During the Hot Summer Jazz Festival last June, Twin Cities’ jazz fans had their first opportunity to hear one of Italy’s hottest musical ambassadors, pianist Giacomo Aula. Aula had collaborated previously with local saxophone whiz Doug Little during Little’s tour of Europe, and, with Little, Aula performed at the Dakota and other area venues; he also formed a Midwest Trio, playing during the festival on Peavy Plaza as well as several club dates around the region. In time to kick-off the 2005 Hot Summer Jazz Festival, Giacomo Aula’s Midwest Trio (with Terry Burns and Jay Epstein) will play at Le Bodega in Uptown Minneapolis on Wednesday (June 15), and at the Dakota this Thursday night (June 16); the pianist will again join forces with the Doug Little Quartet, at the Dakota this weekend (June 17-18). The Midwest Trio will make the rounds of other local venues next week, back at Le Bodega on June 22 (with Gordy Johnson on bass); at Cafe Lurcat on June 23 (with Terry Burns and Phil Hey); and a noon performance on the Northrop Plaza of the University of Minnesota on June 27 (with Johnson and Hey).

Giacomo Aula. Born in Lagonegro, Italy, Giacomo Aula studied classical piano with Maria Martino. Later he studied Afro-American music in Turin and jazz in Siena, and earned a Bachelors degree in electrical engineering. Among his sideman credits are work with Wynton Marsalis, Paolo Fresu, Lee Konitz, Ernie Watts, Claudio Fasoli, Bruno Tommaso, James Newton, and Enrico Rava. Now living in Berlin, he has toured Europe and the USA, and collaborates on a regular basis with Bay Area saxophonist Larry Schneider as well as Doug Little. Aula released his first recording, Jazz Inside, in 1996 for Edition Musikat Records. With Larry Schneider, he released a second recording on Steeplechase, and in 2001 recorded his third CD in New York with trumpeter Todd Horton at the famous Philip Glass Looking Glass Studio, appropriately titled The Looking Glass Session.

For his Midwest Trio gigs, Aula relies on the best rhythm section artists of the Twin Cities—bassists Gordy Johnson and Terry Burns, and drummers Jay Epstein and Phil Hey. Johnson, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, has recorded three albums of piano trios and appears on countless recordings as stalwart sideman; Terry Burns similarly appears on a raft of local recordings, has two to his credit as leader, and is often found on stage at the Dakota or Artists Quarter with leading area pianists and vocalists. Jay Epstein has regular drumkit duties with the Phil Aaron Trio, Red Planet, and Rocket Science; Phil Hey keeps busy with The Phil Whitman X-Tet and Departure Point as well as his own quartet and teaching duties at Macalester College.

Doug Little

As he did last summer, Little brings his quartet to the Dakota as part of the Hot Summer Jazz Festival, in the superb company of Giacomo Aula, bassist Jeff Bailey, and drummer Kevin Washington. St. Paul native Jeff Bailey is one of the Midwest’s most versatile musicians. His performance credits include Jack McDuff, Terrell Stafford, Bill Carrothers, Eric Garvat, Dave Pietro, Hannibal Peterson, Fred Ho, Craig Taborn, and James Carter. A founding member of Moveable Feast, Bailey also performs with the Jazz Is Now! Orchestra.

Kevin Washington, Photo by Andrea Canter

With the dynamic Aula adding zing and melodic intervals to the always swinging and soulful Doug Little and company, this will be one of the best quartets to entertain Twin Cities Audiences this year and will help ignite a really Hot Summer Jazz Festival.

Giocomo Aula performs with his Midwest Trio at Le Bodega (3005 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis) on June 15 and 22; at the Dakota on June 16 (www.dakotacooks.com); at Café Lurcat (1624 Harmon Place, Minneapolis) on June 23 (www.cafelurcat.com); and on Northrop Plaza (University of Minnesota) at noon on June 27. Aula performs with the Doug Little Quartet at the Dakota on June 17-18. Doug Little performs with his Latin band, Seven Steps to Havana, on Peavy Plaza at 9:15 pm on Thursday, June 23. For more information about the Hot Summer Jazz Festival, visit www.hotsummerjazz.com

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