“It means nothing if it doesn’t have swing” Duke Ellington said in 1932 and this is the spirit of the Casa del Jazz, a unique place where concerts, cultural and educational activities take place, for a greater diffusion of this musical genre. The Casa del Jazz hosts various styles with particular attention to the Italian jazz scene of more or less well-known artists, without missing out on precious international guests.
THE HISTORY OF THE JAZZ HOUSE
Casa del Jazz, a historic villa in a complex managed by the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage is located in the heart of Rome in Viale di Porta Ardeatina within a large park and consists of three buildings that house different activities.
Inside the main building, a multifunctional 150-seat auditorium is used for live concerts, screenings, and meetings. A sophisticated recording system makes it possible to create recording products and, in this way, immortalize and disseminate the concerts and events hosted by the House.
In the same structure, there is a rich audiovisual archive, which can be consulted via multimedia stations, and a library is open to the public. The other two buildings respectively house the first, rehearsal and recording rooms and a guest house available to guest musicians, the other a restaurant.
Villa Osio, an elegant manor house from the late 1930s, was built on the basis of an old seventeenth-century farmhouse. The owner, Arturo Osio, one of the founders of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, bought the area on which it stands and entrusted the construction of the villa to Cesare Pascoletti, a pupil of Piacentini.
The Casa del Jazz project, strongly desired by Mayor Veltroni, was born from the confiscation of the Villa that belonged to the boss of the Magliana band Enrico Nicoletti and, subsequently, was assigned to the Municipality of Rome. A plaque placed at the entrance, with the names of the victims of the mafia, created in collaboration with the Libera di Don Ciotti association, bears witness to the victory represented by its restitution to the city and citizens.
SUMMER TIME PROGRAMME 2023
Every year, its rich program sees the participation of artists of international renown and lesser-known artists. This year among the top seeds we find Di Battista, Rava, Fresu, Miller, Senese, and many others. For the detailed program of the Summer 2023 see the following link
On July 20 I had the pleasure of attending the ENRICO RAVA, BAPTISTE TROTIGNON, DARRYL HALL & ALDO ROMANO concert. Enrico Rava is one of the founding fathers of European jazz, for this concert he has gathered around him a Franco-Italian ensemble: the immense Aldo Romano, one of the most illustrious Italian drummers residing in France, the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon and Darryl Hall, a Franco-American double bass player who has played with some of the most important European jazz musicians.
The musical performance begins with the unusual interpretation of the drummer Aldo Romano of the poem by Cesare Pavese, HABITS
“Sull’asfalto del viale la luna fa un lago
silenzioso e l’amico ricorda altri tempi.
Gli bastava in quei tempi un incontro improvviso
e non era piú solo. Guardando la luna,
respirava la notte. Ma piú fresco l’odore
della donna incontrata, della breve avventura
per le scale malcerte. La stanza tranquilla
e la rapida voglia di viverci sempre,
gli riempivano il cuore. Poi, sotto la luna,
a gran passi intontiti tornava, contento.
A quei tempi era un grande compagno di sé.
Si svegliava al mattino e saltava dal letto,
ritrovando il suo corpo e i suoi vecchi pensieri.
Gli piaceva uscir fuori prendendo la pioggia
o anche il sole. godeva a guardare le strade,
a parlare con gente improvvisa. Credeva
di saper cominciare cambiando mestiere
fino all’ultimo giorno, ogni nuovo mattino.
Dopo grandi fatiche sedeva fumando.
Il piacere piú forte era starsene solo.
È invecchiato l’amico e vorrebbe una casa
che gli fosse piú cara, e uscir fuori la notte
e fermarsi sul viale a guardare la luna,
ma trovare al ritorno una donna sommessa,
una donna tranquilla, in attesa paziente.
È invecchiato l’amico e non basta piú a sé.
I passanti son sempre gli stessi; la pioggia
e anche il sole, gli stessi; e il mattino, un deserto.
Faticare non vale la pena. E uscir fuori alla luna,
se nessuno l’aspetti, non vale la pena.”
The performance reached its peak with “Dreams and waters” composed by the magnificent Aldo Romano.
BAND
Enrico Rava – Trumpet
Baptiste Trotignon – Piano
Darryl Hall – Double bass
Aldo Romano – Drums
Consider the temperatures of this summer, and take advantage of it to enjoy a musical, aesthetic, and emotional experience in the park and on the notes of the Casa del Jazz, one of the places to see in Rome at least once in your life. And if you are a lover of the genre, you will come back for sure.
Elena Cattaneo was born in Cremona and lives in Rome. As a teacher, editor and web reporter she looks at this city, even also many years, like a curious turist.
After a Foreign Language University Degree she specialized in Communication Science. She fully dedicated to Business Communication, her most relevant interest.
She cultivated several cultural hobbies, fond of art and human being expression.