A native of Nembro, a small town near Bergamo, 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, the influential European producer Joachim-Ernst Berendt called him for his Clarinet Summit production, an all-star group with clarinet soloists, John Carter, Perry Robinson, Theo Jörgensmann and Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky.
In the 1990s he formed his renowned octet, with Pino Minafra on trumpet. The first record of the group (From G To G, 1992) won the Italian Top Jazz poll and five stars in Down Beat. 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. During the years the Octet went through important changes in the lineup.
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.
He has toured, recorded and performed with renowned improvisers, jazz musicians and musical experimenters, including 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 also member of the Italian Instabile Orchestra and a duo with accordeonist Gianni Coscia.
Discography
As leader
- (1978). Baghet. Dischi Della Quercia.
- (1981). Cinque Piccole Storie. Dischi Della Quercia.
- (1985). Dances. Red Records.
- (1988). Les Boîtes à Musique. Splasc(h).
- (1992). From G to G. Soul Note.
- (1992). Let. Splasc(h).
- (1994). Colline. Silex.
- (1995). Radici. EGEA. w/ Gianni Coscia
- (1997). Les Hommes Armés. Soul Note.
- (1999). Around Small Fairy Tales. Soul Note.
- (2000). In Cerca Di Cibo. ECM. w/ Gianni Coscia
- (2000). Round About a Midsummer's Dream. Enja Records.
- (2002). Big Band Project. Enja Records.
- (2002). Fugace. ECM.
- (2005). Round About Well. ECM. w/ Gianni Coscia
- (2007). Vaghissimo Ritratto. ECM.
As contributor
- (1981). The Family. FMP.
- ; Paolo Damiani; Gianluigi Trovesi (1983). Roccellanea. Splasc(h).
- (1984). Shock 11. Ictus.
- (1985). Here Comes Springtime. Soul Note.
- (1987). Poor Memory: Live in Atima. Splasc(h).
- (1988). They Cannot Know. Soul Note.
- ; Peter Köwald; Gianluigi Trovesi; Paul Lovens; Pino Minafra; Radu Malfatti (1989). Benefit Concert to Repurchase the Pendulum for Mr. Foucault. Splasc(h).
- (1991). Live In Noci And Rive-De Gier. Leo Records.
- (1991). Masks. Soul Note/Musica Jazz.
- (1991). Preacher and the Ghost. Splasc(h).
- ; Featuring Kenny Wheeler (1991). Song Tong. Splasc(h).
- (1992). S O N B. Splasc(h).
- (1993). Eso. Splasc(h).
- (1994). Electric Five. Soul Note.
- (1994). Ensalada Mistica. Splasc(h).
- (1994). European Concerts '94-'97. Nel Jazz.
- (1994). Skies of Europe. ECM.
- (1994). Tenco Project. Philology.
- ; Gianluigi Trovesi; Ernst Reijseger; Franco D'Andrea (1996). Belcanto. Ram Records.
- (1996). Disguise. Splasc(h).
- (1997). La Banda. Enja Records.
- (1997). October Meeting 1991, Anatomy of a Meeting. BIMhuis.
- ; Daniele Cavallanti (1997). We Still Have Visions. Splasc(h).
- (1998). Phoné. EGEA.
- (1998). The Village Fair. Soul Note.
- (1999). Berchidda: Italian Years. Iris.
- (1999). La Bottega. EGEA.
- (1999). Dissonanza Consonanza. Musica Jazz.
- (2000). La Disciplina della Terra. Columbia Records.
- (2000). Litania Sibilante. Enja Records.
- (2001). Castel del Monte. Enja Records.
- (2002). L' Archiliuto. EGEA.
- (2002). Italian Jazz Graffiti. Soul Note.
- (2002). Live with the Mitteleuropa Orchestra. Felmay Records.
- (2002). Previsioni del Tempo: Forecast. Imprint Records.
- (2003). Charmediterranéen. ECM.
- (2004). All'Improvviso. Alpha Productions.
- ; Featuring Cecil Taylor (2004). The Owner of the Riverbank. Enja Justin Time.
- Eso Octet. Splasc(h).
- (1994). Free Spirits. Splasc(h).
External links
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Last updated on Wednesday April 30, 2008 at 07:39:18 PDT (GMT -0700)
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