JAZZMI Confirmation 5tet feat. Francesco Cafiso – Celebrando Charlie Parker

A jazz giant. This was Charlie Parker, together with Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis the most influential jazz musician ever, the inventor of bebop, an incomparable saxophonist who imposed a style and a way of playing to generations of musicians. This year marks the centenary of the birth of “Bird” and the stellar quintet of Francesco Cafiso will celebrate it at GradoJazz. Cafiso, one of the most precocious talents in the history of jazz, was discovered by Wynton Marsalis. From that moment on, Francesco went through a series of important experiences both in Italy and abroad… he played with great musicians such as: Hank Jones, Dave Brubeck, Cedar Walton, Mulgrew Miller, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, George Mraz, Kenny Wheeler, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani and many others. In Washington, on 2009, he was invited by the then-President Obama to perform on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In order to experience new musical styles and genres, Francesco went to New Orleans where he played with Ellis Marsalis and many other important local musicians. Considered one of the most brilliant postparker saxophonists, he had the honor of performing with the Charlie Parker Legacy Band.