Lucio Ferrara is an Italian jazz guitarist and teacher. He discusses his musical influences and experiences playing in various cities in Italy and New York. Ferrara emphasizes the importance of studying jazz tradition and listening to great musicians. He hopes to record an album of Brazilian music and continue teaching young jazz musicians about swing, interplay, and respecting tradition through his workshops and seminars.

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Interview with Lucio Ferrara
June 2011
Alceste Ayroldi
Puglia, Bologna, Rome, New York, all places that you have had - or still have - a special role: to whom you are closest to?
At each site are linked for several reasons. Puglia is my region, the place where I was born and raised. I moved to Bologna to study at university and
there I was trained musically. Rome is the city where I live now. New York is the city of my dreams, I go at least once a year and I stop for a few
months.
Are you a self-taught, but you're a professor and director of seminars. With hindsight, therefore, believe that it is important to study jazz?
What I like to do is give my contribution to the growth of the knowledge of this music. In all the
seminars in which they are involved there are teachers who are first of all musicians who are able
to inspire students, focusing particularly on the swing, interplay, respect for tradition and the
importance of listening , directing them to the understanding of jazz music and its exponents. In
this direction I think it is important to study jazz.
Your beginnings are linked to Brazilian music: how did this passion? Today you have set aside at
all?
Besides New York, Rio de Janeiro has always had an influence on me, I love Brazilian composers,
from Jobim to Gismonti, I love the classic samba, choro until Paulinho da Viola. After my trip to
Rio de Janeiro I was a little away 'from the kind dedicated entirely to jazz. I hope soon to record a
CD of this repertoire.
When you "love" of jazz music? What was the first song you heard?
The first song I heard and I was forever marked "In Your Own Sweet Way" played by Wes Montgomery. Then there was a void, you know I lived in a
village where it was not easy to find material and fans to listen to, until I arrived in Bologna where I started listening to Miles and Coltrane, Wes
Montgomery's records with Shearing.
Who are your guitar of reference? And what is the artist with whom you'd want to collaborate?
I listened to all guitarists, from the great contemporary. I have already spoken of Wes Montgomery. In fact, many guitar players do not listen. When
I listen to my attention is directed to the swing, are more interested in the music instrument. I'd like to play with many musicians, a few of my idol,
I was lucky enough to sound like Lee Konitz (see the about the last disc of Ferrara, It's All Right With Me, published by the Tuscia in Jazz Rec, which
is discussed below).
Are you also a director of seminars Orsara Music and the festival's artistic director and conductor of workshops Tuscia in Jazz and La Spezia. Want
to talk about these experiences, these activities?
The seminars were born Orsara my proposal with the crucial support of Orsara Music Festival, which organizes the longest twenty-three years in
Apulia. After a year as an experiment we decided to continue and together with Antonio Ciacca we brought musicians like Lee Konitz , Benny
Golson, Steve Grossman, but Wes Anderson, Billy Harper and Bergonzi this year. We arrived in the eighth edition. With Tuscia in Jazz and, this
year, with La Spezia Jazz, of which I am the director of the seminars, there is a special feeling because the atmosphere is similar to that of Orsara;
with the Artistic Director Italo Leali we are perfect tune from the choice of style and art teachers and the way in which one of jazz education, such
as enhancing young talent.

2. as enhancing young talent.
In your artistic life seems to have been of great importance your meeting with Antonio Ciacca: would you talk about?
With Antonio we have grown musically together, listening to the same music and we started playing together
twenty years ago. There is an interplay that is reached only after years. Antonio has always believed in me
and has always supported and encouraged. As soon as there is a chance we play together with his band, also
because they are always fantastic. Anthony, among other qualities, has the ability to play the band as they do
just a little 'how did the Great Miles.
"It's All Right With Me" is your last record, with the participation of Lee Konitz. How did this match?
Lee Konitz is one of my favorite improvisers. He plays by ear, "risk" when everything suddenly. I'm going to
find almost every time I go to New York. We played together when we were in Sorrento for a concert I asked
Lee how do you never play a pattern or licks. And Lee said to me simply because I do not play licks little
memory, that's it!
Given the excellent experience of your teacher, how would you rate the level of preparedness of young jazz
musicians?
The preparation is excellent in my opinion, the level is very high. But perhaps they are too fast and skip some
steps.
What tips from - or would you - to a young musician?
Listening to the great masters, study, respect, humility and professionalism.
And, again by virtue of your experience, what rating the current jazz scene is Italian, and European and, later, the U.S.?
As I said before, preparation is high in Italy and in the U.S., Americans are professional musicians, playing deeply love, know and respect the history
of jazz. Musicians upload basses and amps in meters, starting from Brooklyn or Queens to get only a couple of songs in a jam. In Italy, many
musicians are too focused in trying to do something original at all costs, forgetting that sometimes you just do little and swing to make great music,
but fortunately there are excellent musicians. I'd like that in Italy there was more courage to play music that does not fill the theaters.
Who are they, in your opinion, today's most interesting musicians? And why?
There are so many interesting musicians in Italy and abroad, and not all are known as they should. Many Americans do not get talent in Italy. I think
Ryan or Bill Charlap Kisoro or Joe Cohn. In Italy there are good musicians, Dado Moroni , John Amato, Andrea Pozza , with whom I had the good
fortune to play occasionally, Nicola Angelucci and Luke Mannutza who have played in my last CD. If we look around I think, therefore, that the Jazz
now enjoys excellent health, In my last U.S. tour I played with musicians very "interesting" like Lew Tabackin, Joe Magnarelli, Rodney Green, Paul
Gill, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth, Andy Farber, Ben Wolfe, along with Antonio Ciacca that was the glue and many other talents.
What are your future plans?
I intend to spend much more time in New York to develop and learn better the true nature of jazz. Being more and more essential, direct and not
lose the love for this music with the help of festivals and clubs with the hope that they rely a bit 'more to quality than to the success of ticket sales.
Your current playlist ...
Prelude to a Kiss Strayhorn. Songs like: I'll Be Seeing You or Who Can I Turn To, Poor Butterfly. Something Monk never fails, Ligia Jobim's originals ...
...