Three Italian Jazz Musicians You Need to Hear
Italy’s jazz greats and where to start listening
As someone with Italian heritage, and having grown up surrounded by Italian music, in addition to the customs, food, and language, it’s remarkable that I came to Italian jazz so late. Even after I developed a deep love for the genre, it wasn’t the Italians that I turned to. In fact, ignorant as it may sound, I had no idea that jazz even had a presence in Italy.
So it’s been somewhat of a revelation for me to discover a deep history of the genre that stretches back decades. Jazz first arrived in Italy just after World War I, where it quickly spread through the major cities of Rome, Milan, and Naples. Today, the jazz scene is just as strong, and plays host to a variety of world class musicians and venues, including Blue Note Milan.
If, like me, you’ve been oblivious to Italian jazz and want to start scratching the surface, or just want to hear some fantastic jazz records, here are three masters of the genre to get you started.
Renato Sellani
I first discovered Renato Sellani in Japan. In fact, his music was recommended to me by the wonderful host of Jazz Bar Chetty in Kyoto after a long conversation about music, records, travel, and more. It was just the two of us in the bar for a couple of hours, which meant that she made time to ask what type of jazz I like, and after rattling off some names, she confidently, with a smile on her face, pulled out Renato Sellani’s 1974 record, Jazz a confronto 9. It shook my world.
Born in 1926 in Senigallia, a port city in the northern part of the country, Sellani spent decades perfecting his craft and working with some bonafide legends along the way, including Chet Baker and Dizzie Gillespie. He was considered one of the nation’s most celebrated and important jazz pianists, and his legacy and impact continue still, more than a decade after his passing.
Where to start: I adore Sellani’s 1977 record, Jazz Piano (Pianoforte). It’s a delicate, beautiful, and emotional album that is emblematic of Sellani as a performer, as well as the romantic style of Italian jazz in general. It’s also endlessly listenable, and I find it to be a record that suits just about any mood. There’s no better starting point.
Enrico Pieranunzi
Enrico Pieranunzi is another artist that I discovered in a jazz kissaten in Japan. However, this time it was at Donato, which has unfortunately shut and now operates as a record store in Jimbocho. The difference with this discovery is that it wasn’t curated for me, it was simply the artist that the host wanted to play while I was there.
Enrico was born in Rome in 1949 and followed in the footsteps of his father, Alvaro, who was a jazz musician himself. Similar to Sellani, Pieranunzi worked with some of the giants of jazz throughout the decades and has released more than 70 records as leader, as well as dozens more as sideman for artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, and even Ennio Morricone. Pieranunzi is considered of one Italy’s greatest jazz musicians, and for good reason.
Where to start: Deep Down, the 1986 record Pieranunzi made with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron is a classic. It’s the record I first heard at Donato and it’s the one I that always turn to. The mid-1980s were a period where Pieranunzi was especially inspired by Bill Evans, and that influence really comes through on this record. It’s melodic, introspective, and captivating.
Enrico Rava
I’m a huge fan of the label ECM Records. There’s just something to the hushed, moody, and minimalist recordings that they embrace which I really get behind. It feels like I discover a new ECM favourite every few weeks, a recent one being Enrico Rava, the brilliant jazz trumpeter from Trieste.
Rava is a self-taught musician, having turned to the trumpet upon first hearing Miles Davis, and ended up moving to New York at a young age. Rava is no less prolific than the other musicians mentioned here, having released dozens of records as a lead/co-lead.
Where to start: Rava released Easy Living on ECM Records in 2004, and it’s easily one one his best releases. There’s that signature ECM sound, particularly in the opening track ‘Cromosomi’, but it also incorporates a variety of atmospheres and tempos that highlight an incredible musician at the top of their game. Each track is truly transportive, regardless of the different mood it might be offering.
Thanks for reading. An album I’ve been loving recently is Motohiko Ichino’s 2007 record Sketches. It’s a beautiful guitar-led jazz piece that is one of my best recent discoveries. Feel free to share your own recent discoveries!
All new to me; thanks. Surprised pianist Michel Petrucciani not on the list.
Really enjoying your reviews and some lovely new ‘finds’.Thank you.