Scott Hamilton, Reggie Washington, Tom Harrell, Kurt Elling, Nick the Nightfly and many other big names to celebrate jazz and great wine
The fifteenth edition of Jazz&Wine in Montalcino, one of Italy’s enduring music festivals and a collaboration between the Castello Banfi vineyard estate of Montalcino, the Jazz&Image cultural society of Rome and the Township of Montalcino, will take place this year with a prestigious gathering of top artists from Italy and the world.
The festival opens Tuesday July 17, as has become a tradition, in the historic walls of Castello Banfi with the quintet of the great sax-tenor Scott Hamilton. On Wednesday, July 18 the concerts move to the splendid 13th century fortress of Montalcino with the Nicola Stilo Sextet, led by the Roman flautist who, among his numerous performances around the globe, also reflects his long continual collaboration with Chet Baker in the 1980s. On Thursday July 19 the festival proposes the Tom Harrell Quintet. Defined by Newsweek as one of the most pure and creative musician-composers alive today, this year Tom Harrel won theGrammy Award with Downbeat International as best solo trumpeter.
The program continues on Friday July 20 with contemporary jazz legend Reggie Washington who will make Jazz&Wine one of the few stops on a tour to present his second CD, Freedom. On Saturday July 21 it will be time for the voice of Montecarlo Nights’ Nick the Nightfly, playing for the first time in Montalcino with his quintet to present Nice One. To bring a dignified closing to the 15th edition of the festival, on Sunday July 22 the voice of Kurt Elling will be accompanied by the guitar of Charlie Hunter.
For the fifteen consecutive year two such intimate and intense pleasures, jazz music and great wine, will come together to celebrate growing success with their fans in Montalcino, the emblematic city of Brunello. The 2012 edition, however, will offer something new: the pairing of two of Italy’s oldest Jazz&Wine festivals. In addition to Jazz&Wine in Montalcino, two others will join in this compelling initiative: Zola Jazz&Wine (Zola Predosa, May 25 – June 26 2012) and Jazz&Wine of Peace (Cormòns, October 25-28 2012). A unique opportunity to compare diverse areas and producers that bear a common passion for great jazz.
