Silvia Bolognesi brings mammoth solo bass to Abitare Il Suono L’Aquila, Italy

No history without pre-history. Among the gloriously ornate architecture in the squares and courtyards of L’Aquila there is an extraordinary sight. The skeleton of a mammoth elephant stands imposingly high in one of the airy chambers of the Castello, the great city fortress, striking the viewer dumb with legs, ribs and tusks the size of tree trunks. And the scale is perfectly suited to the big sound produced by Dan Kinzelman, the American saxophonist who made Italy his home over a decade ago. It is a case of roundabout walking as well as circular breathing as he traces a course around the giant centerpiece animal that creates a striking audio-visual sensation. His continuous stream of notes has a captivating earthiness and visceral strength, drawing in the audience with wobbling, boulder heavy lows and flighty highs that float sensually in contrast with the dramatic non-CGI beast that dwarfs the basketball tall Kinzelman. This is one of many highlights of the two day celebration of  ‘il jazz italiano’ that has three artistic directors, guitarist Francesco Diodati, trumpeter Gabrielle Mitelli and accordionist Ugo Viola, who program excellent gigs that are free to attend. The presence of whole families makes the atmosphere notably warm.

Among the standout performance sis another solo set in the shadow of the mammoth by double bassist Silvia Bolognesi, a virtuoso who British audiences may have seen in the past few years in the augmented version of Art Ensemble Of Chicago and as part of the trio Not Living In Fear. Hearing her unamplified is a great pleasure insofar as the ear can really appreciate her depth of tone, lyrical bowing and blend of lengthy, soaring lines and tight, drum-like riffs. During the festival she was also conducting a children’s group at the local Conservatory, and her ability to engage with young and old is borne out by her invitation to clap and sing to lively beats.

Speaking In Tongues - Photo by Andrea Mercanti

Pianist Rita Marcotulli, a key name in Italian jazz in the 90s and 2000s, is also a compelling presence unaccompanied, charming the audience at the aforesaid institution with dancing rhythms, zigzags of tempo and themes that veer from classical romanticism to folkish balladry. If these three unaccompanied sets are impressive then the string of groups that appear in the beautiful piazzas are no less so. Guitarist Michele Bonifati’s EMONG uses trombone, alto sax and bass to breathe freshness into a modernist palette. Don Karate’s noisy, sparky synth heavy funk is fun and Fade In Trio’s lively bass clarinet-led intricacies, drawing liberally on swing and avant-garde, are engaging.

Yet arguably the highlight of the whole event is the outstanding Speaking In Tongues. Bass clarinet virtuoso Marco Colonna, one of Europe’s great unheralded improvisers, drummer Fabrizio Spera and vocalist Giulia Cianca, create original music that blurs the boundary between poetry, exploratory soundscapes and strong melody, celebrating the cohesion of three strong individuals. Cianca, who also performed a fascinating duet with trombonist Filippo Vignato, is an important addition to the lineage of vocal adventurers whose tonal richness and textural imagination are striking. Yet the programming is very much about open ears. Abitare Il Suono translates from Italian to English as ‘live in sound’ and for two days L’Aquila fulfills that brief in no uncertain terms, sending notes and tones all around the city as players create music of today in the shadow of creatures of yesterday.

Marco Colonna appears with Alexander Hawkins at the Vortex, London on 2 October