It is time for Italian jazz... as the fall approaches New York City readies itself for its fourth annual celebration of jazz Italian-style. This year the Festival, Italian Jazz Days will feature forty musicians for a real jazz feast.

Produced by Twins Music [2], Italian Jazz Days will celebrate world-class music and musicians for more than an entire week, opening on October 1st, and closing on the 9th. The artists will perform in different locations: the acclaimed Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola [3] (Columbus Circle), in the historic pizzeria Arturo’s (West Village, in the modern restaurants Brio Flatiron [4] (920 Broadway), Le Pescadeux [5](Soho) and Robert [6](Columbus Circle).

Opening night will be held at Bar on Fifth, [7] a venue inside the Italian five-star hotel Setai, just along fashionable Fifth Avenue. The closing nights (October 8-9) are much anticipated.

Among the highlights: the Italian pianist Antonio Ciacca [8]will debut at Dizzy’s Coca-Cola with a Big Band of 15 musicians. Ciacca has been preparing for this magnificent performance since 2009, writing and recording for the big band. Taking inspiration from his mentor Benny Golson [9], and having programmed shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center [10] for four years, Ciacca has developed a strong love and vitality for the big band. He promises fireworks.

Italian Jazz Days will host world renewed musicians, such as guitarists Lucio Ferrara [11] and Luca Nostro [12], saxophonist Attilio Troiano [13], crooner Walter Ricci, bass player Giuseppe Venezia, drummer Elio Coppola, trumpeter Nicola Tariello [14]. On the stage, there will also be American musicians with Italian blood in their veins. Guitarist Randy Napoleon [15], renewed for having recorded a Grammy-nominated album with the international star Michael Bublé [16], will lead the opening night. Joseph Lepore [17](bass), Pete Malinverni [18] (piano), John Di Martino [19] (piano), Gene Bertoncini (guitar) [20], Gabrielle Stravelli [21] (singer) will offer intimate night concerts. Also on stage: pianist Simona Premazzi [22] and drummer Luca Santaniello [23]; who moved from Italy to New York specifically to pursue their dreams in the land of jazz and who are today very well known in the clubs in the West Village.

The Program:

BRIO FLATIRON

920 Broadway @ 21 Street, phone (212) 673 2121

8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

September 30th & October 7th

LUCIO FERRARA TRIO

Lucio Ferrara, chitarra

Paat Bianchi, organo

Peter Van Nostrand, batteria

At the age of ten, Lucio Ferrara began playing the clarinet, but in his mind he heard “string” notes. With a classical guitar in his hands, Ferrara likes to define himself a traveling musician. Born in the southern Italian region of Puglia, he moves among Bologna, Rome and New York. He has performed with Antonio Ciacca, Lee Konitz, Benny Golson, Joey DeFrancesco, Billy Harper, Greg Hutchinson, Rodney Green, Joe Farnsworth, Ulysses Owens, Paul Gill, John Webber and Doug Weiss. Ferrara’s teaching activity is intense and includes working at the Conservatory of Music in Cosenza. Since 2004 he is the Director of Education and Professor of Jazz Guitar of Orsara Jazz Summer Camp, he has been Director of Education of Tuscia in Jazz 2010-2011 and La Spezia Jazz Festival 2011.

BAR ON FIFTH – SETAI HOTEL

400 5th Avenue; phone (212) 695 4005

All shows 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

No cover charge, one drink minimum

October 1st

RANDY NAPOLEON TRIO

Randy Napoleon, guitar

Joseph Lepore, bass

Peter Van Nostrand, drums

Randy has traveled the world for three years with crooner Michael Bublé and as his sideman has appeared on television in shows like Letterman, Leno, The Radio Music Awards and Dancing with the Stars. He is featured on Bublé’s GRAMMY® nominated album, “Caught in the Act”. Napoleon has a strong passion for the jazz guitar tradition that he expresses while playing with his own bands. Guitarist George Benson has referred to Napoleon as “sensational.” The Washington Post said that Napoleon has an “exceptionally nimble finger-style technique”. Currently, Napoleon is the guitarist in Freddy Cole's quartet.

October 2nd

RANDY NAPOLEON QUARTET

Randy Napoleon, guitar

Nicola Tariello, trumpet

Giuseppe Venezia, bass

Peter Van Nostrand drums

October 3rd and 4th

JOSEPH LEPORE TRIO

Joseph Lepore, bass

Luca Nostro, guitar

Luca Santaniello, drums

Nicola Tariello special guest

Bassist Joseph Lepore was born in New York and raised in Salerno, Italy, where he was classically trained at the city's conservatory, earning its highest honors. Since relocating to the US in 1999 he has played with many US world-class musicians like Jimmy Lovelace, Marc Copland, Mark Turner, Terri Lynn Carrington, Lenny White and Duane Eubanks. "I've experienced something of a revelation when first playing with Joseph Lepore. He is an amazing player with great imagination and composing skills. I enjoy his music and spirit." - Marc Copland. Since early 2011, Lepore has been part of TrioKinesis with saxophonist Eric Person and drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi.

October 5th

JOHN DI MARTINO TRIO

John Di Martino, piano

Elio Coppola, drums

Giuseppe Bassi, bass

John Di Martino is a very active composer, arranger, pianist and recording artist. His latest CD, "Turnaround" (Kilimanjaro Disque), features his group. He has recorded 13 CD's for Venus Records (Japan) with The Romantic Jazz Trio. Di Martino has performed with Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, Taj Mahal and he has contributed to three GRAMMY® nominated recordings, the most recent being “Love” by the Cuban singer Issac Delgado. Born in Philadelphia, Di Martino has performed everywhere. He loves cinema and walking around New York City. His favorite neighborhood is the East Village.

October 6th

PETE MALINVERNI TRIO

Pete Malinverni, piano

Attilio Troiano, sax

Giuseppe Venezia, bass

Carmen Intorre, drums

Pianist/composer Pete Malinverni has received acclaim and strong international airplay for his twelve recordings as a leader. He has received composition grants for solo piano, trio, quartet, quintet, big band and Gospel choir. He served for eighteen years as Minister of Music at the Devoe St Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY. After Pete's appearances at the Villa Celimontana Festival in Roma, Pietro d’Ottavia, writing in Italy’s La Repubblica, said, “in this artist one must recognize a brilliant vein of composition along with an original, pianistic voice.” He is Director of Jazz Studies at the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase.

October 7th

MIKE LEDONNE TRIO

Mike LeDonne, piano

Giuseppe Venezia, bass

Carmen Intorre, drums

Pianist and composer Mike LeDonne was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He started his career as a child, playing with his father own jazz band and in his parent’s jazz store. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, LeDonne moved to New York, where he started working at Jimmy Ryan's (at the time, one of New York's oldest jazz clubs). Here LeDonne met and played with some of the great historical figures of jazz, including Roy Eldridge, Papa Jo Jones, and Vic Dickenson.

October 8th and 9th

SIMONA PREMAZZI TRIO

Simona Premazzi, piano

Isabella Rizzo, bass

Ross Pederson/Jason Brown, drums

Since 2004, Premazzi has been living in NY and is very well known in the local jazz scene. Often, she performs at Smalls and Fat Cat while leading her trio or quartet. Premazzi grew up in a small village close to Milan and she considers Harlem her second home. “Every day I walk where Thelonious Monk used to walk and I play in venues where he used to play. Every day, part of my dream comes true”. Premazzi has recorded two albums, “Looking For An Exit” (2007) and “Inside In” (2010). Premazzi’s latest ensemble is in collaboration with tenor saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana in creating a remarkable modern jazz sound.

DIZZY’S COCA-COLA

Broadway @ West 60th St; phone (212) 258-9800

7:30 PM & 9:30PM

October 8th and 9th

ANTONIO CIACCA BIG BAND

The much anticipated Antonio Ciacca Big Band debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola takes place October 8-9, during Italian Jazz Days and will fill the stage with world-class music and musicians. Ciacca has been preparing for this magnificent performance since 2009, writing and recording for the big band. Taking inspiration from his mentor Benny Golson, and having programmed shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center for four years, Ciacca has developed a strong love and vitality for the big band. His musical loves include Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, Tadd Dameron and Gil Evans. Ciacca promises fireworks at his big band debut at New York City’s #1 jazz club, featuring his original charts and standards from the Italian American Songbook, (arranged by saxophonist Andy Farber).The big band features an all-star lineup including: Antonio Ciacca, piano/leader; Brian Pareschi, Brandon Lee, Andy Gravish, Mike Carubia, trumpets; James Burton, Nick Finzer, Joe McDonough, trombones; Andy Farber, Kurt Bacher, Alex Hoffman, Jerry Weldon, Frank Basile, saxophones; Paul Gill, bass; Carl Allen, drums. Tony Bennett calls Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola “the best jazz room in the city.”

DIZZY’S COCA-COLA AFTER HOURS

11:30 PM

October 9th

LUCA SANTANIELLO QUARTET

Luca Santaniello, drums

Joe Magnarelli, trumpet

Lucio ferrara, guitar

Joseph Lepore, bass

Walter Ricci, singer, special guest

A graduate of the Juilliard School of Arts, drummer Luca Santaniello has been living in New York since 2001. He has performed with jazz legends such as Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Lee Konitz, Joe Locke. In April 2012, he was a recipient for the Cultural Award from the European foundation UNESCO in a ceremony held by “The Italian Association of Castles” in the region of Molise-Italy. Santaniello has also been noticed by the international film production company Furst Films, and was casted as a jazz drummer in the movie “The Girl In The Park” (starring Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth and Keri Russell).

ARTURO’S

106 West Houston Street, phone (212) 677-3820

10:00 PM to 2:00 AM

October 4th

JIMMY LATAGANO TRIO FEATURING ATTILIO TROIANO

With a background in classical music, Troiano is a “multi-task” artist, able to play clarinet, saxophone, piano and 13 additional instruments! He is also a singer and a composer for big band and symphony orchestras. In 2005, Troiano founded his own big band in Rome, playing his own compositions. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of Basilijazz - Basilicata Jazz Festival. In that same year he produced his first CD, “Looking for our way” followed by “Shine! - Introducing Attilio Troiano & New Guitar Section” (2009). Troiano has played in Albania, Syria, Lebanon and France.

LE PESCADEUX

90 Thompson Street, phone (212) 966-0021

September 30th at brunch

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI TRIO

Gabrielle Stravelli, voice

Pat O'Leary, bass

Gene Bertoncini, guitar

This inspiring trio will amuse you while you brunch in this restaurant acclaimed for calamari and smoked brisket. Located in the fashionable neighborhood of Soho.

ROBERT @ MAD Museum

2 Columbus Avenue, phone (212) 299-7730

October 7th at brunch

CURTIS LUNDY TRIO FEATURING ELIO COPPOLA

Born in 1985, Elio Coppola has collected honors and grants since he was a teenager. He has been honored “the best talent” at the International Baronissi Jazz. He has also earned a grant from the Berklee music University in Boston. Coppola has performed with Benny Golson, Joey De Francesco and George Cables. Today, Coppola is one of the most sought-after drummers in Italy.