Are you spending your holidays in Calabria this summer? If the answer is “yes”, look no further because the Peperoncino Jazz Festival is one of the most anticipated events in Calabria! And if your answer is “no”, you are still in time to book your trip!

The Peperoncino Jazz Festival (PJF) 2019 will go live on July 17th and will be an integral part of Calabria’s summer. The traveling festival will involve 32 cities, with stops in all 5 provinces including national parks of the region.

International Artists

As always, the billboard is comprised of amazing talent and includes over 50 concerts which are mostly free (or reasonably priced). Some of the greatest Calabrian talents along with ambassadors of Italian jazz will be taking part in the festival. Internationally renowned stars such as ninety year old Mr. Jimmy Cobb, drummer on “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, the best-selling record in the history of jazz. Then there’s the welcome return of the multiple Grammy Award Winner and friend of the PJF, Mr. John Patitucci, who will present his last album “Soul of the Bass” and will hold an interesting Master Class addressed to all musicians. And yet there will be other guests such as Peter Erskine, Eddie Gomez, Paul Wertico, Uri Caine, Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez, Dave Schroeder, Martha High, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and so many more!

The pride of this XVIII edition is the exclusive performance of Steve Gadd, former collaborator of hundreds and hundreds of internationally renowned artists from Eric Clapton to James Taylor, Paul Simon, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Ray Charles and more.

The PJF will once again reaffirm itself as an international festival in its now almost ten-year collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy and with the US Consulate General.

Related Events

Numerous other events will be running concurrently with PJF: from the Calabria Jazz Meeting to the traveling photographic exhibition to the “Round Midnight” concerts at the best Jazz Clubs in the area, along with tastings of the best Calabrian wines and products selected for Slow Food Calabria, as well as excursions to the most fascinating destinations in the region.

Calabria’s Most Beautiful Locations

The Peperoncino Jazz Festival caravan will lead you on a discovery of the most beautiful and interesting places in this unique region.
The journey will not just be musical as it will touch all the senses of the traveler who follows its path.
Throughout this magical journey of over 30 cities you’ll encounter marvelous natural elements, the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian Seas, the imposing mountains of Pollino, the seductive highlands of Sila and the contrasting nature of the Aspromonte. You will go from the capitals to the most important art centers, from flourishing and charming towns to millenary villages, from perched mountain villages to ancient seaside towns. Intriguing locations all to be discovered using all the human senses.

Concerts in August

07/8 > Trebisacce (CS)
Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
PAUL WERTICO QUARTET

08/8 > Villapiana (CS)
Lido Blue Sky, Villapiana Scalo – at 22:30
Free
STEVIE BIONDI SOUL BAND

09/8 > Vaccarizzo (CS)
Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
EGIDIO VENTURA QUARTET

10/8 > Mormanno (CS)
Faro Votivo – at 22:00
Free
ROSSANA CASALE JAZZ QUARTET

11/8 > Civita (CS)
Belvedere – at 22:00
Free
STEFANO REALI QUARTET
“Tribute to George Gershwin”

12/8 > Plataci (CS)
Anfiteatro Comunale – at 22:00
Free
ERIC DANIEL
meets IN MILONGA

16/8 > Aiello Calabro (CS)
Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
THE HOPPERS

17/8 > Acquappesa, Terme Luigiane (CS)
Parco Acquaviva – at 22:00
Free
NUEVO MAS EN TANGO
Special Guest UMBERTO NAPOLITANO

18/8 > San Marco Argentano (CS)
Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
SASA’ CALABRESE

18/8 > Diamante (CS)
Teatro dei Ruderi di Cirella – at 21:30
25 euro- 35 euro

MALIKA AYANE

19/8> Corigliano-Rossano (CS)
Castello Ducale, Rossano – at 22:00
Tickets: € 15
GEGE’ TELESFORO
meets DARIO DEIDDA TRIO

20/8 > Cetraro (CS)
Giardino di Palazzo Del Trono – at 22:00
Free
MARCONDIRO

21/8 > Cetraro (CS)
Giardino di Palazzo Del Trono – at 22:00
Free
JOYCE YOUILLE QUARTET

22/8 > Cetraro (CS)
Piazza del Popolo, Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
DANILO REA & PEPPE SERVILLO

22/8 > Cerchiara di Calabria (CS)
Ristorante “La Sosta alla Grotte delle Ninfe” – at 23:00
Free
GROOVIN’HIGH

23/8 > Cetraro (CS)
Piazza del Popolo, Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
ROBERTO GATTO TRIO
“Tribute to Alvin Jones”

23/8 > Cittadella del Capo, Bonifati (CS)
Martinica Residence Hotel – at 21:30
Free
MARIELLA NAVA

24/8 > Cetraro (CS)
Piazza Del Popolo, Centro Storico – at 22:00
Free
NICKY NICOLAI & STEFANO DI BATTISTA QUINTET

25/8 > Lamezia Terme (CZ)
Caffè Letterario Sistema Bibliotecario Lametino – at 21:30
Free
DAVIDE CERRETA
meets FRANCESCO SCARAMUZZINO TRIO

26/8 > Reggio Calabria (RC)
Parco Ecolandia – at 21:00
Tickets: € 15
MARTHA HIGH & THE SOUL COOKERS

27/8 > Soveria Mannelli (CZ)
Giardini di Palazzo Marasco – at 22:00
Free
JOY GARRISON QUARTET

28/8 > Cosenza (CS)
Chiostro San Domenico – at 22:00
Free
HOBBY HORSE

29/8 > San Basile (CS)
Teatro Comunale – at 22:00
Free
SING SWING

September

Dates T.B.A. > Cetraro 
Centro Storico – at 18:00 > 22:00
Free
CALABRIA JAZZ MEETING

19/9 > Diamante (CS)
Centro Storico
Free
TOCA TANGO

The complete program can be downloaded here from the official PJF site.

Find out more about the Calabria region! Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro and Vibo Valentia (Tropea)!

translated text and photo credits: peperoncinojazzfestival.com