CUMBERLAND – On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Blackstone River Theatre will present internationally acclaimed Tuscan vocalist Emiliano Loconsolo and his ensemble in a program which explores more than 1,000 years of Italian popular songs. The evening, called “Italian Songbook: 1,000 years of Italian Life and Legends” celebrates timeless human themes of love, laughter, and loss through a chronological anthology of tarantellas, madrigals, canzoni popolari, and ballads – all sung in their original dialects – starting from the 17th century right up through swing tunes from the 1960s. Hailing from Pisa, Italy, Emiliano is a specialist in the music of folk artist Roberto Murolo, and considered one of the most authentic interpreters of Italian Canzone Popolare performing in the U.S. today. An accomplished folk, jazz and classical performer, the national Italian newspaper Il Tirreno recently hailed Emiliano Loconsolo’s “Sophisticated, elegant, delicate voice, almost fragile like Chet Baker, fascinating in his melodies and in his velvet swing.” He has collaborated with some of the best jazz artists in Europe including Stefano “Cocco” Cantini, Stefano Bollani, Paolino Dalla Porta, and Massimo Manzi. Emiliano has performed at the famous Capolinea club in Milan, the Lucca Jazz Festival in Tuscany, Break in Jazz in Milan, and the prestigious Umbria Jazz Winter Festival in Orvieto. The Blackstone River Theatre is located at 549 Broad St., Cumberland. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. For more information call 725- 9272 or visit www.riverfolk.org. To learn more about Emiliano Loconsolo, visit www. emilianoloconsolo.com.
The Valley Breeze (USA), October 14-15, 2009