Gianni Savelli
06/10/2024
Aliseiis the fourth solo album by Gianni Savelli, following Media Res (2004), Que la fête commence (2008), and Magellano (2015).
While not prolific in releases—just four albums over two decades—Savelli is deeply engaged as a performing musician in pop, theatre, and film settings and a Conservatory professor. His approach suggests a deliberate artistic process, releasing new works only when fully matured.
Despite the time gaps between them, Alisei maintains a strong musical and conceptual continuity with the preceding albums, forming what could be considered a tetralogy. The common thread is the representation of captivating natural elements—here, the trade winds (alisei)—as a metaphor for musical exploration, much like the seafarers of old who traversed the world, carried by these very winds.
Beyond being a remarkable saxophonist—Coltrane-inspired but tempered by a structured classical education—Savelli is also a composer of considerable depth. This is evident in the two-fluid and meticulously crafted big-band arrangements, featuring seventeen additional musicians alongside the quintet, and the four quintet pieces, orchestrated with long, contemplative, and evocative thematic lines. These themes unfold through variations, with instruments interacting like sections of a larger ensemble, all masterfully written and structured.
The ensemble comprises some of the finest musicians in the Italian jazz scene. Fulvio Sigurtà, who succeeds the late Aldo Bassi on trumpet, displays a sophisticated complexity through a transparent and velvety tone. Pianist Enrico Zanisi crafts introspective, shimmering soundscapes, while Luca Pirozzi on electric bass and Alessandro Marzi on drums form a rhythm section of remarkable precision and finesse.
Artistic quality:8/10
Technical quality:9/10
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