rocce
Les Tambours de Brazza – Mike Mainieri “Renoir quartet”

Friday, August 12 – Castello di Scarlino
Mike Mainieri “Renoir quartet”
Mike Mainieri (vibraphone), Alessandro Galati (piano), Gabriele Evangelista (double bass), Stefano Tamborrino (drums)

Sabato 13 Agosto, Follonica – Teatro all’aperto Le Ferriere
Kenny Wheeler – Stefano “Cocco” Cantini
“Maremma Improvvisa” Kenny Wheeler (trumpet and composition), Stefano “Cocco” Cantini (sax), Diana Torto (voice), Ares Tavolazzi (double bass), Andrea Melani (drums), Ramberto Ciammarughi (piano), with the “Maremma Improvvisa” Orchestra directed by Michele Corcella (5 sax, 4 trumpets, 4 trombonis)

Sunday, August 14, Orbetello, Piazza Giovanni Paolo II – free entrance
Cantini, Zanchini bikers duo
Stefano “Cocco” Cantini (sax), Simone Zanchini (squeeze box)

Tuesday, August 16, Castiglione della Pescaia – Piazza Garibaldi – free entrance
Luigi Martinale sextet
Luigi Martinale (piano), Tino Tracanna (sax), Alberto Mandarini (trumpet), Giancarlo Maurino (flute, sax), Mauro Battisti (double bass), Paolo Franciscone (drums)

Wednesday, August 17, Castello di Scarlino
Salmaso, Mehmari, Mirabassi trio
Monica Salmaso (voice and drums), Andre’ Mehmari (piano), Gabriele Mirabassi (clarinet)

Thursady, August 18, Monterotondo Marittimo, Piazza Canalini – free entrance
Arrighini plays Morricone
Riccardo Arrighini (piano), Emanuele Modestino (guitar), string quartet

Friday, August 19, Massa Marittima – Piazza Garibaldi
Brian Auger & the Trinity
Brian Auger (hammond, keyboards), Savanna Auger (voice), Karma Auger (drums), Jeffrey Connor (bass)

Sunday, August 21, Sassofortino, Parco Fonte di Vandro – Ingresso Gratuito
Francesco Nastro trio
Francesco Nastro (piano), Aldo Vigorito (double bass), Peppe La Pusata (drums)

But the Grey Cat Festival is more than this… in the festival’s locations you’ll find:

Follonica, Casello Idraulico, via Roma: Il Jazz di Gerardo Zei, painter – August 3/15

Follonica, Giardino del Casello Idraulico: Three jazz rendez vouz

• Sunday, August 7: ORCHESTRA CRIMINALE
• Monday, August 8: JBJ4 Daniele Nannini (bass), Luca Gelli (guitar), Leonardo Volo (keyboards), Francesco Cherubini (drums);
• Thursday, August 11: “waiting for Maremma Improvvisa” with the Valentina Toni quartet,  Valentina Toni (voice), Raffaele Boni (guitar), Rossano Gasperini (bass), Luciano Malucchi (drums)

Grey Cat workshop – August 17/18/19, Massa Marittima: 3 days of lessons, instruments, music, labs with Stefano Cocco Cantini, Mauro Grossi, Piero Borri, Ares Tavolazzi

Jazz! Racconti su scala modale – Massa Marittima – August 19: presentation of the book by Paola Zannoner