| Saturday 17 May, 21:00 | Teatro Comunale di Vicenza - Sala del Ridotto | Buy ticketBuy |
Ralph Alessi has been one of the reference trumpeters in the field of avant-garde jazz for several decades. Born and raised, musically in the classical context, in the San Francisco bay (son of parents who were both professionals at the S.F. Metropolitan Opera, then himself first trumpet at the San Francisco Symphony, his brother Joseph a trombonist at the New York Philharmonic), in '86 he met Ravi Coltrane as a fellow student, later his musical partner for many projects. He then made his name first with the Baida Quartet (with Jason Moran, Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits), then with his quintet with Andy Milne, Drew Gress, Mark Ferber and Ravi Coltrane, playing and recording in the groups Steve Coleman, Uri Caine, Fred Hersch and Don Byron. Alessi has been a leading artist for Ecm for years.
With him, in the formation of the "without bass" trio, he is with the French guitarist Marc Ducret, whose reputation as an avant-garde musician is completed as a literary author.
The Californian drummer Jim Black is a long-standing partner, well known in the border line between new jazz and experimental rock; in Vicenza, last year he was with Alessi in Uri Caine's group.
Ralph Alessi, trumpet
Marc Ducret, guitar
Jim Black, drums
The Yellojackets are a historic band in the evolution of jazz fusion, continuously active since the year of birth, 1977, when they were formed on the initiative of guitarist Robben Ford and keyboardist Russell Ferrante, the latter of whom has been present in the band ever since. From the band's first official and eponymous album in 1981 to "Parallel Motion", their 30th album, Yellowjackets have constantly updated and somehow reinvented themselves, through the formulation of their characteristic electroacoustic soundscape; in any case, no fusion band can boast such longevity, characterized by successes and recognitions, first of all the Grammys at the end of the 80s and then the numerous nominations for the same, up to the most recent work as a sort of big concert with the WDR Big Band, always with the arrangements of the saxophonist Bob Mintzer, authentic mastermind of the group since 1991, when the band's line up was definitively stabilized in the quartet with sax and rhythm, including piano or keyboards, electric bass and drums but without guitar. The Yellowjackets will be at the Comunale in Vicenza on the first Italian date of the tour to present their latest album which will be released in spring 2025.
Bob Mintzer, saxophone, tenor and soprano/EWI
Russel Ferrante, piano/keyboards
Dane Alderson, electric bass
Will Kennedy, drums/keyboards
