Belvedere di Villa Rufolo

Domenica 17 luglio
Belvedere di Villa Rufolo, ore 21.30
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Tony Momrelle
Walter Ricci
Salerno Jazz Orchestra
Posto unico € 35

Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater, stage name of Denise Eileen Garrett was born in Memphis on May 27, 1950, has grown since birth with the music of her hometown. Her father, Matthew Garrett, was a respected jazz trumpeter and teacher at Memphis’ Manassas High School, where he taught future jazz legends and Memphis Music Hall of Fame Inductees Charles Lloyd and George Coleman. As a young child, her family relocated to Flint, Michigan, although the music of Memphis remained an ever-present influence. She recalls that she would regularly tune into Memphis radio station WDIA, where the blues, jazz, and R&B tunes from her hometown would fill her room. “I would sneak and listen. I couldn’t get it until 11 at night. I would put a pillow under my door and the radio under blankets and stuff, so my parents couldn’t hear it. I called it my secret garden,” she remembered.
By the age of sixteen, Bridgewater was already a staple in the Michigan club scene, displaying her preternaturally strong vocals. “I sang on weekends, with my father as my chaperone,” she recalled. “I was under age, so I had to sit in the kitchen between my sets.” She was a member of a female vocal trio called the Iridescents, and also sang alongside her father’s ensembles. Following graduation from high school, Bridgewater enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a vocalist in the university’s jazz band, she toured the Soviet Union in 1969, the first of what would become many trips abroad. She also began performing regularly with a jazz group called the Bridgewater Brothers, which convinced her to pursue music full time. “It became easier than going to school, so I dropped out,” she explained.
In the early 1970s, Bridgewater moved to New York City with her trumpeter husband Cecil Bridgewater, and launched her professional career alongside him as a member of the celebrated Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra. “Thad Jones was my world,” she remembered. “Everything that I know about music, I learned from Thad Jones and I learned from being in that band.” Having established herself as a rising star within the New York jazz scene, Bridgewater began performing with luminaries of the genre such as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, and others. With this momentum behind her, Bridgewater had a breakout year in 1974, releasing her celebrated debut solo album “Afro Blue,” and beginning a two-year stint as Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway musical “The Wiz.” Her performance in the iconic role would go on to earn her a Tony Award the following year for “Best Featured Actress.”
Not long after moving to Los Angeles with her second husband, Bridgewater departed on an international tour with the musical “Sophisticated Ladies” in 1983. While on tour, she visited France and a life-long love affair with the country began, eventually leading her to move there permanently in 1986. “I was accepted in France for the talents I had. And, as a result of that, I never had any situations where I was rejected because I was black – or not black enough – which I did in the U.S.,” she recalled. During her time in Paris, Bridgewater starred in the musical “Lady Day” as legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday, earning rave reviews and a 1986 Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress (she would go on to win an AUDELCO Award in 2014 for her reprisal of the role). She also appeared in musicals such as “Black Ballad,” “Carmen,” and “Cabaret,” in which she became the first African American actress to star as Sally Bowles.
Before long, Bridgewater was a bona fide star in her adopted country. “I get called a lot to do TV, too,” she said at the time, “because I can sing in French. So I’ve developed a kind of special niche for myself – because I’m this interesting oddity, a French-speaking, African American singer – that allows me to sort of cross all boundaries and basically do what I want. It gives me a lot of magazine, press and media attention, and helps me reach out to an audience that is not necessarily a jazz audience.”

Tony Momrelle, is one of the most exciting and significant soul musicians on the modern British stage.
In a music career spanning 20+ years, he has performed with some of the greatest artists in the world: Incognito, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Sade, Gary Barlow, Andrea Bocelli, Gwen Stefani, Robert Palmer and many more. In Autumn 2016 he supported the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire on their sold-out UK tour.

Momrelle was lead male vocalist of the famous British Acid-jazz band Incognito for more than sixteen years before launching his solo career. His acclaimed debut album ‘Keep Pushing’ was released in 2015, followed by a Deluxe Edition twelve months later. With guest appearances from Talib Kweli, Chantae Cann and Tony Remy, the album is an infectious mingling of eighties-inspired synths, jazzy keys, classic piano and soaring soul vocals.
Channelling Hathaway, Wonder and countless other sounds, styles and ideas through his authentic, thoroughly contemporary interpretation of what British soul music actually means today, Momrelle realised something profoundly special in ‘Keep Pushing’. Strong mainstream and regional radio support for the album culminated in four BBC Radio 2-playlisted singles and ongoing airplay across Europe.
Momrelle’s ‘Keep Pushing Tour’ has flown world-wide, playing to sold-out audiences at venues and festivals in the UK, Australia, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, Indonesia and many more. On home soil, he has dazzled audiences at the EFG London Jazz Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival for several years running.
Notable media appearances in 2017/8 included an intimate duet with Jools Holland live on the much-loved BBC One show ‘Later with Jools Holland’, as well as distinguished collaborations with the Guy Barker Orchestra and Big Band for BBC Radio 2 – including a recent performance at the London Coliseum alongside Gregory Porter & Friends for ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’.
His second studio album ‘Best Is Yet To Come’ was released on April 26th 2019.
Fresh from the success of the new single ‘Rising Up’, described by SoulTracks as “an instant classic” and supported by Trevor Nelson on BBC Radio 2, Tony Momrelle returned with an exquisite new body of work that represents a decisive moment in his solo career. Best Is Yet To Come is arguably Momrelle’s finest album to date, truly demonstrating his exceptional prowess as a songwriter, as well as showcasing the outstanding vocal ability for which he is widely known.
Described by Trevor Nelson as “a mainstay of the UK soul scene”, Tony Momrelle has channelled his inimitable talent into his own solo project, the result of which is an album that clearly positions him as an equal and contemporary of the luminaries with whom he has collaborated.
From the heartwarming optimism of the title track, to the disco funk of ‘You Got It’ and the smooth soul sound on ‘We Searched For Heaven’, Momrelle presents a vibrant and diverse canvas of songs that bring out the very best of his talent, leaving the sense that Best Is Yet To Come has something for everyone to enjoy. There are however vital elements running through each track that unify all: the sheer quality of songwriting and the unique, powerful tenor vocal that only Tony Momrelle himself can deliver.
2019 will continue to see Tony touring across Europe, taking the Rising Up tour the UK, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Ukraine and more.  

Walter Ricci, Walter Ricci, born in 1989, grew up in a musical household due to the background of his musician father. From a very young age, Walter was exposed to every genre of music; however, jazz-in all its forms- intrigued and excited him, from swing, to bebop, to contemporary jazz. Attracted to the giants such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet and Ella Fitzgerald, Walter devoted himself to the study of the piano, specializing in the technique of improvisation. After a few years of study, Walter began performing at the most coveted jazz club stages with prestigious musicians.
Walter’s career began in 2006, when he was recognized with the “Massimo Urbani National Award”. On that occasion, Walter met the Turin trumpet player Fabrizio Bosso, who became his close companion and supporter in the following years.
It wasn’t long before Walter Ricci began to attract the attention of internationally known newspapers and networks such as Jazz Magazine and Jazzit, both of which published several interviews of him in 2007. In 2008 he met Stefano Di Battista, with whom he performed in Italy, France, Spain, and Switzerland.
In the same year, Ricci’s voice was compared to the album “TOUCH” by Lorenzo Tucci (one of the most talented jazz drummers in Italy) and the album was distributed by SCHEMA RECORD in Japan and other countries.
In 2009 and 2010 Walter was invited by Pippo Baudo to the Domenica In program, as a singer of the orchestra conducted by Pippo Caruso.
This program, which was broadcasted on the first national network, the opportunity for Walter to meet and duet with internationally renowned artists, such as Michael Bublè and Mario Biondi…who later invited Walter to collaborate on his record and tour.
In the meantime, Walter continued to work with Guido Pistocchi on the album “PRIMAVERA” (label DEJAVUR). Shortly after, he met with saxophonist Daniele Scannapieco, with whom he created a tribute to one of the greatest composers in history: “THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK”. In October 2012, Ricci performed as a guest in the Luca Santaniello quartet at the “Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola” of Lincoln Center in New York, and in 2015 he went on to participate and place in the semifinals of the prestigious MONK COMPETITION.
At the beginning of 2016, Fabrizio Bosso calls Ricci to participate in his “Spiritual” with Alberto Marsico and Alessandro Minetto. Bosso and Ricci then went on to record an album together for this series dedicated to Italian Jazz, and it was later published by Espresso.
In September 2016 Walter competed in the international festival NEW WAVE CONTEST in Sochi, Russia, where he enchanted the audience and jury, and won the first place title (ex aequo with the Croatian rocker Dino).
Walter Ricci’s highly anticipated album titled STORIES, is scheduled to release in October 2019 on Italian record label, Irma Records. Included in the album is fourteen tracks—ten of which are original, and the remaining four are covers in Italian, English and French. Ricci’s album embraces an international sound, highlighting some of the great Italian melodies such as “Guarda che luna”, and “Tu si na cosa grande”, in a duet featuring Chiara Civello. The album also features songs in English, including “No Doubt Left” with Papik. Ranging from jazz to pop, Walter Ricci also duets with legendary world musicians like Dede Ceccarelli, a world-famous drummer known for collaborating with Ray Charles.
In the timeless cover “Guarda che luna”, the great Stefano Di Battista duets with Fabrizio Bosso in an original song entitled “I Believe in you”. Ricci places special significance on three records (“Raccontami”, “You are all” and “Turn and Turn”), as these tracks portray the great friendship between the artist and pianist/French composer, JeanPierre Como.
Because of their friendship, Walter went on to perform in many important French concerts including: MARCIAC FESTIVAL, OPERA by PARIS, and MONTREAUX JAZZ.
Stories would not be complete without a tribute to the city of Naples, (track # 12), Ricci performs a version of “Caruso” in duo with the guitar giant Sylvain Luc. The album, co-written/produced with Dario Rosciglione, challenges Walter’s abilities as an author and producer.
Arguably the most anticipated single of the album, “DEL RESTO”, shows the author’s perspective of how freedom can become an element of sadness when a love ends. The second single titled “Sophie” paints the picture of a dark night illuminated by a full moon…an open-air serenade, dedicated to a Parisian friend lost at a very young age.

SALERNO JAZZ ORCHESTRA

La Salerno Jazz Orchestra celebra il suo sedicesimo anno di attività.
L’orchestra salernitana vanta collaborazioni importanti con: Tom Harrell, Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Dino e Franco Piana, Maurizio Giammarco, New York Voices, Diane Schuur, Pino Iodice, Roberta Gambarini, Bob Mintzer, Chiara Civello, Serena Brancale, Anthony Strong, Dee Dee Bridgewater; sono questi gli artisti  di fama internazionale con cui l’orchestra si è accompagnata riscuotendo sempre ampi consensi di pubblico e di critica nonché l’apprezzamento dei musicisti ospiti che hanno contribuito a veicolare il nome della nostra città nel mondo del jazz. 

Musicisti:

SAXES:
Carlo Gravina
Giusi Di Giuseppe
Giuseppe Plaitano
Vincenzo Saetta
Andrea Santaniello

TROMBE:
Sergio Vitale
Antonio Baldino
Gianfranco Campagnoli
Nicola Coppola

TROMBONI:
Raffaele Carotenuto
Enzo De Rosa
Luca Giustozzi
Christian Carola

CHITARRA
Carlo Fimiani

PIANOFORTE
Marco De Gennaro

CONTRABBASSO e BASSO EL.
Domenico Andria

BATTERIA
Gaetano Fasano

DIRETTORE
Gianni Pepe