Search - Various Artists :: Ictus Nights @ The Stone: Anthology Volume 1

Celebrating a label's 35th anniversary at a venue as iconic as The Stone in New York City is already quite revealing of the nature of the music to be heard, i.e. definitely unusual and daring, definitely with no piano bar and no noisy cash register. But with the present celebration, there was an added element of surprise, as Andrea Centazzo - founder of the creative ICTUS label and curator of the 12 nights Festival (April 1-14, 2012) - brought for the first time ever to the heart of NYC some of the best Italian improvisers of the moment, cleverly mixing them in exciting combinations with several famous American soloists. As stated in the program announcement, it was indeed an 'Italian Invasion & Other Stories' that offered several moving Tributes (notably to Masters Steve Lacy and Derek Bailey, and to the brilliant but regretfully lesser known composer Colin McPhee). All in all, a total of 24 concerts that filled Manhattan Lower East Side's early spring nights with strong colorful sonic energies. Two concerts practically every night for two weeks, an impressive Festival.