Myra Melford, Dayna Stephens, Nick Dunston, Allison Miller replace the Dave Holland/Lionel Loueke duo
Following the sudden cancellation of the European tour of the Dave Holland/Lionel Loueke duo, due to health issues affecting the English bassist, the Bergamo Jazz evening on Friday, March 21 at Teatro Donizetti will open with the Lux Quartet, a formation led by pianist Myra Melford and drummer Allison Miller, and completed by saxophonist Dayna Stephens and bassist Nick Dunston, all leading musicians in the international jazz scene. The project dedicated to Wayne Shorter – featuring Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, and Ravi Coltrane – scheduled for the same evening, and the rest of the Festival program remain confirmed.
Only for holders of admission tickets to the single evening on Friday, March 21 at Teatro Donizetti, it will be possible, if desired, to request a refund of the ticket cost by contacting the Teatro Donizetti Box Office no later than February 25, by sending an email to biglietteria@fondazioneteatrodonizetti.org. This method is also valid for those who purchased the ticket online through the VivaTicket network.
Recently formed around two of the leading figures in women’s jazz, pianist Myra Melford, who was already a guest at Bergamo Jazz in 2014 with another formation, and drummer Allison Miller, the Lux Quartet immediately rose to musical prominence with the release of the album Tomorrowland in August 2024, which received four stars from the American magazine Down Beat. The group’s name is inspired by light in all its manifestations, from the vitality of sun rays to the bioluminescence of creatures in the deepest oceans, symbolizing all the heights and depths that the quartet intends to explore musically.
Since the late 1980s, Myra Melford has been one of the brightest stars in the jazz piano firmament. Among her main collaborative experiences are those with Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris, and Dave Douglas. In the late 1990s, she formed the trio Equal Interest with violinist Leroy Jenkins and saxophonist Joseph Jarman of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. As a leader, she has recorded numerous albums that attest to her compositional depth and the variety of expressive areas she frequents, from solo piano to quintet. For several years, Myra Melford has established a fruitful artistic partnership with drummer Allison Miller, known for her membership in the multi-award-winning all women quintet Artemis, as well as for numerous collaborations in the singer-songwriter realm (Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile).
Dayna Stephens is one of the leading saxophonists to emerge in recent decades. In addition to recording several albums under his own name, he has played with Kenny Barron, Ambrose Akinmusire, Julian Lage, Gerald Clayton, and many others. Bassist Nick Dunston also boasts an impressive resume: Marc Ribot, Vijay Iyer, Mary Halvorson, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, and Dave Douglas are just some of the colleagues he has worked with so far.
