CLAUDIO JR. DE ROSA QUARTET

CLAUDIO JR. DE ROSA QUARTET

(Italy – Spain – Lithuania)

Claudio Jr De Rosa Lemonjazz 2017 foto Paolo Terlizzi

Claudio Jr De Rosa – ts

Xavi Torres Vincente – p

Mauro Cottone – db

Augustas Baronas – dr

While touring Europe with a variety of performers, Claudio Jr De Rosa, one of the most promising Italian saxophonists, has brought together talent from different countries – Spain, Italy and Lithuania – to his quartet. All of them studied in the Netherlands, and only Lithuanian Augustas Baronas has returned from the Netherlands to his native country.

Formed in 2016, the ensemble released its debut album Grovin’ Up! (Incipit Records) a year later. It was hailed by the press and critics, and was included in Top10 of emerging Italian artists, which has prodded the Quartet to major festival scenes, including North Sea Jazz, Umbria Jazz, Veneto Jazz, Getxo International Jazz Festival, Bermeo Jazz and Otis Park Jazz.

Last year, the Quartet released their second album, Forces, which received compliments for stylistic and compositional freshness, and depth of music. “Every journey starts from inside, and only by allowing yourself to explore your inner world, you will manage to express and share your true forces. If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins”, says the group leader.

These thoughts inspired him to new compositions, a vehicle in his search for idiosyncratic sonorities to which each member of the quartet contributes in his own way.

The compositions featured in the new album will be performed on the Birštonas Jazz stage.

The saxophonist, clarinettist, arranger and composer Claudio Jr De Rosa is one of the most promising voices on the European jazz scene.

He studied classical and contemporary saxophone at the conservatoires of Salerno and Rome (Italy) and graduated as a jazzman from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. A couple of years ago, the musician was listed in the top ten of emerging Italian jazz artists. He has already won numerous international jazz awards, including the First Asian Saxophone Congress in Taiwan (2016), the National Chicco Bettinardi 2016 Prize and the prestigious Louis van Dijck Jazz Award for arrangements (2016).

In 2017, he was among the winners of the AIR project organised by MIDIJ (Italian Jazz Musicians Association), which selected the jazz musicians for artist residencies in different Italian Institutes of Culture around the world.

As an arranger and composer, De Rosa has collaborated with the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra, the NJT (New Jazz Talent) Big Band, various big bands, Filarmonica di Belluno, the CJDR Jazz Ensemble and others.

Since 2007, the musician has appeared on many important international scenes in Italy, France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Spain, Canada, Poland and Sakartvelo.

Spanish pianist Xavi Torres studied jazz piano at the Conservatoire in Barcelona and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. However, he is also a winner of the Competition for Young Pianists of Tarragona (Spain) and appeared as a soloist with the ESMuC Orchestra at the Auditori de Barcelona.

In 2014, he was recognized as the best soloist in the international competition for jazz schools “Keep An Eye”, where a year later his trio became the prize winner and was recognized as the best jazz band by the Catalan Jazz Association. In 2016, the Xavi Torres Trio won the prestigious Dutch Jazz Competition.

The trio’s first album was highly acclaimed in Spain, the Netherlands and other European countries.

The pianist has recorded over 20 albums with various bands. In Amsterdam alone, he performed with Dick Oatts, Terell Stafford, Ben van Gelder, Reinier Baas, Tineke Postma, Raynald Colom, Horacio Fumero, Jasper Blom and many other jazz talents.

The pianist has toured not only in many European countries, but also South Africa and Morocco.

Mauro Cottone, a Sicilian double bass player, arranger and composer, is also an up-and-coming graduate of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is active with his jazz trio and quartet performing original compositions inspired by hardbop and contemporary African-American music. Mauro is also involved in international projects.