Francesco Cafiso

Francesco Cafiso ( born May 24, 1989 in Vittoria ) is an Italian jazz saxophonist.

Life and work

Cafiso attended the Conservatory " Vincenzo Bellini " of Catania in Sicily, where he studied flute and piano. As a " child prodigy " of jazz he has played with nine years with musicians such as Bob Mintzer and George Gruntz, and later with Joe Lovano, Manhattan Transfer, Reggie Johnson, Hank Jones, Wynton Marsalis and his Lincoln Center Orchestra. Marsalis he met at the 2002 Festival of Pescara and accompanied him on his 2003 European tour. Cafiso played at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Vienna Jazz Festival, often at the Umbria Jazz Festival. He leads his own quartet ( Riccardo Arrighini, Aldo Zunini, Stefano Bagnoli ). In 2001 he with pianist Stefano Bollani before his first album Very early in Philology. Was published in 2004 Concerto for Petrucciani ( Philology ) in a trio with Riccardo Arrighini, 2005 Tribute to Charlie Parker ( Umbria Jazz Records ) and New York Lullaby (for Venus). On 19 January 2009 he played in Washington, D.C. during the celebrations in honor of President Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Awards

In 2001 he was awarded the prize Massimo Urbani, the alto saxophonist in memory of the same name (1957 - 1993) is awarded the 2003 Prize " Positano Jazz". In 2004 he received in New York " Jazz Festival Organization Award". In 2005 he received the Django d' Or ( Italy) as " New Talent ".