Acclaimed jazz musician Piero Delle Monache leads a dynamic quartet as part of the Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts’ Music in the City series. Supported by the Musica per Roma Foundation, the Italian Consulate in Cape Town, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South African College of Music (SACM), the performance will take place in Hiddingh Hall on Wednesday 16 October at 20:00.

This Music in the City concert will feature original compositions from Delle Monache’s latest project, THUNUPA. Led by Delle Monache on tenor saxophone, the ensemble comprises acclaimed musicians Giovanni Ceccarelli (piano), Tito Mangialajo Rantzer (double bass) and Alessandro Marzi (drums).

Taking on a variety of roles, including saxophonist, composer, artistic director and educator, Piero Delle Monache has played on the stages of prestigious clubs and festivals such as Pescara Jazz, Young Jazz in Town, Umbria Jazz, Odio L’estate, Moody Jazz Café, Cantina Bentivoglio, Sound Jazz Club in Brussels, and Jacques Pelzer in Liege.  Delle Monache is also the artistic director of Altotenore Comunicazione & Jazz, and has organised several festival and events in Italy. In 2011, he was awarded the coveted Premio Clessidra in Musica.

Besides collaborating with internationally esteemed musicians such as Flavio Boltro (one of the major exponents of international contemporary jazz) and Francesco Bearzatti (recently nominated best European musician), Delle Monache leads his own ensemble with Giovanni Ceccarelli, Tito Mangialajo and Alessandro Marzi. THUNUPA is this quartet’s first album.  Their African tour spans the continent from Addis Ababa to Cape Town.

This Music in the City concert will take place at Hiddingh Hall, University of Cape Town (UCT) Hiddingh Campus, Orange Street, Cape Town on 16 October at 20:00 and is free. No Booking is necessary.  The SACM Jazz Ensemble, directed by Professor Mike Rossi, will play a selection of jazz standards and original compositions from 19:30. For more information, contact the GIPCA office on 021 480 7156 or fin-gipca@uct.ac.za.

Programme:

• Samar – ‘telling stories’ in Arabic

• Ascolta se piove – the translation of a romantic street name in a Norman town

• Aperol – the imaginary dialogue between the bar garçon and a habitué

• Rollin’ Years (Mr. Michael Blindlove) – Piero delle Monache’s endless adventures and moves

• RW2 – the second track of a suite dedicated to the war in Rwanda and the exodus that ensued

• Rue des Saisons – inspired by a street in the student and multi-ethnic quarter in Brussels

• Sweetness – dedicated to the sweetness in life.

• Ascolta se piove – a sort of monologue in a solo version

• Thunupa – the title track that will surprise us with some studio recorded voices of friends and colleagues that were invited to impromptu performances on the phone repeating sentences taken from a book

• Dreamers – composition inspired by the thought of dreamers and creative souls