It's time to continue our journey, crossing the Appennines mountains and slowly "sink" into Tuscany and Umbria landscapes: nothing more to say about these 2 Italian regions, if you've never been... now it's the time!
An alternative and exciting route to reach Florence and Tuscany: from Bologna just leave the motorway and take the normal regional road to Florence, it obviously takes longer but... you're on holiday, aren't you? At some point you reach Porretta, you're still in Bologna province but this location is actually nearer to Tuscan border and Pistoia town. You wouldn't expect, but in this cosy little town there's maybe one of the most important festival in Europe dedicated to soul music. "Porretta Soul" is at its 24th edition, this year it will be dedicated to 2 great artists and characters of this genre: Otis Redding (to whom this 2011 edition pays tribute) and Solomon Burke, recently passed away, who sang and played many times in the past at "Porretta Soul" (since its first edition in 1987). This summer 2011, from 21 to 24 July, following artists are scheduled: Swamp Dogg, Spencer Wiggins, William Bell, Percy Wiggins, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Harvey Scales, Toni Green, Austin de Lone All Stars,Chick Rodgers, Tribute To King Curtis with Sax Gordon & Groove City, The Memphis All Star Rhythm & Blues Band. Many more to be confirmed, if you are fond of soul music, don't miss this!!!

Heading towards Pistoia, take a little turn on the left (and a good map ;-), ride up the hills and let the wild Appenines atmosphere ravish and embrace you. You reach at some point the Suviana lakes, a place in the heart of Tuscan-Emilia mountains, that just few people (maybe the inhabitants?) know and attend. From 7 to 10 July 2011 a motorbikers meeting, "Thunderlake", takes place in this hidden location. Great local food, drinks, fresh mountain air in the summer heat and great rock music too for four unforgettable days: the main event will be the only Italian date for seminal female band Girlschool, directly from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement of the first eighties. Other acts are famous Italian heavy metal bands like Crying Steel, Rain, Tarkon Fist and many other hard rock cover/tribute bands.

Descending the Appenines you soon enter the first Tuscan town on your way, Pistoia. Here, in the amazing Piazza Duomo, "Pistoia Blues" takes place every summer, in July: past editions saw performances of top artists and muscians and the 2011 one is not least: Skunk Anansie (8 July), Ray Manzarek & Robbie Krieger and The Doors + Robben Ford (9 July), Lou Reed (10 July).

And now, what undoubtedly is the most rich and interesting festival of the 2011 Tuscan summer: "Lucca Summer Festival", held in the medieval gem Lucca in June and July. The festival dates are almost entirely confirmed and there's really a good bit of music history here: Blink 182 (28 june), Italian folk beat singer-author Francesco Guccini (1 July), Zucchero (8 July), Arcade Fire (9 July), Burt Bacharach and Mario Biondi (10 July), Elton John and his Band (14 July), Joe Cocker + B.B. King (15 July), Amy Winehouse (16 July), Ben Harper + Robert Randolph and The Family Band (18 July), James Blunt (21 July), Jamiroquai (24 July).

Florence usually reserves some surprises as concerns summer live music, in the town center Piazza Michelangelo and Fortezza Da Basso are usual venues for great concerts. At the moment for summer 2011, the only international act confirmed is Beady Eye, the new band of frontman Liam Gallagher, that will play at Teatro Sashall on June the 8th.

As many people know, Umbria region is the natural eastern prosecution of Tuscany. It does not take long to reach from Florence and Arezzo, the Trasimeno Lake and Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Foligno, Spoleto, Todi and all other beauties you can find in Umbria.
Internationally renowned "Umbria Jazz" festival surely is the main live music event for summer 2011 in this region. The main events take place in Perugia but all the small towns in the nearby are involved. This summer the program proposes from 8 to 17 July: the Dutch jazz singer Caro Emerald (8 July), Tribute to Miles, a night dedicated to the great Miles Davis (9 July), guitar icon Santana (12 July), the last American musical icon Liza Minelli (13 July), blues legend B.B. King (16 July). More acts will be confirmed in May.
Almost in parallel to "Umbria Jazz", on the enchanting shores of the near lake Trasimeno you can join "Trasimeno Blues" festival, this year from 21 July to 1 August. Among the many events that will take place in all the villages surrounding the lake (like Passignano, Castiglione del Lago, Tuoro), some confirmed ones are The Big Brother & The Holding Company (the first band of Janis Joplin), Randy Hansen Band (one of the most important Jimi Hendrix tribute bands), Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Jimmy Burns (among the best musician of the Chicago blues scene).

As you can see, it's easy to choose Tuscany and Umbria for your summer 2011 holidays, moreover if you are a rock, blues, jazz passionate!