The Conad Jazz Contest story continues with the musicians from past editions of the Contest.

This week we interviewed Nothing Serious 6et, a finalist sextet of the 2023 edition composed of Antonio Scannapieco on trumpet, Ivan Forlenza and Pasquale Geremia on the band’s two saxophones, Alessandro Pennino on piano, Vincenzo Nigro on double bass and Angelo Gregorio on drums.

Let’s start with Umbria Jazz: what emotions did you feel walking on the Umbria Jazz stage in front of the public and critics? What memories do you have of those emotions today?

Taking the stage at the Carducci Gardens at Umbria Jazz was a very strong emotion for us. We immediately felt the strong energy of an attentive and passionate audience who showered us with affection even before playing the first note. We will never forget the boost that being able to admire the Umbria Jazz sign behind us gave us, knowing that shortly thereafter we would finally be playing our music at the festival.

How did it go after that performance? Did the band members continue to play in that lineup or did you take different paths?

Although each of us carries out a personal musical career, even if from different cities in Europe, the Nothing Serious project is more alive than ever.

Have you been noticed by anyone following your participation in the Contest and performances as finalists? Have you had any engagements for other stages?

In the days immediately following we continued our concert season performing at several festivals, including Pompei in Jazz, Montecorice Jazz Festival, and more recently Jazz in Luce Salerno to name a few. Participation in the contest was a great added value to the Nothing Serious project.

How is your musical project progressing? Is the band with which you participated in the Conad Jazz Contest last year still there?

Composition and creation always remain the prerogative of the project. The next big goal is to record the first album to present our music around the world, with the hope of returning to big stages like that of the Umbria Jazz Festival as soon as possible.

Thank you Nothing Serious, we can’t wait to listen to your first album and meet you around the jazz stages again!