JazzAscona celebrates its 40th birthday with music and street art
Published: Wednesday, May 22nd 2024, 13:20
Updated At: Thursday, May 23rd 2024, 01:59
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300 concerts in ten days: the 40th edition of JazzAscona will feature 350 musicians and street art to celebrate its anniversary. All concerts are free for the third time in a row.
Bringing jazz back to the streets - this has been the motto of JazzAscona for a number of years, bringing the streets of Ascona's old town back to life with smaller and larger concerts. This year, "Il Borgo" (the house or village) will once again be integrated into the festival, explained JazzAscona director Guido Casparis at the media conference on Wednesday.
Around 60 bands will visit the village on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the last few days of June, including many from the famous "Sister City" of New Orleans. They include South Dakota-born singer Meschiya Lake, who lives in New Orleans, jazz musician Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, which is almost at home in Ascona, according to a press release from the festival organizers.
Jazzy interpretations of Edith Piaf
Tom McGuire & The Brassholes from Glasgow bring funk and soul, while Danilo Boggini from Ticino presents a jazzy reinterpretation of Edith Piaf's most famous songs with his project "Môme".
One focus of this year's edition is on the big orchestras, as Casparis told the media. The Swiss Armed Forces Big Band, the Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Swiss Jazz Orchestra will be performing at the 40th JassAscona. - The latter will also receive this year's Swiss Jazz Award on June 28.
In addition to lots of music in the alleyways, there is also "Jazz Off The Wall" to mark the 40th anniversary. In this street art project, the Italian-Swiss artist Yuri Catania creates around 40 oversized portraits of artists on private and public buildings in Ascona. Further works by Catania will be exhibited at the Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna Ascona. The 40th JazzAscona will take place from June 20 to 29.
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