The school is… live Lessons in time to swing

“It’s not something which looks like jazz. Guys, this is real jazz”. And he enters the school. It’s Roberto Arese, deputy president of the Arch Top Jazz Guitar association, who presents the first phase of the project “ The jazz after the school bell”. “The Arvedi concert hall – explains Carmelo Tartamella, just a moment before taking up his guitar in the Liceo Classico Manin’s lecture hall – will host between April and May, the CremonaJazz festival, with international guests. Before arriving at the great event we wanted to engage young people, make them known the jazz culture”. In the hall there are around seventy people. “If you ask me what the jazz is, this means that you won’t ever understand it”. Arese welcomes them with Louis Armstrong’s quote: “that’s why – he continues – we are not here to explain you the jazz. We are here to let you hear it”. Carmelo Tartamella, the festival’s artistic mind at the guitar, Giovanni Guerretti at the Hammond organ, Emilio Zilioli at the drums. “ And the jazz which is sung – explains Arese – is more usable”. This is true for Jessica Weld’s soul voice; she is a young performer not so far from the audience’s age. They begin with an historical prologue: New Orleans, the italian immigrants who take with them the band’s tradition and influence the blues soul in the South of the United States. The students give each other a knowing look, someone chats. But the “lesson” ends in a while and the fingers of the professional musicians begin to run on the keys, the drum sticks dictate the swing tempo. “ Is there anyone who plays an instrument?” someone raises his hand. A boy, out in a front-row seat says that he plays alternative and progressive rock, modern music. “ In swing and jazz there’s the basis of the best modern music”. The citations hit the mark: Michael Bublé, Vasco, Cesare Cremonini, Lady Gaga. A hint to Deep Purple’s Smoke on the water, rearranged in swing, doesn’t elude the students who, as the time goes by, get carried away more and more. So Jessica’s voice fills the hall and her interpretation of L-O-V-E, Nat King Cole’s great swing classic, attract them directly on the scene. Joss Stone’s new cover is a known hit, nowadays. Three girls are driven to sing. Immediately after they are in front of the microphone for a live extemporize. Not bad. Their mates, still sat, accompany them clapping their hands. The alternative rock’s boy rocks his head in swing rhythm. “CremonaJazz will be an international event, with great impact for our city” explains the deputy president of the Arch Top association. An occasion to use, to reap the benefit of this great idea: a new jazz school in Nino Donzelli’s city. Starting from the schools – if not here, where? The “jazz after the school bell” ‘s tour will bring professionals’ ensembles in all the Cremona’s classrooms (on March 3rd at the Anguissola Liceo, on March 10th at the Itis Torriani): “Some teachers have also asked us to steadily include this kind of course in the schools’ training plan; the Liceo Aselli reserved two dates. Then we move to Crema, at the Pacioli and the Racchetti”. “ Jazz music looks difficult, something of conceptual – Tartamella warns the students – but…”. But a drums solo leads to the standing ovation. This is far more than a free-period. Some of the students may be thinking about buying a suit jacket and wear it with their ripped jeans for an evening at the Giovanni Arvedi concert hall. A jazz evening. The tie is not required.

da Mondo Padano del 27 febbraio 2015