Tonight’s concert presents Dominic Galea’s Moħġaġa, an album which ventures into unchartered territory with its unusual jazz interpretation of some of the best-known works of Maltese Modernist poetry.
This is a bold album in which the composer employs what he calls a “mild contemporary” (not traditional) form of jazz to negotiate the free verse of most of these poems. Without abandoning melody, the composer and his band come up with some unpredictable twists and turns.
Galea developed a taste for jazz music when young. He studied jazz piano with his father Sammy and later in London with jazz pianist/composer Stan Tracey OBE, furthering his studies in composition with maestro Pawlu Grech.
Galea has 20 albums to his credit and also features on a double album with other international jazz musicians such as Stanley Clarke, Terje Rypdal and John McLaughlin.
He will be accompanied by Alan Portelli (bass) and Joe Micallef (drums) together with singers Nadine Axisa and Justin and Doreen Galea.
■ The concert is taking place at 7pm at San Anton Palace, Attard. For tickets, visit booking.teatrumanoel.com.mt. Watch this space tomorrow for information on the final concerts within the festival.