BANDS
BANDS
PERICOPES+1
Emi Vernizzi – sax, electronics
Claudio Vignali – piano, Fender Rhodes, electronics
Ruben Bellavia / Nick Wight – drums
Pericopes is an acclaimed Italian jazz project whose style would best be described as “Crossover Jazz”, with roots in European tradition, African-American music and improvisation, and an affinity for melody and compositional structure, mixed with other post-rock/prog/avantgarde/electronic influences.
Pericopes began in Italy in 2007 as a duo with pianist Alessandro Sgobbio, has released 4 albums (including the DVD “Frames” for the Japanese market) and participated to several jazz festivals in Europe – UmbriaJazz Festival (IT), ParmaFrontiere (IT), BurgJazz (D), Jazz Pas Grave and Unesco Int Jazz Day (FR) – won the 1st prize in both italian contests of Umbria Jazz and Padova Carrarese with nomination as toplist band both 2013 and 2022 by Musica Jazz magazine.
The project extends the collaborations over the years – with New York drummer Nick Wight – evolving into Pericopes+1, a power-trio that “demonstrate power and intention” (Downbeat – USA) plus grit and creativity that has earned recognition from both industry pros and fans. This “cleverly unorthodox trio” (Musica Jazz – Italy) has been described as “an original, stylistically interesting” (Concerto – Austria) cross-genre band that “belongs to a new generation” (Jazz ‘N’ More – Switzerland) of European jazz. From 2020 onwards the collaboration extended to drummer Ruben Bellavia and later to pianist Claudio Vignali forming the current line-up with co-founder saxophonist Emi Vernizzi.
Over the years, P+1 has played hundreds of concerts with dozens of tours (China, USA, UK, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Nederland) including stages as the Gateshead Int’l Jazz Festival (UK), Sunside Jazz Club (FR), Unterfahrt (DE) to name a few and they released three studio albums.
Pericopes project was mentioned in the Italian jazz history book, “La Storia del Jazz” as one of the most important/unique new-generation productions of the last years.
“These guys have a history to be sure”
Dave Liebman
“Three excellent musicians”
Enrico Rava
Adwords
Winners of Umbria Jazz Contest 2013
TopJazz 2013 & 2022: Best Italian Jazz Group Top List
TopJazz 2012: Best New Italian Jazz Talents Top List
Winners of Padova Carrarese Prize 2012
✭✭✭DownBeat, AllAboutJazz, JazzInside,
Jazziz, JazzTime, Herrald Scotland, JazzViews,…
BANDS
PERICOPES+1
Emi Vernizzi – sax, electronics
Claudio Vignali – piano, rhodes, electronics
Ruben Bellavia / Nick Wight – drums
Pericopes is an acclaimed Italian jazz project whose style would best be described as “Crossover Jazz”, with roots in European tradition, African-American music and improvisation, and an affinity for melody and compositional structure, mixed with other post-rock/prog/avantgarde/electronic influences.
Pericopes began in Italy in 2007 as a duo with pianist Alessandro Sgobbio, has released 4 albums (including the DVD “Frames” for the Japanese market) and participated to several jazz festivals in Europe – UmbriaJazz Festival (IT), ParmaFrontiere (IT), BurgJazz (D), Jazz Pas Grave and Unesco Int Jazz Day (FR) – won the 1st prize in both italian contests of Umbria Jazz and Padova Carrarese with nomination as toplist band both 2013 and 2022 by Musica Jazz magazine.
The project extends the collaborations over the years – with New York drummer Nick Wight – evolving into Pericopes+1, a power-trio that “demonstrate power and intention” (Downbeat – USA) plus grit and creativity that has earned recognition from both industry pros and fans. This “cleverly unorthodox trio” (Musica Jazz – Italy) has been described as “an original, stylistically interesting” (Concerto – Austria) cross-genre band that “belongs to a new generation” (Jazz ‘N’ More – Switzerland) of European jazz. From 2020 onwards the collaboration extended to drummer Ruben Bellavia and later to pianist Claudio Vignali forming the current line-up with co-founder saxophonist Emi Vernizzi.
Over the years, P+1 has played hundreds of concerts with dozens of tours (China, USA, UK, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Nederland) including stages as the Gateshead Int’l Jazz Festival (UK), Sunside Jazz Club (FR), Unterfahrt (DE) to name a few and they released three studio albums.
Pericopes project was mentioned in the Italian jazz history book, “La Storia del Jazz” as one of the most important/unique new-generation productions of the last years.
“These guys have a history to be sure”
Dave Liebman
“Three excellent musicians”
Enrico Rava
Adwords
Winners of Umbria Jazz Contest 2013
TopJazz 2013 & 2022: Best Italian Jazz Group Top List
TopJazz 2012: Best New Italian Jazz Talents Top List
Winners of Padova Carrarese Prize 2012
✭✭✭DownBeat, AllAboutJazz, JazzInside,
Jazziz, JazzTime, Herrald Scotland, JazzViews,…
BLUE MOKA
Emi Vernizzi – sax, electronics
Alberto Gurrisi – hammond organ, keys
Michele Bianchi – guitar
Michele Morari – drums
feat. Fabrizio Bosso – trumpet
Blue Moka is recognised as one of the new italian’s distinctive, creative and talented post-bop project, which includes influences from R’n’B to contemporary jazz, and marked by a blend of tradition and modernity. Blues, Soul-Funk, electronics, become elements of a contemporaneity in which “communicative joy and a well-defined sound represent the distinctive features of Blue Moka” (Stefano Dentice – ItalianJazz).
Their acclaimed debut album has been previewed at the renowned BlueNote club in Milano in 2018 with a sold-out show and followed by touring extensively in festivals, clubs and theatres around Italy.
2023 is the release of the new awaited album “Enjoy” (RNC Music), a new collection of original jazz compositions blended of Soul, Funk, Electronic, Indie influences, where rhythm and 3D dreamlike atmospheres make listeners dream, dance, enjoy the life.
Borned on 2009, these four pieces are some of the most in-demand and versatile musicians on the national jazz music scene (Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mario Biondi, Steve Swallow, Seamus Blake, Enrico Rava). Blue Moka’s guests include a long lasting featuring with a legendary Blue Note record artist, the trumpet player Fabrizio Bosso (worldwide collaborations such as Enrico Pieranunzi, Charlie Haden, Carla Bley and the London Symphony Orchestra).
Blue Moka is a band “full of energy […] that could only happen today. It’s the sound of Jazz NOW” (Steven Cerra – Jazzprofiles).
BLUE MOKA
Emi Vernizzi – sax
Alberto Gurrisi – hammond organ
Michele Bianchi – guitar
Michele Morari – drums
feat. Fabrizio Bosso – trumpet
Blue Moka is recognised as one of the new italian’s distinctive, creative and talented post-bop project, which includes influences from R’n’B to contemporary jazz, and marked by a blend of tradition and modernity. Blues, Soul-Funk, electronics, become elements of a contemporaneity in which “communicative joy and a well-defined sound represent the distinctive features of Blue Moka” (Stefano Dentice – ItalianJazz).
Their acclaimed debut album has been previewed at the renowned BlueNote club in Milano in 2018 with a sold-out show and followed by touring extensively in festivals, clubs and theatres around Italy.
2023 is the release of the new awaited album “Enjoy” (RNC Music), a new collection of original jazz compositions blended of Soul, Funk, Electronic, Indie influences, where rhythm and 3D dreamlike atmospheres make listeners dream, dance, enjoy the life.
Borned on 2009, these four pieces are some of the most in-demand and versatile musicians on the national jazz music scene (Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mario Biondi, Steve Swallow, Seamus Blake, Enrico Rava). Blue Moka’s guests include a long lasting featuring with a legendary Blue Note record artist, the trumpet player Fabrizio Bosso (worldwide collaborations such as Enrico Pieranunzi, Charlie Haden, Carla Bley and the London Symphony Orchestra).
Blue Moka is a band “full of energy […] that could only happen today. It’s the sound of Jazz NOW” (Steven Cerra – Jazzprofiles).
IZZY & THE CATASTROPHICS (USA)
Izzy Zaidman – lead guitar/vocals
Emi Vernizzi – sax
Chapman Sowash – trombone
Seth Kessel – bass
Gasper Bertoncelj – drums
Stitching together rock n’ roll, swing, surf, honky-tonk, and bebop, Izzy and the Catastrophics are a profoundly exciting and challenging group. Rooted firmly in traditional American roots music with the chops to nail it and the grit to deliver it, Izzy and his boys have toured constantly since 2008, playing over 250 shows per year in America and Europe. They have shared the stage with everyone from Snoop Dogg and Reverend Horton Heat in Orlando to the unmentionable punk bands of Anaheim. Izzy Zaidman is the veteran guitarist of Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s band. Fronting the group with swagger and zest, his masterful guitar playing is surpassed only by his witty songwriting and razor-sharp stage banter.
“If Izzy and the Catastrophics had been the band on the Titanic
they’d have blown that iceberg into cubes or drinks on the ledo deck.”
Brian Baker – Citybeat Cincinnati, OHIO
IZZY & THE CATASTROPHICS (USA)
Izzy Zaidman – lead guitar/vocals
Emi Vernizzi – sax
Chapman Sowash – trombone
Seth Kessel – bass
Gasper Bertoncelj – drums
Stitching together rock n’ roll, swing, surf, honky-tonk, and bebop, Izzy and the Catastrophics are a profoundly exciting and challenging group. Rooted firmly in traditional American roots music with the chops to nail it and the grit to deliver it, Izzy and his boys have toured constantly since 2008, playing over 250 shows per year in America and Europe. They have shared the stage with everyone from Snoop Dogg and Reverend Horton Heat in Orlando to the unmentionable punk bands of Anaheim. Izzy Zaidman is the veteran guitarist of Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s band. Fronting the group with swagger and zest, his masterful guitar playing is surpassed only by his witty songwriting and razor-sharp stage banter.
“If Izzy and the Catastrophics had been the band on the Titanic
they’d have blown that iceberg into cubes or drinks on the ledo deck.”
Brian Baker – Citybeat Cincinnati, OHIO
BUDOKAN
Budokan is the arena where the warriors of the rising sun challenged each other in the techniques of martial arts. Body, mind, inner purity. It is the mainstream project by Emiliano Vernizzi, a pianoless trio in which several duelists have competed since 2010: Daniele Tortora, Giacomo Marzi, Enzo Frassi, Massimo Caracca, Tony Arco, Matteo Rebulla, Vittorio Sigbaldi, Paolo Mozzoni. The challenge is to bring together interplay and contrasting situations which, due to the absence of an explicit harmonious reference and an equally stable formation, leaves much to the listener’s imagination. Power, sweetness, irony, speed fight each other on a ring purely characterized by rhythmic / melodic atmospheres of clear reference to the jazz of the 50s and 60s in a volcanic succession of swing, afro-bossa, funk moments, often alternated with unpredictability in a fun three-way dialogue.
