His jazz orchestra near the altar, his tenor saxophone, the friend of a lifetime, now silent forever on an empty chair. This was the farewell yesterday morning, in San Secondo in Asti, paid tribute to jazz great Gianni Basso, the star for over 50 years of great concerts in Italy and abroad. Not a "king", the jazz world does not know them, but something more: a true gentleman of Italian jazz. The Italian jazz musician with the longest career, the one that had introduced continuously and decent Italian jazz musicians in Europe and America. Great musician, great conductor of orchestras and instigator of events, great and generous talent scout, a great man, endowed as the true great of humanity, psychology and ease, unlike many prima donnas hysterical Italian jazz. Had died in hospital last Monday at age 78. .
was something Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins something. The increasing vehemence, the phrasing and rich carved baroque notes in the round, even the hot sounds of the great tenor saxophonist of the swing and the undisputed designer of his instrument, he found out little by little surprised. Why Gianni Basso, great saxophone player, improviser, conductor, arranger, author, instigator of events and generous talent scout and as a young, forever young, a partner of great musicians from around the world, was soaked in bebop.
was not "King of Jazz" in Italy, as they would like the chroniclers of spettacoli, che non si intendono di jazz ma devono pur inventarsi un titolo. Nel jazz, si sa, dopo morti sono tutti "re" per i giornali italiani. No, era troppo signore, troppo umano, troppo perbene e cordiale per volerlo e per esserlo.
Fu certamente tra i maggiori jazzisti italiani di tutti i tempi, e comunque quello con la carriera continuativa più lunga, a cominciare dal 1950, e in gran parte passata attraverso la televisione, allora sicuro approdo per una bella grande orchestra come la sua (il quintetto, ma poi anche sestetto e ottetto Basso-Valdambrini).
Gianni Basso è scomparso il 17 scorso a 78 anni, e come accade sempre nel jazz, musica giovane, di giovani e per i giovani, aveva suonato fino all’ultimo. Da giovane. E un sassofono non è un pianoforte, che può suonare con quattro dita anche il centenario Eubie Black.
Aveva scelto nel dopoguerra il bebop di Parker, Gillespie, Powell e Monk, la rivoluzione del jazz moderno, che aveva cambiato in profondità, reso più veloce e sintetico, finalmente davvero "sincopato", il jazz, e non l’aveva più abbandonata.
Perché avrebbe dovuto? Proprio come si addice chi è sulla mainstream, la strada principale della musica moderna, e non è spinto a curiosare tra i vicoli, non tentò mai le sterili avanguardie alla moda, sempre ripiegata su se stessa. Anche quando questa gli avrebbe portato più dischi per la sua discografia personale (dischi prodotti, non certo venduti) and more awareness among young people, those to be clear that "the Coltrane jazz starts at the last." He had been accused of having made music "television", that is comforting, to please even the rag.Rossi and the lady upstairs, even to work for the bourgeoisie. " Toh, the same accusations that could be done to Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart. And never mind him, so modest, it could be comparable to those giants.
course, the snobbery of those who despise the public intellectualism and spitting on the hand that feeds not ever touched. He was humble, as it should be an artist, in front of audiences for whom he played. In fact, like all true artists could communicate. Moreover, history has taught us that art, sooner or later - sooner rather than later - is understood by the public. A music for themselves, "incomprehensible to others, they said the scholars of aesthetics, not art, rather it is a contradiction. The art, as well as interpretation of reality, of Nature, is communication, message.
No, Gianni Basso, too savvy, that is smart to ignore, jazz does not begin with some Coltrane or Ornette Coleman, but the blues and the old times in New Orleans and Chicago jazz musician and a good and complete must have absorbed and digested all styles, all musicians, all ages. So jazz is full, so it is difficult. But he also knew that jazz has been the formal language of bebop. E 'bebop. There is a "progress" even in art. But Bass, with the choice of reeds just gave him this unique sound, that sounds classic, this round and impetuous phrasing that appeals to everyone, even some incurable traditionalists.
He played with all the jazz greats of European and global, his saxophone was in great demand because it was the first European style (he was very useful form as a teenager in Belgium, where the family lived, in the orchestra Raoul Falsan.
.
Gianni Basso on you can read the biography of Wikipedia, in addition to the news at the time of his death, on Corriere della Sera and Print .
k
JAZZ - YouTube has a few movies on Gianni Basso, and not the best. However, there is a better audio recording accompanied by slides, is the historic festival Umbria Jazz, UJ when jazz was still good. We Orvieto July 27, 1974 (Bass is 43 years old) in the Gardens of Albornoz. The quartet of Gianni Basso (tenor sax) and Dino Piana (trombone). Sounds in a beautiful Lover Man . a transcript that is almost timely as to Pansa was Parker on tenor and tone with a warmer. 87 (56 years) Gianni Basso is a recording RAI led a big band in young Quo Vadis Samba . Finally, in 2006, when old (75 years) but not for jazz, here is a recording of chance, such as poor acoustics, Gianni Basso and Mario Rusca (piano) at the Hotel Visconti jazzclub Milan. Notice the constant dialogue with drummer Low Faraò.
0 comments:
Post a Comment