Francesco Crosara Trio Sunday November 7, 4:00pm PDT Bainbridge Waterfront Community Center
Francesco Crosara photo by Julia Crosara.
Francesco Crosara – piano Farko Dosumov – bass Mark Ivester – drums
Jazz pianist & composer Francesco Crosara returns to the First Sunday Concert series on November 7th with a dynamic new trio.
Originally from Milan, Italy, Crosaras music melds an impressive mix of jazz improvisation, a romantic vein from his classical training, along with Latin influences. Crosara who has performed with jazz greats such as Lionel Hampton, Roy Hargrove, and Ira Sullivan, is now based in the Northwest, and has collaborated with local stalwarts like Clipper Anderson, DVonne Lewis, Jeff Busch, Osama Afifi, and many others.
For his upcoming performance at the First Sunday Concerts series, Crosara’s ensemble will include two exceptional musicians: bassist Farko Dosumov, and drummer Mark Ivester. The trio will present a blend of original compositions by Crosara and jazz standards revisited. Expect both lyrical and exuberant music.
Francesco Crosara Trio Wednesday October 27, 7:00pm PDT Town Hall Forum In-person and livestream/VOD Tickets $10–20
Francesco Crosara photo by Julia Crosara.
“Francesco, your music is wonderful— always has been. Play what you love and saturate the world with it.” –Chick Corea
And that’s what pianist Francesco Crosara, the Seattle-based native of Milan, Italy, continues to do—saturate the world with his brand of “Francesco Jazz.” Drawing from an array of musical traditions and influences, including classical training, jazz standards, bop, fusion, Latin, world music and more—Crosara engages audiences with joy and healing spirit.
He stands among the European-bred jazz greats, performing over the years with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Lilian Terry, and more. His recordings have featured a multicultural and international array of musicians. And now, since 2017, the Northwest can claim his talents, too, as he’s demonstrated an eagerness to contribute to the local scene.
Completing Crosara’s polished acoustic trio performing on October 27 are versatile Northwest Jazz virtuosos Clipper Anderson on bass and Mark Ivester on drums. Anderson and Ivester have both performed widely in varied styles and settings with impressive arrays of greats: Anderson with Michael Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, and Arturo Sandoval; and Ivester with Larry Coryell, Freddie Hubbard, Diane Schuur, Mose Allison, Charlie Byrd, and Eartha Kitt. Crosara has been featured two years in a row in the trend-setting Earshot Jazz: The Second Century series for his bold and innovative music composition and video work. –Dennis Moran
Click on the video to view the entire concert. Broadcasted in livestream on June 25th, 2021.
Italian pianist Francesco Crosara debuts at Boxley’s joined by Clipper Anderson on bass and Mark Ivester on drums. The trio will present original compositions by Crosara, improvisations, and jazz standards revisited in a tribute to the art of piano trio music. Crosara has played at festivals and venues across the USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, and Italy. He has performed with Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Bobby Shew, Bruce Forman, and more. “A pianist who originally hails from Italy, Crosara is well-versed in bop lore, and his delicate flow might indicate a debt to Bill Evans.” Down Beat Magazine
Click on the video to play the full concert. Broadcasted in livestream on June 11th, 2021.
Originally from Milan, Italy, pianist and composer Francesco Crosara’s music melds an impressive mix of jazz improvisation, a romantic vein from his classical training, along with Latin influences. Crosara who has performed with jazz greats such as Lionel Hampton, Roy Hargrove, and Ira Sullivan, is now based in the Northwest, and has collaborated with local stalwarts like Mark Ivester, Jeff Busch, Osama Afifi, and many others.
For his June 11th trio performance with Earshot Jazz, Crosara’s ensemble included talented musicians—bassist Farko Dosumov, and drummer D’Vonne Lewis. Expect both lyrical and exuberant music.
This event was livestreamed from the Royal Room, Seattle.
Broadcasted on December 20, 2020 Click on the image to view the full video on Facebook
Morelia., Michoacán, a 20 de diciembre de 2020.– Con una serie de actividades que se podrán disfrutar desde la comodidad de los hogares, este 20 de diciembre concluirá la edición XVIII del Jazztival Michoacán, que en este 2020 se desarrolló durante los últimos 5 meses del año, ofreciendo conciertos, clases maestras, presentación de libros, talleres e intervenciones artísticas, tanto presenciales, como vía redes sociales.
El programa de cierre, que será totalmente virtual, contempla en primer término una Clase Maestra a cargo del Dr. Eduardo Núñez, Director de la Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, quien hablará sobre la Armonización en el piano de Jazz, a partir de la una de la tarde.
Más tarde, a las 3, toca su turno de participación al saxofonista mexicano Abraham Yacaman, quien ha sido músico integrante de grandes agrupaciones en diversos países, abarcando diferentes géneros entre los que destacan el reggae, pop, jazz, blues, folk, música electrónica, canción de autor, smooth y trova, entre otros.
Su versatilidad lo ha llevado a presentarse en distintos foros de países como Estados Unidos, Canadá, Perú, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Francia, República Checa, Eslovaquia y, por supuesto, México.
Para las 5 de la tarde está prevista la participación del Neo Tango Trío, ensamble que reúne en su formación a los sanjuaninos Tito Oliva en piano y Nicolás Bustos en guitarra eléctrica, junto al bandoneonista bonaerense Esteban Calderón. Recientemente lanzó el single “Tangaucho” desde el que propone poner a sonar la “música actual del oeste argentino”.
La propuesta musical del terceto está basada en composiciones de Oliva y arreglos de tangos clásicos que se permiten dialogar tanto con el jazz como con el folclore.
“Tangaucho” es el primer registro formal del Neo Tango Trío que ha paseado su sonoridad por escenarios porteños y cuyanos, así como de México, Serbia e Italia.
Y para cerrar con broche de oro, a partir de las 7 de la noche se contará con la presentación del italiano Francesco Crosara, pianista, compositor y educador de jazz de Seattle que ha actuado en festivales y lugares de Estados Unidos, Japón, Canadá, México, Francia, España e Italia.
Maestro de la improvisación del jazz, el estilo de piano de Francesco mezcla una fuerte vena romántica de su formación clásica en el Conservatorio de Música de Santa Cecilia en Roma con una vivaz expresión lírica en el jazz y los idiomas latinos.
Crosara ha actuado con Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Bobby Shew, Ira Sullivan, Don Menza, John Heard, Gabe Baltazar, Mayuto Correa, Bruce Forman, Barbara Morrison, Earl Palmer, Mark Lewis, Osama Afifi, Clipper Anderson, Mark Ivester, Jeff Busch, Milo Petersen, Steven Bentley y más.
Desde 1992, Francesco ha producido 6 álbumes de jazz internacionales que van desde el directo hasta la fusión y el latín. Los artistas invitados destacados incluyen a Von Freeman, Lilian Terry, Dave Marr, Rusty Jones, Paulinho García, Dean Taba, Noel Okimoto, Yasushi Gonjo, Larry Marshall, Miles Jackson, Eric Kurtz y más. Su álbum de 2000 “Colors” recibió 4 estrellas de la revista Downbeat.
Como dato curioso mencionaremos que la madre de Francesco, Lilian Terry, fue una de las vocalistas de jazz más importantes de Europa durante cuatro décadas.
En esta ocasión Crosara ha decidido hacer una especie de remembranza, a través de fotografías, de su primer visita a Morelia en 1983 y de su estrecha relación con el Jazztival Michoacán y con su director el maestro Juan Alzate, con quien al final del recital interpretará una pieza con la que se dará el cerrojazo al Jazztival 2020.
Respecto de los resultados obtenidos en esta ocasión por el Jazztival, Juan Alzate se dijo satisfecho, al señalar que a pesar de que fue una edición diferente, por las causas que todos conocemos, el festival continúa siendo un foro impulsor del jazz, y que gracias a que todas sus actividades se transmitieron vía internet, se alcanzó una cifra record de 1´283,556 vistas.
De igual forma agradeció el apoyo de las Secretarías de Cultura y Turismo del Estado, de la Secretaría de Cultura de Morelia, del Instituto de la Juventud Morelia, del H. Ayuntamiento de Tlalpujahua y de UNAM Centro Cultural Morelia.
Cabe recordar que todas las actividades de la última jornada del Jazztival 2020, programadas para el 20 de diciembre, podrán disfrutarse en su modalidad virtual a través de la página https://jazztivalmichoacan.org Calzada La Huerta 913. Col. Los Girasoles. Morelia, 58049. Morelia, Michoacán Tels. 4434101980, 4433692440, 6621027546 y 4434532785. www.jazztivalmichoacan.org jazztivalmichoacan.@gmail.com
See the video at 26:02: Preludio Flamenco, Francesco Crosara Quintet, with abstract art by Julia Crosara.
The Jazz: The Second Century series has always been about exploring the fundamental question: “One-hundred years into the art-form, what sonic shape does jazz take in its second century?” This question has never felt more relevant—or urgent—during these times of physical distancing, where musicians are being forced to explore new and innovative ways to develop and present their art. 2020 marks the first time the series is presented as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival.
Tonight’s Artists:
Leanna Keith: Leanna Keith is a flutist, composer, and improviser. This piece (untitled) is largely a response to performance in isolation. Keith’s practice is one of listening, which has obvious implications in a band setting, but far less obvious in practice when alone in a room.
Josh Hou: In the months since quarantine began, Hou has discovered remote recording as a powerful way to create music as well as maintain and build community. This is a video of a Chinese concerto, reharmonized and rearranged for jazz trio featuring Sara Heng, a guzheng player from Kuala Lumpu, all recorded in separate locatsions.
Melanie Sehman & Sarah Yates: Combining two strikingly different musical backgrounds, Melanie Sehman (drums, percussion) and Sarah Yates (double bass) form an improvising duo that approaches jazz as an exploration of the common ground between their diverse musical languages.
Francesco Crosara: Crosara’s personal brand of jazz has become more focused in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it reflects the collective anxiety of the moment while providing greater introspection in the purpose of music as a powerful source of comfort and escape.
Italian pianist Francesco Crosara became a part of the Seattle music community three years ago and had been gaining more public recognition here until public performances came to a halt with the pandemic. Fortunately, we have some representative performances on CDs and some recent streaming shows to enjoy. On this week’s Jazz Northwest, we’ll hear him playing a solo rendition of the ballad “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most.”
Also on this week’s show, trumpeter Jared Hall plays an original from his debut album and flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny plays a medley of movie themes from his album Jazz Noir. Guitarist Richard Boukas and pianist Jovino Santos Neto team in a Brazilian duo and the Dave Robbins Sextet from Vancouver BC plays a tune from their recent CD, and there’s more…
Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.
Jim has been a fixture on Seattle radio since 1961. He was the host of Jazz After Hours on Public Radio International from 1984-2014. Currently Jim has been producing Jazz Northwest for KNKX since 1988. This weekly program focuses on the regional jazz scene and frequently includes performances Jim records on location for Jazz Northwest.
Earshot’s annual juried series, Jazz: The Second Century, returns this July at the Chapel Performance Space with three evenings of innovative music.
33 years ago, the newly founded Earshot Jazz organization presented its first programming initiative, a concert series called New Jazz/New City, hosted in the New City Theater on Capitol Hill. While its name has evolved over the years—from New Jazz/New City, to the Earshot Spring Series, to Voice and Vision, and now Jazz: The Second Century—it has always remained true to our core values of cultivating community and supporting the progression of the genre.
For the Second Century Series, Seattle artists are selected by a peer panel through a blind jury process to perform original work in a concert setting that is questioning and expanding the conventions of the jazz form.
This year’s panel of four gathered in early June to review the entries. After careful consideration and deliberation, the jury selected six ensembles. Their choices reflect our city’s current dialogue surrounding the art form, in all its nuances and subtleties.
Thank you to all of the enterprising musicians who submitted work, to our panel for their thoughtful curation, and to the audience members who support the series.
FrancescoJAZZ Francesco Crosara–Piano Osama Afifi–Acoustic and electric bass Steven Bentley–Drums and Percussion
Pianist Francesco Crosara’s eclectic brand of jazz was born from early classical studies in harmony and composition at the Conservatory of Rome, steeped in the tradition of Italian and European romantic musical heritage, and honed by exposure to mainstream jazz and world music. His style is heavily influenced by improvisation and bouncy lyrical expressions drawn from jazz and Latin vocabularies. Crosara’s compositions are considerate of their audience, providing a source of joy, comfort, escape, and healing. Crosara believes jazz is a collective experience and a “living language” that distills a multitude of identities, backgrounds, and personalities.
Francesco Crosara (piano), Osama Afifi (bass), Jeff Busch (drums & percussion) Photo credits: Julia Crosara
Sunday, April 7, 2019 First Sundays Concerts Waterfront Park Community Center 370 Brien Dr SE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
“A pianist who originally hails
from Italy, Crosara is well-versed in bop lore, and his delicate flow might
indicate a debt to Bill Evans” Down Beat Magazine
Jazz pianist and composer Francesco Crosara will appear at the Waterfront Park Community Center in Bainbridge Island on April 7th as part of the First Sunday Concerts series. He will be joined by bassist Osama Afifi and drummer Jeff Busch. The program will feature Francesco’s original compositions in a blend of Jazz, Latin, and World music, plus select jazz standards.
Born in Milan, Italy, and residing in the Pacific Northwest since 2017, Francesco Crosara is a Jazz pianist, composer and educator who has played at festivals and venues across the USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, and Italy.
He has performed with Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Bobby Shew, Ira Sullivan, Don Menza, John Heard, Gabe Baltazar, Mayuto Correa, Bruce Forman, Barbara Morrison, Earl Palmer, Mark Lewis, and more. Francesco has produced 6 jazz albums recorded internationally over the course of over two decades, featuring guest artists such as Von Freeman and Lilian Terry. His album “Colors” received 4 stars from Downbeat magazine.
Francesco’s mother, Lilian Terry, was one of Europe’s foremost jazz vocalists across four decades. Also a TV/radio personality, and educator in Italy, she recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, and with Tommy Flanagan, and co-founded the Dizzy Gillespie Popular School of Music in Bassano, Italy. Lilian’s memoirs, “Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray, and Friends”, (2017-University of Illinois Press) received a highly positive review from Downbeat magazine and others.
A master of jazz improvisation, Francesco’s piano style mixes a strong romantic vein from his classical training at the Music Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome with bouncy lyrical expression in the jazz and Latin idioms. He feels equally at ease as a solo pianist and sharing the stage with fellow musicians on both acoustic and electric keyboards. His favorite format is the jazz piano trio for the intimacy that it creates, and the subtle interplay with bass and drums.
Osama Afifi has been a professional Bassist since the early 1980’s. He has recorded and performed live with many artists including John Densmore, Kurt Elling,The Cadillacs, Eric Reed,The 5th Dimension, Yanni, Jeff Lorber, Vanessa Paradis, Mindi Abair, Jeff Kashiwa,Billy Preston, Nenna Freelon, The B Sharp Jazz Quartet and has even appeared on VH1’s show “Storytellers” with The Doors.
Since moving to the Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles he has worked with LaVon Hardison, The Tacoma Symphony, Darelle Holden, Jacqueline Tabor, Judy Collins, Kareem Kandi, Darren Motamedy, David Keys, Hook Me Up, Gail Pettis, Michael Powers, Wally and the Beaves, Michael Benson and many others. His education includes studies at the Dick Grove School of Music. He also studied with Jeff Berlin and Gary Willis.
Jeff Busch is an exuberant drummer/percussionist, vocalist, and composer whose passion for soulful music of varied traditions has led him to perform with jazz, gospel, samba and Cuban ensembles. In addition, Jeff is committed to exploring the vital interconnection between musicians and dancers.
Jeff has spent the last 20 years in Seattle drumming for two-time Latin Grammy winner Carlos Cascante from Costa Rica, as well as three-time Latin Grammy nominee, Jovino Santos Neto of Brazil.
This high-powered event promises to be an inspiring night of jazz music celebration for musicians and fans alike.
Sponsored by: www.firstsundaysconcerts.org For information and tickets, please visit www.brownpapertickets.com
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