Massimo Urbani

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Massimo Urbani (* 8. May 1957 in Rome ; † 24. June 1993 ) was an Italian jazz - saxophonist .

biography

Massimo Urbani grew up in the Primavalle district of Rome and initially learned the clarinet at the age of eleven, but later switched to the saxophone. He had been part of the Italian jazz scene since 1973 and was considered a musical “child prodigy”. At seventeen he played in Giorgio Gaslini's quartet . He was also known in Italy through his membership in the bands of Mario Schiano and Marcello Melis , musical role models were Charlie Parker , John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman .

The first recordings were made in 1973; he can be heard on Schiano's album Sud . He also studied with Giorgio Gaslini at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. In 1974 he was a member of the second edition of the Umbria Jazz formation with guest musician Sonny Stitt ; he also played in the Collective Orchestra of Gaetano Liguori . He was invited by Enrico Rava to perform in Central Park in New York . In the mid-1980s he became a member of Giovanni Tommaso's band ( Via GT , 1986) and has recorded a number of albums under his own name since 1979; his first record 360 Degrees Aeutopia on Red Records was made with American musicians Don Burton , Cameron Brown and Beaver Harris . His album The Blessing , created in 1993 with his brother Maurizio Urbani , Danilo Rea , Giovanni Tommaso and Roberto Gatto , caused a sensation among jazz critics .

Urbani died of a heroin overdose on the night of June 23-24, 1993. Cook and Morton count him among the most masterful bebop saxophonists on the continent. An international jazz prize is named after him.

Discographic notes

Albums under your own name

  • 1974 - Jazz a confronto 13 ( Horo Records )
  • 1977 - Invitation ( Philology )
  • 1979 - 360 ° Aeutopia ( Red Records )
  • 1980 - Dedications to Albert Ayler & John Coltrane - Max's mood (Red Records) with Furio Di Castri
  • 1984 - The Urbisaglia Concert (Philology)
  • 1987 - Easy to Love (Red Records) with Roberto Gatto
  • 1987 - Duets Improvisations for Yardbird with Mike Melillo (Philology)
  • 1988 - Urlo (Elicona)
  • 1990 - Out of Nowhere (Splasch)
  • 1993 - The Blessing (Red Records)

Participation as a sideman

  • 1973 - Sud - Mario Schiano (Splasc (h))
  • 1986 - Via GT - Giovanni Tommaso (Red Records)
  • 1987 - Where extreme meet - Luca Flores (Splasc (h))
  • 1988 - Chet in Italy - Chet Baker (Philology)

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ cit. after Cook and Morton; in the original German
  2. ↑ Morton and Cook consider it to be Urbani's best album and give it the highest rating of four stars
  3. ↑ published posthumously
personal data
SURNAME Urbani, Massimo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian jazz saxophonist
DATE OF BIRTH May 8, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Rome
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 1993