To many of us, the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, signifies the best in Jazz and a dream vacation all rolled into one. This July, Berklee School of Music celebrated twenty years of involvement with the festival by conferring honorary degrees on living America legends Hank Jones and McCoy Tyner and living Italian legend Enrico Rava.
Over the years, Berklee's summer school at the Umbria Jazz Clinics has introduced its jazz and improvisation curriculum numerous players from throughout the world, players who otherwise would have to rely on traditional conservatory training.
As Berklee President Roger Brown put it, "I have always been impressed by the powerful heritage of art and music in Italian culture, and it is my honor to share with Italy, and the rest of the world, a legacy rooted in my country - Jazz."
Stay tuned for year twenty-one in this great collaboration.
Back to: Jazz Now Interactive August 2005 Vol. 15 No. 4 ¦ Table of Contents
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