This French-Italian festival dedicated to jazz and improvised music, offers a brief but intense programme of top quality concerts. Founded in 1998 by Paolo Damiani, musician and former director of the Orchestre National de Jazz, and Armand Meignan, president of AFIJMA and director of the Europa Jazz Festival, it has always encouraged the relationship that exists between jazz musicians of the two countries. In particular, the festival provides a vital stage for genres of music that do not fit into a pre-defined category. Names to look out for this year include the IF Ensemble born out of the meeting between Paolo Damiani and his cello and the violin of Regis Huby; the “Breathproject” dedicated to wind instruments; the presence of Francesco Bearzatti, Vincent Peirani, Michel Portal, Antonello Salis, and Danilo Rea and Flavio Boltro who play tribute to opera. Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P. de Coubertin, tel. 0680241281, www.auditorium.com.