Jazz Evening at the Hilton – 18/01/2025 at 20:00

Italian-American quartet for a tribute to John Coltrane. The two leaders are Chico Freeman and Antonio Faraò. The partnership between the saxophonist from Chicago and the Roman pianist is not born now and it is not an extemporaneous meeting: already in 2015 Faraò participated to a Freeman’s album.

Freeman, son of art (his father, Von, was a respected post-bop area musician) is considered one of the most important contemporary jazzmen. For him speak the collaborations with AACM, point of convergence of the most “progressive” artists in Chicago and perhaps the entire American jazz scene, and with Wynton Marsalis and the tour of the Lincoln Center, but especially the endless list of his collaborations, Also in areas other than orthodox jazz, because maybe it is the eclecticism the main feature of his way of seeing music, with interests ranging from blues and R&B to Brazil and pop. He has collaborated with: Memphis Slim, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, The Four Tops, The Eurythmics, Elvin Jones, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting, Chucho Valdés, Tito Puente, Machito, Celia Cruz. Freeman was also one of the founders of two super bands, The Roots and The Leaders, and has been associated with the famous Young Lions. 

With a career spanning over 40 years, Antonio Farao has established himself as one of the most appreciated jazz pianists on the international scene. During his career, he has received prestigious awards, including first prize at the “Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition” in Paris. He has collaborated with many world-famous musicians, including Joe Lovano, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Marcus Miller, Ivan Lins, Toots Thielemans, Jack Dejohnette… and many others.

Part of the project “McCoy Tyner Legends”, a tribute to the legendary pianist McCoy Tyner, in which he shares the stage with Chico Freeman, Steve Turre and Avery Sharpe. Faraò was invited to participate in the UNESCO All Star Global Concert on 30 April 2015 and 2018 and 2024, respectively in Paris, Saint Petersburg and Tangier, to celebrate the International Jazz Day. On these occasions he played alongside legends such as Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, Branford Marsalis, Richard Bona and Terri Lyne Carrington. His album “Eklektik”, released with Warner Music, features an exceptional cast of musicians including Snoop Dogg, Marcus Miller, Bireli Lagrène and Lenny White, demonstrating his versatility and openness to different musical genres.