By Luca Testoni

A top-tier preview at Alcatraz on October 12 will feature the Italian debut of the American group Lake Street Dive and frontwoman Rachael Price, champions of an unmistakable soul-pop-jazz fusion. Then, the official 2026 lineup kicks off on October 19 with the opening act entrusted to her majesty of neo-soul, Erykah Badu (performing at Teatro Nazionale, with a second show the following day), launching a period where Milan will be completely taken over by jazz events.

These jazz performances will run until the evening of November 8, when Calibro 35 will close out the festival playing their latest album live at Teatro della Triennale. The Triennale has always served as the headquarters for the event, which since 2016 has been produced by the JAZZMI association, Ponderosa Music & Art, and Triennale Milano Teatro, in collaboration with Blue Note Milano and under the artistic direction of Luciano Linzi and Titti Santini.

It is a rich program (to be explored on jazzmi.it) dedicated to discovering music that evolves, blends, reinvents itself, and continually finds new spaces for expression—music that looks to the future while keeping its roots intact.

The Centenary of Miles & Trane

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the births of two giants: Miles Davis and John Coltrane. These two masters sit at the heart of a packed schedule filled with concerts, special productions, books, exhibitions, talks, and in-depth discussions.

On November 5 at Triennale, “A New Sketches of Spain”—an extraordinary collaboration between Israel Galván, the world’s leading flamenco dancer, and Michael Leonhart, one of the most visionary trumpet players on the New York scene—will bring back to life the imagery that Davis and Gil Evans sculpted in their iconic 1960 album. On October 29 at Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, the Paolo Fresu Quintet will instead reinterpret Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows), the famous soundtrack Miles composed for Louis Malle’s film noir.

A double tribute will honor the centenary of John Coltrane on November 1: at Triennale, Dimitri Grechi Espinoza, Aziz Şenol Filiz, and Guido Zorn will present “Meditation on a Love Supreme” live, a project taking inspiration from Coltrane’s masterpiece to reflect on the ongoing relevance of its spiritual force. Meanwhile, at the ADI Design Museum, guitarist Sandro Fazio’s quartet featuring saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti will present a tribute titled “Dear Trane.”

An Incredible Lineup…

Triennale will host iconic figures of Italian jazz such as Enrico Intra andGaetano Liguori (both  performing on October 31), as well as major American talent, old and new: from Bill Frisell (November 7) to Nate Smith (November 1), and China Moses (November 4), to two spectacular saxophonists balancing tradition and modernity, David Binney and Isaiah Collier (on November 3 and November 8, respectively).

Another key hub of the festival will be Blue Note. The venue will host well-known names such as Dee Dee Bridgewater (November 4), Peter Cincotti (November 1), Take 6 (November 7), and Amii Stewart (October 23), alongside established jazz artists like Fabrizio Bosso (October 22) and Richard Bona (October 28). As per tradition, all guest artists at the Via Borsieri venue will perform two sets per night.

More experimental offerings will find a home at Circolo Biko: hailing directly from Mali, Songhoy Blues will take the stage on October 23, while Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids (expected October 29) will showcase over 50 years of spiritual jazz and Afrofuturism, blending ritual, afrobeat, theater, and political activism. Additionally, the venue will host Momoko Gill, one of the most compelling voices in the new British jazz and electronic scene (November 7), and S!RENE, an Anglo-Nigerian DJ and producer, who will headline a Halloween night DJ set straddling afrobeat, jazz, African funk, and club culture.

Heavy cross-genre influences will also mark the lineup at Santeria Toscana 31: from the world-jazz of L’Antidote (October 22) to The Messthetics, where saxophonist James Brandon Lewis dialogues with the rhythm section of post-punk icons Fugazi (November 7). Finally, on October 24, Corto.Alto—a project by Liam Shortall—will showcase jazz improvisation paired with electronic production, broken beat, dub, and hip-hop.

Alcatraz will host two major acts: Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré and jazz-soul legend Gregory Porter, performing on October 27 and November 3, respectively. At Teatro Dal Verme (October 30), Tommy Emmanuel, one of the world’s most prominent acoustic guitarists, will take the stage. At Teatro Arcimboldi (November 4), trumpet virtuoso and staple of the French popular scene Ibrahim Maalouf will perform following his album Trumpets of Michel-Ange. At the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi (November 8), Sergio Cammariere makes a grand return to look back over his 20-year career.

JAZZMI has always looked beyond the strict boundaries of jazz. This is underscored by the ambient, electronic, and folk project from Sigur Rós keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson (hosted at Auditorium San Fedele on October 28) and a concert by Australian violist Warren Ellis—a long-time collaborator of Nick Cave—at Armani / Silos on October 26. Armani / Silos will also host “The Body Of Jazz,” a film series dedicated to the dialogue between cinema and jazz through a selection of Woody Allen’s most beloved masterpieces.

Lastly, Volvo Studio will serve not only as the host venue for the under-35 jazz band contest JAM THE FUTURE – Music For A New Planet (with semifinals and finals on September 24 and October 1), but will also feature a trio of female-led concerts: Costa Rican pianist and singer Sofi Paez (October 24), Belgian-Cameroonian kora player Lubiana, and Chiara Civello, with the latter two performing live on November 5 and 6.

Info & Tickets http://ponderosa.it

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