European Affairs| Grazia Menna

20/12/2024

Italian saxophonist Gianni Savelli, originally from Naples but a long-time resident of Rome, boasts a career that spans from pop to theater, from film to orchestral jazz.

After an extensive career as a performer, in 2000, he conceived and founded the Media Res project. The ensemble features Savelli on tenor saxophone, Fulvio Sigurtà on trumpet, Enrico Zanisi on piano, and a rhythm section consisting of Luca Pirozzi on electric bass and Alessandro Marzi on drums.

On December 8, as part of the Take Five - New Proposals from the Five Jazz Music Production Centers project at the Casa del Jazz, Savelli presented a concert under the name Gianni Savelli Media Res. The performance included pieces from his previous works: Media Res (2004), Què la fête commence (2009), Magellano (2015), and Alisei (2024).

The official lineup was partially revised for this exceptional performance at the Casa del Jazz, featuring Francesco Fratini on trumpet and Michele Santoleri on drums.

Media Res: A Musical Journey of Exploration

The Media Res project has given life to four albums marked by a strong exploratory spirit, evident even in their titles. Magellano pays tribute to the legendary 16th-century explorer, while Alisei refers to the trade winds that guide navigation from northeast to southwest. Both symbolize the theme of exploration—an underlying concept that profoundly reflects Savelli's soul as a true explorer.

His artistic research extends across distant soundscapes, drawing from Brazilian rhythms and melodies and introspective reflections inspired by emotions and the people who influence his music. The themes of wind, the sea, and the journey are central to his compositions, serving as metaphors for discovery and contemplation.

The piece Naufragar (mi è dolce in questo mare)—which also reveals Savelli's classical background—derives its title from Leopardi's poem "L'Infinito." It conveys deep and restless emotions intertwined with an intrinsic sweetness and beauty.

Savelli's four albums take listeners on a musical voyage infused with Mediterranean hues, each explored in a unique and original way. In Alisei, the artist favors a balanced jazz aesthetic, free from excess and aggressiveness. One of its standout tracks, Delicati Effendi, serves as a heartfelt tribute to Aldo Bassi. This luminous and warm melody celebrates the late trumpeter and colleague with whom Savelli embarked on the Media Res adventure.

His music, built upon sophisticated melodies and meticulously crafted arrangements, stands out for its delicate balance between instrumental dialogues and solo interventions. This refined interplay is particularly evident in pieces such as Melodia sottomarina and Alisei, where Savelli's saxophone engages in a graceful conversation with Sigurtà's trumpet.

Savelli is committed to creating works of great depth and meticulous attention to detail. His improvisations, permanently anchored in solid musical structures, seamlessly integrate into his compositions. Even when the musicians in the ensemble change, his distinctive artistic imprint remains—enriched by the new companions who join him on this musical and emotional journey.

The Art of Interpretation: A Jazz Explorer in Every Sense

Even in designing the covers for his albums, Savelli approaches the process as an explorer, introducing an element of improvisation. His unique method involves playing new compositions in advance to an audience divided into two groups: those familiar with his work and those who are entirely new to his style. He then gathers their sensory and visual impressions evoked by the music. These insights are passed on to graphic designers, who translate them into the album artwork. As Savelli himself has noted, the resulting visuals almost always reflect the underlying message of the music.

Savelli's jazz does not seek to revolutionize the genre but celebrates its purest essence, transforming it into a vehicle for authentic emotional expression. His style embodies a refined and contemporary jazz aesthetic, contemplative and free of excessive virtuosity. With sober yet intense musical language, he emphasizes the power of collective expression over individual protagonism. His seamless fusion of orchestration and improvisation creates a harmony-rich in nuance, offering listeners a deeply immersive experience.

Through recordings and live performances, Gianni Savelli and the Media Res quintet captivate audiences gracefully, guiding them on a musical journey filled with evocative atmospheres and profound emotion.

A Dedication to the Craft: Lessons from the Greats

Savelli has collaborated with renowned artists such as Marina Rei, Amii Stewart, and Riccardo Cocciante—to name just a few, without diminishing the contributions of many others, as he himself has humbly stated. From them, he has learned the utmost dedication and professionalism required to perform the same pieces night after night while maintaining the freshness and emotional impact of a debut performance, avoiding routine and repetition.

Each concert thus becomes a delicate balance between duty and pleasure—an offering to the audience that Savelli and his group deliver with unwavering commitment, evening after evening.