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Francesco Cafiso
One of the most precocious talents in the history of jazz. When he was barely nine years old Francesco took his first steps, working with internationally famous musicians. Meeting Wynton Marsalis in Pescara at the jazz Festival held on July 2002 was a decisive moment for Francesco’s career. Amazed by Francesco’s qualities, Marsalis took him along with his septet on his European tour 2003, where Francesco performed in prestigious theatres in the largest cities in Europe. From that moment on, Francesco went through a series of important experiences both in Italy and abroad. He won various important prizes: the Massimo Urbani National Award in Urbisaglia, the EuroJazz Award in Lecco, the International Jazz Festivals Organization Award in New York, the World Saxophone Competition in London, the Django d’Or in Rome and many others. In order to improve his English, but most of all, in order to experience new musical styles and genres, Francesco went to New Orleans where he played with Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Thadeus Richard, Bob Franch, Maurice Brown and many other important local musicians while taking special lessons from Alvin Batiste. In 2004, he participated as a special guest in the Sanremo Music Festival. In 2005 the Swing Journal, the authoritative Japanese jazz music magazine, confers him the New Stars Award, prize reserved to the emergent foreign talents. Immediately after, the affirmation in the Top Jazz, referendum of the Italian Music Jazz magazine, that recognizes him as the best new talent of the year. Francesco has performed with world famous musicians: Hank Jones, Dave Brubeck, Cedar Walton, Mulgrew Miller, Jonathan Batiste, Ronnie Matthews, Jimmy Cobb, Ben Riley, Ray Drummond, Reggie Johnson, Doug Sides Lewis Nash, James Williams, Joe Lovano, George Mraz, Joe Locke, Kenny Wheeler, Enrico Rava, Gianni Basso, Dado Moroni, Franco D’Andrea, Franco Cerri Stefano Bollani and many other Italian and American musicians. In February 2006 Francesco achieved the Diploma in Transverse Flute at the Musical Institute Vincenzo Bellini in Catania. Since 2008 he has been Artistic director of the “Vittoria Jazz Festival” in Vittoria his native city. On January 19, 2009 he played in Washington DC during the celebrations in honor of President Barak Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. day. On July 17, 2009 the Umbria Jazz Foundation named Francesco “Ambassador of the Italian jazz music in the world.” In 2012, he arranged “Don’t Stop” the background music for the current commercial for the ENI station.
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Cafiso Cigalini Davis "Parker 100" Piacenza Jazz Fest 2020
by Danilo Codazzi
A collection of photos from the Cafiso, Cigalini, Davis “Parker 100" concert at Teatro President in Piacenza, Italy, on October 17th, 2020 featuring Francesco Cafiso, Mattia Cigalini, Jesse Davis, Andrea Pozza, Aldo Zunino and Mario Gonzi. ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso: Moody'n
by Nicholas F. Mondello
"Youth will be served." That is a saying appropriately describing the meteoric rise to success that Sicilian alto saxophonist Francesco Cafiso has achieved since he turned “professional" at nine years old. With Moody 'n, Cafiso plunges deeply into the BeBop canon performing a handful of classics and, in doing so demonstrates both the bravado of a young man and refined musical maturity beyond his years. The alto saxophone BeBop legacy is a lengthy and robust one from ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso Quartet: Angelica
by Dan McClenaghan
Angelica claims a spot as a superior quartet set--alto saxophone and a rhythm section--right at the very beginning, not with the Duke Ellington-penned title tune, but with a Billy Strayhorn gem, “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing." Italian saxophonist and jazz prodigy, Francesco Cafiso--just nineteen years old at the time this music was laid down--ignores the “never open with a ballad advice," proving you can't always let conventional wisdom twist your arm. It's a wonderful, tender exploration of the familiar ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso: New York Lullaby
by Samuel Chell
Yes, he is that good. Or was, on the occasion of this 2005 session, which features the fifteen-year-old native Sicilian saxophonist making his American recording debut accompanied by a crack New York rhythm section. Although it's common to hear rueful expressions about what a Charlie Parker or Clifford Brown might have accomplished had they lived longer, a player as precocious as Francesco Cafiso reminds us of the challenges facing an artist who appears to “be there already, yet has a ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso: Happy Time & Jazz Italiano Live 2006
by Ken Dryden
Veteran jazz writer Ira Gitler recognized the immense talent of a then 13-year-old alto saxophonist named Francesco Cafiso upon hearing him at the 2002 Pescara Jazz Festival, writing a glowing article for the Jazz Journalist Association newsletter. Cafiso attended the 2004 International Association for Jazz Education conference in New York, jamming nightly with pianist James Williams, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley, providing convincing proof to packed audiences that Gitler was accurate in his assessment. Since that time, Cafiso ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso Quartet: Happy Time
by Martin Gladu
Many names come to mind as convenient references for precocious jazz talents: Pat Metheny, Brad Mehldau, the Marsalises, Bireli Lagrène, Roy Hargrove, etc. With Happy Time Sicilian-born Francesco Cafiso (born in 1989) earns his place amongst such once-profiled wunderkinds.
Having won, among many competitions, the International Massimo Urbani Award at age eleven and the EuroJazz Competition at age thirteen, he has also garnered the attention and support of Italy's principal festival organizers and international musicians alike. Even Wynton Marsalis, who ...
read moreFrancesco Cafiso: Happy Time
by Nic Jones
What's in a title? In this case, a whole lot of helpful clues about the music on this disc. Francesco Cafiso was sixteen at the time he committed this music to posterity, and to say that he has everything a musician working in the modern mainstream context needs is not hyperbole.
A pedant might argue that the alto player is doing nothing new, and that's certainly the case. But this does not alter the fact that even in times when ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Francesco Cafiso
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Francesco Cafiso's birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Francesco Cafiso
One of the most precocious talents in the history of jazz. When he was barely nine years old Francesco took his first steps, working with internationally famous musicians. First of all... more
Website | Videos | Articles
Follow Francesco Cafiso @ AAJ
Put AAJ's Musician of the Day box on your website or blog ...
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Historic Jazz Summit At The Iridium Jazz Club MAY 25-30 + Wonder Boy Francesco Cafiso May-25-26
Source:
All About Jazz
Show Times Nightly At 8:00, 10: 00 Third Set Fri. And Sat. At 11:45 Pm
May 25-30 Historic Jazz Summit! Jackie Mclean, Renee Mclean Quintet With Special Guests Bobby Hutcherson & Grachan Moncur Iii Alan Palmer-Piano, Nat Reeves-Bass, Eric Mcpherson-Drums
Plus May-25-26 Umbria Jazz Presents “Wonder Boy" Francesco Cafiso With The James Williams Trio Opening At 7:30pm For Jackie Mclean
The Iridium Jazz Club is very pleased to present the ...
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Francesco Cafiso
Instrument: Saxophone
Born: May 24, 1989
