In the charming province of Lucca is a medieval town called Barga, home to the 35th edition of the Barga Jazz Festival this August. Founded by Giancarlo Rizzardi in collaboration with musician Bruno Tommaso, this jazz music event comprises not only concerts, but seminars, masterclasses, and most excitingly, the Barga Jazz Contest and the International Jazz Orchestra Arrangement and Composition Contest.
From August 17 to 24, shows will be held in both the Gardens of Villa Moorings and the Teatro dei Differenti, featuring names such as The Swingers Orchestra with Emilio Soana, Six Friends for Bicio with Marcello Tonolo, and Maurizio Giammarco.
On Sunday, August 18, there will be a special event called Barga IN Jazz, beginning at 5 pm in the historic center of Barga with the Large Street Band. Meanwhile, there will be alternating groups playing throughout the various squares. The Piazza del Teatro will host jam sessions curated by Barga Jazz Club. At 6 pm, T.A.P. Saxophone will give a concert in the spiritual setting of the Duomo of S. Cristoforo, Barga’s Cathedral, which reflects a Romanesque-Gothic style. Rounding off the evening at Villa Moorings are the nine musicians of Federico Monzani’s ensemble who will present the Melodious Tonk project.
The Barga Jazz Contest will entice audiences with the entries of young, talented jazz bands from all over the world on the evenings of August 19 and 20. Musicians under 35 in groups of three to seven are given the opportunity to submit a recording of a minimum of two songs, and a qualified commission then selects those that will move on to the the final stage of the competition, a performance at the Barga Jazz Festival. The groups debut their works for evaluation in front of an international jury of musicians and journalists specializing in jazz music. A cash prize is awarded to the best emerging group as well as to the best soloist.
Finally, the Barga Jazz Orchestra will grace the stage of the Teatro dei Differenti on August 23 and 24 to perform works submitted to the arrangement and composition competition. This contest is characterized importantly by originality and purity, “of an artistic path focused only on the exquisitely musical and educational aspects, free from any commercial conditioning,” according to Tommaso, one of the festival organizers.
The competition is divided into two sections; arrangement and composition. All arrangements must use the music of this year’s chosen artist, famous American jazz tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, and feature a tenor saxophone solo that will be played by guest of honor Chris Creek. The second section gives composers the chance to submit their original compositions, still being sure to include the parts of all specified instruments. Selected scores will be brought to life by a professional orchestra conducted by Maestro Mario Raja and judged also by an international jury for cash prizes.The complete program is available on the website www.bargajazz.it, for information: info@bargajazz.it; WhatsApp: 3483954465 – Presales: https://www.liveticket.it/bargajazz. (Ayana Wilmot)
