Introduction
Gianluigi Trovesi (born 1944) is an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
A native of Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy, he studied harmony and counterpoint under Vittorio Fellegara. Since then he has been a major player in the Italian and European free jazz scene. He also teaches clarinet and saxophone in Italy. He has won various Italian jazz awards.
In 1978 Trovesi won the first prize in the Italian jazz competition for saxophone and clarinet, landing a permanent job in the Milan Radio Big Band (until 1993). After a concert in Bergamo with Giorgio Gaslini's Sextet, European producer Joachim-Ernst Berendt invited him to the Clarinet Summit an all-star group with clarinet soloists John Carter, Perry Robinson, Theo Jörgensmann, and Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky.
In the 1990s he formed an octet with Pino Minafra on trumpet. The group's first album (From G to G, 1992) won the Italian Top Jazz poll and five stars in Down Beat magazine. The octet's Les Hommes Armès (1996) was voted Best Record of the Year and the Trovesi Octet best Italian Jazz Group in the Musica Jazz Italian Top Jazz Poll (1993, 1996; Trovesi already won in 1988 as best musician). Those records are characterized by the meeting of the learned classical and contemporary music, from Renaissance music to serialism, and the Italian folk, in a context of jazz improvisation.
In 1999 Trovesi composed "Round About A Midsummer's Dream", a suite whose inspiration comes from Shakespeare's mention of the "Bergamasque" dance. The music is performed by a nonet based on three trios: a jazz trio with sax, bass and drums, a classical string trio, and a folk trio with accordion and tamburello.
Trovesi has toured, recorded and performed with Anthony Braxton, Misha Mengelberg, Horace Tapscott, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Manfred Schoof, Mark Dresser, Han Bennink, Barre Phillips, Tony Oxley, and Günter Sommer.
Trovesi is a member of the Italian Instabile Orchestra and performs in a duo with accordionist Gianni Coscia.
Discography
As leader
- Baghet. Dischi Della Quercia. 1978.
- Cinque Piccole Storie. Dischi Della Quercia. 1981.
- Dances. Red. 1985.
- Les Boîtes à Musique. Splasc(h). 1988.
- From G to G. Soul Note. 1992.
- Let. Splasc(h). 1992.
- Colline. Silex. 1994.
- Radici. EGEA. 1995. w/ Gianni Coscia
- Les Hommes Armés. Soul Note. 1997.
- Around Small Fairy Tales. Soul Note. 1999.
- In Cerca Di Cibo. ECM. 2000. w/ Gianni Coscia
- Round About a Midsummer's Dream. Enja. 2000.
- Big Band Project. Enja. 2002.
- Fugace. ECM. 2002.
- Round About Weill. ECM. 2005. w/ Gianni Coscia
- Vaghissimo Ritratto. ECM. 2007.
- Profumo di Violetta. ECM. 2008.
- Frère Jacques: Round About Offenbach. ECM. 2011. w/ Gianni Coscia
- Anat Fort Trio: Birdwatching. ECM. 2016. w/ Anat Fort
As contributor
- Marc Charig & The Wuppertal Workshop Ensemble (1981). The Family. FMP.
- Trovesi Damiani Quintet; Paolo Damiani; Gianluigi Trovesi (1983). Roccellanea. Splasc(h).
- Andrea Centazzo (1984). Shock 11. Ictus.
- Dino Betti Van Der Noot (1985). Here Comes Springtime. Soul Note.
- Paolo Damiani Quintet (1987). Poor Memory: Live in Atina. Splasc(h).
- Dino Betti Van Der Noot (1988). They Cannot Know. Soul Note.
- Mario Schiano; Peter Köwald; Gianluigi Trovesi; Paul Lovens; Pino Minafra; Radu Malfatti (1989). Benefit Concert to Repurchase the Pendulum for Mr. Foucault. Splasc(h).
- Marche jazz orchestra, year =1989 "Dies Irae", Philology
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (1991). Live In Noci And Rive-De Gier. Leo.
- Giorgio Gaslini (1991). Masks. Soul Note/Musica Jazz.
- Nexus Octet (1991). Preacher and the Ghost. Splasc(h).
- Paolo Damiani Ensemble (1991). Song Tong. Splasc(h).
- Tiziana Ghiglioni (1992). S O N B. Splasc(h).
- Paolo Damiani (1993). Eso. Splasc(h).
- Enrico Rava (1994). Electric Five. Soul Note.
- Paolo Fresu Sextet (1994). Ensalada Mistica. Splasc(h).
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (1994). European Concerts '94-'97. Nel Jazz.
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (1994). Skies of Europe. ECM.
- Tiziana Ghiglioni (1994). Tenco Project. Philology.
- Ettore Fioravanti; Gianluigi Trovesi; Ernst Reijseger; Franco D'Andrea (1996). Belcanto. Ram.
- Pietro Tonolo (1996). Disguise. Splasc(h).
- Banda Cittá Ruvo Di Puglia (1997). La Banda. Enja.
- Maarten Altena Ensemble (1997). October Meeting 1991, Anatomy of a Meeting. BIMhuis.
- Tiziano Tononi; Daniele Cavallanti (1997). We Still Have Visions. Splasc(h).
- Maria Pia De Vito (1998). Phoné. EGEA.
- Guido Manusardi (1998). The Village Fair. Soul Note.
- Paolo Fresu (1999). Berchidda: Italian Years. Iris.
- Gianni Coscia (1999). La Bottega. EGEA.
- Enrico Intra (1999). Dissonanza Consonanza. Musica Jazz.
- Ivano Fossati (2000). La Disciplina della Terra. Columbia.
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (2000). Litania Sibilante. Enja.
- Michel Godard (2001). Castel del Monte. Enja.
- Gianni Coscia (2002). L' Archiliuto. EGEA.
- Civica Jazz Band (2002). Italian Jazz Graffiti. Soul Note.
- Andrea Centazzo (2002). Live with the Mitteleuropa Orchestra. Felmay.
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (2002). Previsioni del Tempo: Forecast. Imprint.
- Orchestre National de Jazz (2003). Charmediterranéen. ECM.
- Christina Pluhar (2004). All'Improvviso. Alpha Productions.
- Italian Instabile Orchestra (2004). The Owner of the Riverbank. Enja Justin Time.
- Eso Octet. Eso Octet. Splasc(h).
- Nexus (1994). Free Spirits. Splasc(h).
Filmography
- Il cortile della musica (The Music Court), (2010)