It's astounding what the 15-year-old alto saxophonist Francesco Cafiso has achieved in his short musical career. Who can boast to have been on a long European tour with Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet of Wynton Marsalis? Marsalis handpicked Cafiso for a 40-day tour with him. The young musician didn't only receive private lessons from Marsalis, but also from other specialists in the band like Frank Morgan, Anthony Hart and Wess Anderson. Meanwhile Cafiso still has to graduate high school and is he in preparatory training for the Conservatory. Still, Cafiso is enjoying every minute of all this. Earlier this year, at the International Association of Jazz Educators in New York, he received, as a promising talent, the International Jazz Festivals Organization Award. Of course from the hands of … Wynton Marsalis, who foresees a future for him. Long story short: this young man could become a big one! Cafiso will be assisted by the renowned jazz veteran Cees Slinger. His band The Diamond Five was Holland's best and most famous hard-bop quintet. But also after the Diamonds' demise in the early sixties Slinger set Holland on fire as one of the best bop-pianists of the country. During his career he played with many American and European top musicians. In 1996 he received the Bird Award at North Sea Jazz, a festival where he has performed more than 30 times!
