“Mediterraneo” avails itself of this cornucopia of inspiration – and sets off on a journey of discovery.
The 17th concert in the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” series was a
major event which took place in the sold-out main hall of the hallowed
temple of classical music. The central figure of the evening is Stefano
Bollani. This maestro of the jazz piano, born in Milan in 1972, is a
figure of unrivalled prominence on the Italian jazz scene. His creative
arc is uncommonly far-reaching. It ranges from working with senior
figures like Lee Konitz, through luminaries like Chick Corea, Pat
Metheny and, of course, his longtime partner Enrico Rava, French
innovators such as Michel Portal and Martial Solal, and on to world
music greats such as Caetano Veloso and Richard Galliano. So, for
“Mediterraneo”, it was important for Bollani to cast his net wide, to
shape an evening that would be full of variation and surprise; the
Italian is not content just to perform for the audience, above all he
wants to entertain them: alongside Monteverdi, Rota and Morricone,
Puccini and Rossini, there was also the evergreen sixties pop song
“Azzurro”, made famous by Adriano Celentano. Bollani emerged as the
ideal travel guide for this Italian night.
