Charly Antolini ""Jazz Power: Hot Jazz Festival"" Available on DVD January 20, 2004

Through Music Video Distributors

9-Dec-03

Music Video Distributors and Inakustik are pleased to announce the home viewing release of Charly Antolini ñ Jazz Power: Hot Jazz Festival for North American distribution on DVD.Duke Ellingtonís motto was: ""It Donít Mean A Thing If It Ainít Got That Swing."" Charly Antolini also lives according to this musical catchphrase ñ in a very modern style, of course. Building on the tradition of Louie Bellson, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, he overlays drum rolls in such a complex way that it is hard to believe itís just one drummer who is playing. Even so, for Antolini, a swinging rhythm is an absolute must, and his aim above all is to îmake every drumbeat a form of expression"".Born in Zurich, Antolini picked up his drumming skill quickly while attending one of the famous drumming schools in the city. At 19, he moved to Paris because he was not particularly attracted by the long-term prospect of officially closing the traditional ""Fasching"" carnival celebrations in Switzerland every year, playing in a band with pipers, tambourine players and fools dressed in traditional folk costume. With his extrodinary talent, American Jazz stars such as Sidney Bechet, Bill Coleman and Albert Nicholas hired him almost immediately for their tours through Europe. Antoliniís career became one success after another. The list of famous musicians with whom Charly Antolini has played to date is endless. To name a few, heís worked with: Benny Bailey, Eugen Cicero, Wolfgang Dauner, Buddy de Franco, Herb Ellis, Art Farmer, Fatty George, Jimmy Guiffre, Lionel Hampton, Thad Jones, Albert Mangelsdorff, Red Mitchell, Joe Newman, Baden Powell, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemann, Leon Thomas, Jiggs Whigham, and Jimmy Woody. In 2000, he set up another group. He headed the Jazz Power project, which enabled international musicians to hire each other on a rotating basis. For this project, he won great respect in jazz circles, among critics as well as his many fans. On 25 May 2002, they gathered in masses at the ""Hot Jazz Festival"" to serenade their Charly on his 65th birthday. ""Happy Birthday"" rang throughout the hall in Rust, Baden, as Charly Antolini, visibly moved, walked onto the stage. Of course, this didnít mean he had to unpack the music for ""In A Sentimental Mood."" Charly Antolini sat down behind his drum set and over the following hour delivered a brilliant tour-de-force including evergreen hardbob and modern swing. Superbly supported by saxophonist Steve Hooks, trombonist Andrej Lebanov, pianist David Gazarov and bass guitarist Rocky Knauer, the concert peaked with a joyous, long, but never long-winded drum solo, with Charly Antolini pulling out all the stops of his playing skills.