Description
After the first series of concerts in June, including the main concerts featuring internationally renowned artists who performed in the unusual and equally evocative location of the Paraboloide in Casale Monferrato, providing emotions that will surely remain in the annals of memory, the MONJF... HERE ARE THE NEXT STAGES AUGUST 13-16: vol. 9.2 _ Valcerrina ontheroad All concerts are free, and some will be held indoors in case of inclement weather. AUGUST 13, 9:00 PM _ Lea Gasser It begins on Thursday, August 13th in the Monferrato Astigiano area, at the Monferrato Retreat in Montiglio (Via Panengo 1, 14026 Montiglio Monferrato), with Lea Gasser, Swiss accordionist, vocalist, and composer. Her project "Solo a Madre Terra" intertwines accordion, voice, and synthesizer in a sensory experience that involves listening, breathing, and perceiving the soundscape. The evening begins at 5:00 PM with Learning to Slow Down: a simple and immediate relaxation and awareness-expanding practice, designed as a small wellness tool to incorporate into everyday life. At 7:30 PM, there will be a merenda sinoira (snack) with a glass of wine, and at 9:00 PM, the concert with free admission. Reservations are required at +39 351 3742134. The cost of the afternoon activity with snack and glass of wine is €25. With accordion, voice, and electronic effects, Lea Gasser creates layered soundscapes in her solo project. The accordionist and composer combines elements of contemporary chamber music, jazz, and improvised sound research. The solo program combines original compositions and improvised sequences. The music is nuanced, dynamic, and ever-changing: it moves from delicate, restrained moments to intense, expressive passages. The audience is directly involved in the musical processes, which appear both structured and spontaneous. A personal sonic universe, where complex harmonic structures, subtle jazz influences, and electronic textures create surprising and complex soundscapes: a soundtrack for daydreams and nocturnal journeys of thought. AUGUST 14, 9 PM _ Knobil Trio On Friday, August 14, the Monfrà Jazz Fest takes you to the Gabiano lookout (Piazza Europa, Gabiano), a view of the sea of the Monferrato hills of Alessandria and Asti as far as the eye can see, for a concert called "Chanson et Jazz Pailleté" by the Knobil Trio: Louise Knobil, double bass/vocals; Chloé Marsigny, bass clarinet/effects; Ariel Tessier, drums (9 PM). Before the concert, starting at 6:00 PM, meet in Piazza Europa and take a stroll through Gabiano, visiting the castle village. Then, at 7:30 PM, enjoy a merenda sinoira (lunchtime snack) organized by the Municipality of Gabiano (for reservations, call +39 348 8227808). Knobil, a sparkling, post-bop jazz project from Switzerland, is created by Louise Knobil, a double bass player, singer, and composer from Lausanne. Influenced by Esperanza Spalding, Charles Mingus, and Boris Vian, Knobil uses double bass and voice to share her musical diary, encompassing polyamory, insomnia, and pesto recipes. A trio with bass clarinet and drums, they are proving to be one of the most original and engaging groups on the European scene. AUGUST 15, 6 PM _ Alfonsina 5et For the Ferragosto holiday, the Monfrà Jazz Fest takes you to the vineyards at the Amphitheater La Cantinetta Resort in Mombello with artist Alfonsina, a vocalist, composer, and leader of a quintet exploring the roots of contemporary jazz. "Naked Roots" is her project for voice, piano, double bass, drums, and guest trumpet: Alfonsina on vocals/composition, Simone Daclon on piano, Carlo Bavetta on double bass, Pasquale Fiore on drums, and Cesare Mecca on trumpet. The Amphitheater offers a breathtaking view of Roberto Imarisio's vineyards, as well as exceptional acoustics. The concert is at 6 PM, followed by a late afternoon snack at 7:30 PM, hosted by La Cantinetta Resort (reservations required: 339 2315897). The concert, supported by Nuovo Imaie, presents the recording project released by Honolulu Records in October 2025 and explores an acoustic and essential sound, with vocals unadorned and compositions that seek the center without ornamentation. A journey to the origins of sound and human essence. Alfonsina explains that the project stems from two inspirations. The first is the idea of sound as the root from which everything else sprouts, a place where codes dissolve and only essence remains. The second comes from Hal Ashby's film 'Being a Gardener' (1979, starring Peter Sellers), in which a naive gardener, after the death of his employer, finds himself mistaken for a sage despite knowing only the language of television and flowers. The album's ten tracks are inspired by nature and human existence. The root, the artist explains, also represents laying oneself bare in search of the essence of language. One of the songs, "La guerre invisible," is sung in French, a natural language for Alfonsina, originally from the Aosta Valley. It recounts the struggles faced, especially by women, to achieve freedom, but also speaks of real wars and those that are always latent, as a call for mutual respect. AUGUST 16, 9 PM _ Matteo Paggi Volume 9.2 of the ninth edition of the Festival will close on Sunday the 16th with another "postcard" concert at the Belvedere San Luigi in Cantavenna, overlooking the Po River and the ancient forest (9 PM). Trombonist and composer Matteo Paggi, specializing in extended sound and live electronics, will lead listeners on an exploration of the nocturnal soundscape through reverberations, loops, and inhabited silences with "How Many Times I Saw the Moon." The Belvedere San Luigi in Cantavenna is the perfect setting: the altitude, the view of the flowing Po River, with the hills plunging into the Po Valley surrounded by the Alps, are all part of the score. Before the concert, at 6:00 PM, meet in the square for a stroll to discover the village of Cantavenna. At 7:30 PM, organized by the I Love Cantavenna association, a merenda sinoira will be served in the Circolino square. The cost of the snack, which includes free admission to the concert, is €20. Reservations are required at +39 339 4611304. Those who book the snack will have priority access to the show. To close the evening, a final toast will be held in the Circolino courtyard. A solo trombone, a sky, and the moon: Matteo Paggi builds a concert around the silence of the nocturnal landscape, using effects and loops to expand the instrument's sound beyond its physical limits. "How Many Times I Saw the Moon" is born from a reflection on travel and migration. During the journey, everything changes: language, landscape, time, identity. Yet something always returns, the moon, a motionless presence over distant places. A familiar gaze that indicates not a home, but an inner recognition. The project translates this image into a set for trombone and electronics. The sounds are dark and unstable, like the uncertainty of the journey. Rhythmic sections evoke crossing, resisting, proceeding. Long silences open intimate and suspended spaces, typical of solitary travel. The music doesn't tell a story, but a shared experience: a continuous movement, accompanied by what remains the same everywhere. Matteo Paggi is the trombonist in Enrico Rava's Fearless Five. Winner of Top Jazz 2025, he combines improvisation, sound research, and electronics in an unconventional vision. SEPTEMBER 11-13: Vol. 9.3 _ Wine & Spirits Vol. 9.3 will be held from September 11th to 13th among the vineyards, castles, and distilleries of Monferrato, closing the ninth edition of the festival in the UNESCO landscape that is its heart. Three days dedicated to the theme of Wine & Spirits: a tasting concert format that brings music into dialogue with the region's flagship products. All concerts are free, and some will be held indoors in case of inclement weather. SEPTEMBER 11, 7:00 PM _ Filaments of Existence Stairs of Casale Monferrato Castle. "Seeking No Salvation," with Camilla Collet on drums and effects and Giorgio Giacobbi on saxophone and effects. From 6:00 PM, a visit to the Paolo Desana Study Center, in the castle courtyard, will focus on the history of the DOC law, which has shaped Italian tastes and landscapes since Monferrato. During the evening, a tasting of Ca' Nova di Cellamonte wines. Saturday, September 12, 11:30 a.m. _ Saxofollia Vini Angelini, S.P. 457 Casale Asti n. 10 bis, Ozzano Monferrato. "Meridiani," concert in the vineyard with Fabrizio Benevelli, Lorenzo Simoni, Marco Ferri, and Giovanni Contri, all on saxophone. Free admission. From 9:30 a.m., tours of the winery and walks, including a guided tour of the giant hammock. Tastings begin at 11:00 a.m. with a welcome glass. Lunch in the vineyard at 1:00 p.m. Reservations: +39 346 8549015. Saturday, September 12, 9:00 p.m.: Seven Seas Distilleria Magnoberta, Strada Asti 6, Casale Monferrato. "Root Music," featuring multi-instrumentalists Patrizio Pedotti and Tommaso Pedotti, Alessio Gavioli on drums, and Lorenzo Bellini on double bass. From 7:00 pm, a guided tour of the distillery and a tasting of spirits and cocktails is available. Reservations are welcome at 0142 452022. From 8:00 pm, gourmet street food by Cicin & Barlichin is available. Table reservations are welcome at 0142 590669. Sunday, September 13, 11:30 am: Raffaele Fiengo 4et Vallestura, Odalengo Grande. "Recall," featuring Raffaele Fiengo on trumpet, Thomas Umbaca on piano, Enrico Palmieri on double bass, and Antonio Marmora on drums. At 9:00 am, for those who love to explore the area, a circular hike through the Valcerrina valley among truffle grounds, woods, and vineyards, meeting point at Vallestura. After the concert, starting at 1:00 PM, there will be a Monferrato picnic and a tasting of Baratuciat, from wine to vermouth, hosted by Crealto and The Spiritual Machine. Reservations are available at 339 4718763. The full program is available at monjazzfest.it.