Hi there, have you planned a holiday in Rome, Italy, for this summer? Excellent choice! During the day you can dive into the glorious past of the ancient Roman Empire, but at night …. you can enjoy the best of contemporary jazz at “Casa del Jazz” :).

The “Casa del Jazz“, “House of Jazz” in English, is a venue located right in the heart of Rome specifically devoted to Jazz. On its website, mainly in Italian language with some parts presented even in English, you can find this description:

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing…

Duke Ellington’s famous 1932 maxim is the Casa del Jazz motto. This oasis of jazz, in the heart of the eternal city, brings together a variety of activities – concerts, cultural events, lessons and conferences – to make Rome swing. The “House of Jazz” spreads the word, and heightens the passion for jazz music.
Open to all the different styles of music dubbed “jazz” – from Dixieland to avant-garde – the Casa del Jazz renders particular homage to the Italian jazz scene, with artists of all ages and from all regions. It has hosted musicians of international renown, but also offers a space to lesser-known musicians. With no pressing commercial demands, the Casa del Jazz enjoys greater freedom in selecting performers than a club or a music festival.
Our main objective is to encourage and increase awareness about Italian jazz and to bring musicians, producers and critics together, as well as to attract and educate an audience of old and new-comers to jazz music.
For us, jazz means experience, thought, expression and freedom; before being played, it should be lived and felt, and we are home to those who want to do so in Rome. The doors of the Casa del Jazz are thrown wide open to welcome a melting pot of people, styles and instruments.

In the incoming months of July, August and September the Casa del Jazz has a rich program with a concert almost every night and hosts the Guitar Legends Festival 2011. You can find the detailed program here and there is a website dedicated to the Festival, both presented only in Italian language. The following is a selection of some of the events:

July 2011 – Casa del Jazz Festival

Saturday July 9th at 21SARAH JANE MORRIS

Sarah-Jane Morris voice
Henry Thomas bass
Alastair Gavin piano
Kevin Armstrong guitar
Tony Remy guitar

Ticket price 18 €

Monday July 11th at 21JOE LOVANO “US FIVE”

Joe Lovano tenor sax
James Weidman piano
Petar Slavov contrabass
Otis Brown III, Francisco Mela drums

Ticket price 20 €

Tuesday July 12th at 21“Guitar Legends” – ROBBEN FORD

Robben Ford guitar, voice
Andy Hess bass
Toss Panos drums

Ticket price 20 €

Tuesday July 12th at 19 (concert hall)MASTER CLASS WITH JOE LOVANO

Master class with Joe Lovano about Jazz improvisation

Ticket price 15 €

Wednesday July 13th and Thursday July 14th at 21MICHAEL BRECKER TRIBUTE BAND

Alex Sipiagin trumpet
Adam Rogers guitar
Joey Calderazzo piano
Boris Kozlov contrabass
Adam Nussbaum drums

Ticket price 20 €

Friday July 15th at 21EDDIE PALMIERI QUARTET featuring Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez & Brian Lynch

Eddie Palmieri piano
Brian Lynch trumpet
Luques Curtis contrabass
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez drums

Ticket price 20 €

Monday July 18th at 21“Guitar Legends” – JOHN MCLAUGHLIN & THE 4th DIMENSION

John McLaughlin guitar
Gary Husband keyboards, drums
Etienne Mbappé bass
Ranjit Barot drums

Ticket price 30 €

Tuesday July 19th at 21“Guitar Legends” – JAZZROCK PROJECT

Rocco Zifarelli guitar, oud
Hadrien Feraud bass
Francis Lassus drums

+JOE ROBINSON

Joe Robinson acoustic and electric guitar, voice
Bernard Harris bass
Marcus Hill drums

Ticket price 15 €

Thursday July 21th at 21“Guitar Legends” – ELECTRIC HOT TUNA

Jorma Kaukonen guitars, voice
Jack Casady bass
Barry Miterhoff mandolin & strings instruments
Skoota Warner drums

Ticket price 20 €

Friday July 22th at 21GEGE` TELESFORO “SO COOL” 5TET

Gegè Telesforo voice
Dario Deidda bass
Amedeo Ariano drums
Max Ionata tenor sax
Alfonso Deidda piano

Ticket price 15 €

Sunday July 24th at 21YARON HERMAN TRIO

Yaron Herman piano
Matt Brewer bass
Tommy Crane drums

Ticket price 12 €

Saturday July 30th at 21MICHAEL ROSEN

Michael Rosen tenor and soprano sax
Alessandro Gwiss piano, keyboards
Alfredo Paixao electric bass, voice
Vincenzo Bardaro drums

Ticket price 12 €

Sunday July 31th at 21“Latin Jazz” – OMAR SOSA TRIO

Omar Sosa piano
Marque Gilmore drums
Childo Tomas electric bass

Ticket price 18 €

 

August 2011 – Casa del Jazz Festival

Tuesday August 2th at 21DAVID KIKOSKI QUARTET featuring SEAMUS BLAKE

Seamus Blake tenor sax
David Kikoski piano
Marco Panascia contrabass
Marcello Pellitteri drums

Ticket price 12 €

Thursday August 4th at 21“Guitar Legends” – STEVE LUKATHER

Steve Lukather guitar, voice
Steve Weingart keyboards, voice
Renee Jones bass, voice
Eric Valentine drums

Ticket price 25 €

Sunday August 7th at 21AREA REUNION opening with LUIGI CINQUE OPERA QUARTET

Alexander Balanescu violin
Salvatore Bonafede piano
Luigi Cinque clarinets, electronic
Patrizio Fariselli piano and keyboards

+AREA

Patrizio Fariselli piano and keyboards
Paolo Tofani guitars, electronic
Ares Tavolazzi contrabass and electric bass
Featuring Walter Paoli on drums

Ticket price 15 €

Wednesday August 10th at 21JOÃO DONATO TRIO

João Donato piano
Luiz Alves bass
Robertinho Silva drums

Ticket price 15 €

Friday August 12th at 21GAIA CUATRO

Aska Kaneko violin
Gerardo Di Giusto piano
Carlos ‘El Tero’ Buschini contrabass
Tomohiro Yahiro percussions

Ticket price 15 €

Saturday August 13th at 21NORMA BEATRIZ SANTILLO IN “TANGO Y ALGO MAS” – TANGO SPLEEN CUARTETO

Norma Beatriz Santillo voice
Mariano Speranza piano, direction
Andrea Marras violin
Giampaolo Costantini bandoneon
Gian Luca Ravaglia contrabass

Ticket price 12 €

Sunday August 14th at 21JAVIER GIROTTO”ALREDEDORES DE LA AUSENCIA”

Javier Girotto saxophones
Natalio Mangalavite piano and voice
Santiago Greco bass
Martin Bruhn drums and percussions

Ticket price 15 €

 

September 2011 – Progressivamente

Progressive sounds from 1993

Tuesday September 6th at 21RITA MARCOTULLI «US AND THEM – PINK FLOYD SOUNDS»

Rita Marcotulli piano, keyboards, synth
Andy Sheppard tenor and soprano sax
Pippo Matino electric bass
Fausto Mesolella electric guitar
Michele Rabbia percussions, live electronics
Mark Mondesir drums
Raiz voice

Ticket price 15 €

Wednesday September 7th at 16.30 (concert hall)ANALOG vs DIGITAL – first part

Ten Italian and English progressive rock classics from the 70s compared in their vinil and CD versions with the “HI-FI set of dreams” (by SUONO magazine):
1) Area – International POPular Group: 1978 gli dei se ne vanno gli arrabbiati restano (1978)
2) Emerson Lake & Palmer: Tarkus (1971)
3) Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: Io sono nato libero (1973)
4) Genesis: Selling England by the Pound (1973)
5) Le Orme: Contrappunti (1974)
6) Premiata Forneria Marconi: Storia di un minuto (1972)
7) Mahavishnu Orchestra: Birds of Fire (1973)
8 ) Camel: Rain Dances (1977)
9) Gentle Giant: Three Friends (1972)
10) Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

Free entrance

Thursday September 8th at 16.30 (concert hall)ANALOG vs DIGITAL – second part

Ten Italian and English progressive rock classics from the 70s compared in their vinil and CD versions with the “HI-FI set of dreams” (by SUONO magazine):
1) Gong: You (1974)
2) Osanna: Palepoli (1973)
3) Jethro Tull: Aqualung (1971)
4) Perigeo: Geneaologia (1974)
5) King Crimson: In the court of the Crimson King (1969)
6) Balletto di Bronzo: YS (1972)
7) Caravan: In the Land of Grey and Pink (1971)
8 ) Mike Oldfield: Tubolar Bells (1973)
9) Van Der Graaf Generator: H to He, Who Am the Only One (1970)
10) Yes: Close to the Edge (1972)

Free entrance

How to arrive

The Casa del Jazz address is:

Viale di Porta Ardeatina, 55 – 00153 Roma – ITALY

By metro: use the Line B, get off at Piramide station.

By bus: use the Line 714, get off at Colombo / Marco Polo bus stop.