Normally one of the most vital parts of Barga Jazz Festival which finishes this weekend was not to be found in the piazzas or as part of the concerts in the Teatro dei Differenti but during the late night jam sessions that took place each evening at the Enojazz after hours session, this year held at the Hotel Villa Libano
The musicians who spent each day rehearsing as part of the Barga Jazz Orchestra and then performing in the evening at the concerts would at the end of the shows towards midnight, move across to the the Hotel Villa Libano and carry on playing until early in the morning only to rise bleary eyed later on that day and repeat the whole process all over again.
A feat of endurance that only the strongest could survive as the Barga Jazz festival moved into the second week.
The final night of the after hours session, by tradition runs on right through the night until dawn to close the festival in style.
Since 2007, to commemorate the passing of Silvano Togneri the outsider musician (articles about Silvano Togneri can be found here) who was a key member of many of the after hour sessions in the past, the Silvano Togneri prize has been awarded to the musician has has given his or her most to the jazz sessions .
The winner receives a bottle of spumante and a 45 rpm disc from Silvano’s own collection ( an article about Silvano’s record collection here)
The front runner amongst the musicians playing this year is without a doubt the sax baritono player, Rossano Emili.
With only three days left of the Barga Jazz Festival 2013, the question is -- has he the stamina to survive until dawn on Sunday or will one of the the other jazz musicians eager to win the prestigious prize pip him at the post ?
Watch this space.
Past Winners: 2011 -- Renzo Telloli | 2010 --Alessio Bianchi | 2009 – Leonardo Gnesi | 2008 – Stefano Onorati|2007 – Dimitri Grechi Espinoza
Rossano Emili
Diplomato in sassofono al Conservatorio F. Morlacchi di Perugia, specialista del sax baritono, ha suonato con l’Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI e con l’Orchestra Sinfonica di Perugia. Ha fatto parte per un lungo periodo del gruppo di musica contemporanea Artisanat Furieux Ensemble. Collabora attualmente con la formazione Sentieri Selvaggi diretta da Carlo Boccadoro. Ha lavorato più volte in spettacoli teatrali ed ha effettuato registrazioni radiofoniche e televisive. Suona nella Perugia Jazz Orchestra, nell’Interamnia Jazz Orchestra, Bruno Tommaso Orchestra, Italian Instabile Orchestra. Ha suonato con Paul Motian, Louis Andriessen, Tony Scott, Gunther Schuller, Paolo Fresu, Maurizio Gianmarco ed altri. Fa parte della big band di Barga Jazz e della Proxima Centauri Orchestra di Giorgio Gaslini, del quartetto di sassofoni Arundo Donax con Pietro Tonolo, Mario Raja e Pasquale Laino. Ha inciso diversi dischi con queste formazioni per la Splasc(h), la BMG, l’EGEA.
E’ titolare della cattedra di sassofono al Conservatorio di Bari.
