Jazzmi 2026: corto.alto

Direct from Glasgow’s scene, corto.alto brings to JAZZMI a conception of jazz that weaves together club culture and orchestral writing. The project of Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Liam Shortall, the collective puts horns and beats, improvisation and electronic production into dialogue, building a mobile, layered groove. Highlighted by The Guardian among the names of Britain’s new wave, they consolidated their trajectory with recognition at the 2025 Jazz FM Awards.

The live show, due on 24 October 2026 at Santeria Toscana 31 in Milan, alternates tight, interlocking patterns with expansive openings, with horn lines flowing over deep basslines, samples and drum machines. The energy is collective: on stage the group breathes as an ensemble, between precise writing and spaces left to the risk of improvisation. Among possible points of reference is the same scene that saw the emergence of Alfa Mist, Nubya Garcia and Yussef Dayes, but with a distinctive sonic signature attentive to textures and to the balance between pulse and melody. A set that explores the borderlands between concert and dancefloor, between legacy and the near future.