The week at JazzAscona starts with interesting new proposals from the Groovin’Up programme, jazz with a wonderful retro flair and exotic Caribbean sounds.

Let’s start with the latter, as the Extempo Steelband, an ensemble (with almost 20 members) bringing the typical Caribbean sound of steel drums, percussion instruments made of metal drums with cavities of different sizes and played with sturdy sticks,to Ascona. They’ll be performing at: 7.00pm and 9.30pm at Blue Llama Terrace.

The Hot Gravel Eskimos, led by multi-instrumentalist Mauro L. Porro, who is also known to the Ascona audience as leader of the Chicago Stompers, play sophisticated vintage jazz. The Hot Gravel Eskimos present well-known and lesser-known songs from the past century, with faithfully reproduced orchestrations from old 78rpm records and a stage presence inspired by the swing era fashion  (Elvezia stage, 22:00 – 23:30).

Last but not least, two Groovin’Up bands, the project for young talents under the age of 26: the jazz quintet of 25-year-old saxophonist (and composer) Patrick Joray, who received the Kurt and Barbara Alten Cultural Foundation Prize in Solothurn in 2023 and is considered one of the great promises of Swiss jazz (Stage Chiesa, 7: 30 – 21: 00) and the performance of the JugendJazzOrchester, offering talented young musicians between the ages of 16 and 25 the opportunity to work for several months on a special, dedicated programme and then perform it as part of a national tour (Stage New Orleans, 20:00 – 21:30).