Gianni Gebbia

"In the vast landscape of improvising musicians, Gianni got  his start as a saxophonist early on developing soon his own tone, his own aesthetic not only through a great stylistic openness in the choice of his numerous musical pieces, partners and his concept of music, but also by the radical questioning about  what constitutes this instrument. Even the basic requirement, the duration of human breath, he virtuosically overrides it through circular breathing and has it how hardly any of his colleagues had previously achieved something that was literally breathtaking.  Also through his philosophical and literary interests, he has a living connection to choreography and fine arts and his work is all about a larger context that renegotiates the relationship between humans, machines and nature. "

Heiner Goebbels  2022

In the enchanting town of Palermo, nestled on the rugged coast of Sicily, lives a man named Gianni Gebbia. He's not just another resident of this picturesque town; he's a musical soul whose melodies echoed through the narrow cobblestone streets and resonated in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of hearing his saxophone. Gianni has an unbreakable bond with his saxophone. From a young age, he found solace in its warm embrace. Born to a family of doctors and judges, he was encouraged to follow his passion, even though it was a departure from the traditional path.   As Gianni's fingers danced on the keys and his breath flowed through the instrument, he transported listeners to a world where time seemed to stand still. His music captures the essence of Sicily – the raw beauty of the landscapes, the fiery passion of its people, and the ever-present connection to the sea.

Word of Gianni's exceptional talent spread beyond the town's borders. Travelers from distant lands would make their way to Palermo, drawn by the allure of his performances. Locals and visitors alike would gather in the town squares, under the twinkling stars and the gentle glow of streetlamps, or in the theaters and clubs to witness Gianni's musical enchantment. One summer evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and cast hues of orange and pink across the sky, Gianni's saxophone began to sing a different tune. His fingers explored uncharted melodies, reflecting the changing colors of the sky. The crowd fell silent, captivated by this new composition that seemed to capture the essence of the moment.

Little did Gianni know, a renowned music producer from London was among the audience that night. Impressed by Gianni's ability to blend tradition with innovation, the producer approached him after the performance. He offered Gianni an opportunity to record an album that would showcase not only his saxophone mastery but also the soul of Sicily.

With a mixture of excitement and apprehension, Gianni accepted the offer.  Over the next few months, he poured his heart into the project, collaborating with musicians who shared his passion for preserving Sicily's musical heritage. The resulting album was a masterpiece, an ode to the island's rich culture and a celebration of Gianni's unique voice. 

As the album gained international acclaim, Gianni embarked on many world tours, sharing his Sicilian melodies with audiences from New York to Tokyo. Yet, no matter where his journey takes him, he remains rooted in Palermo, returning home to the same cobblestone streets that had nurtured his artistry. Gianni Gebbia, the saxophonist from Sicily, continues to enchant the world with his music, proving that even in a modern age, the power of a single instrument could transcend time and boundaries, connecting people through the universal language of melody and emotion.  And in the heart of Palermo, his saxophone's echoes  reminds everyone that true magic could be found in the notes of a single song.

Created by the A.I. in  2023 

"Hailing from Sicily, saxophonist Gianni Gebbia has similarly crossed the bridge between traditional and experimental music, conjuring up the launedda, the ancient Sardinian bagpipes and propelling it into the new millennium."

Liner notes from Innova Recording label 2011

"Given the manner in which Anthony Braxton defined recorded improvisation for the alto saxophone on Delmark's seminal For Alto in the late '60s, and then redefined it on Alto Saxophone Improvisations on Arista in the '70s, virtually every saxophonist recording a date of this kind -- whether acknowledging it or not -- owes a great debt to Braxton's pioneering spirit and fluid technique on the instrument. The 17 improvisations that make up Body Limits are most certainly indebted to Braxton but, since Braxton himself felt indebted to Lee Konitz' Lone Lee album, Gianni Gebbia gets to bring the circle to a close around his own playing. Gebbia, whose own lyrical and harmonically inventive playing is a great gift to the Italian jazz scene, wears his influences proudly. Certainly influences like Konitz, Desmond, Hank Mobley, and Cannonball Adderley are more than represented in his melodic style, but sonically, John Cage, Bruno Maderna, Braxton, the early Art Ensemble, and the Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble come to mind. But in his note-for-note playing, altoist Marion Brown comes closer. The warmth in Gebbia's tone and the open-tonal reaching of one microharmony for another without having to bleat through the horn come from Brown. His quiet insistence that -- no matter what -- a note, a rest, and a melody had to be played through to the end is everywhere evident in Gebbia's playing. But Gebbia's melodic and harmonic invention are purely his own; he understands space, time, and the necessity of remaining focused -- check "Amniotico," "Mobius Ring," "Cordelia," or "Monadism" for easy examples. Gebbia has it: the gift to extend what he's learned in order to become who he is. As for everyone else who happens to be listening, they're damn lucky to have recorded evidence of such a great master at work."

Thom Jurek

The self taught Gebbia’s works touches on the avant guard whilst maintaining a musicality and fluidity with his technique of circular breathing adding an extra element to his playing, the ability to create Reichian like minimalism with a single breath whilst maintaining melodic structure. The multi solo album artist is noted recently for working on the music score of Heiner Goebbels music performance piece ‘Everything that happened and would happen’ at the Manchester international festival and for his curating of the “Anassimandro Festival of Music and Philosophy.

Phonica Magazine London

"I think it's important to situate Gianni solo playing in the space coming from the Braxton/Parker at Pisa in the early eighties mould, but just as importantly,from the Sardinian launeddas tradition. A lot of what he plays comes much more directly from the latter (including the "8 bar modal folk-tune repeated over and over, with unbelievable superimposed variation" that you allude to) Launeddas is always played with circular breathing  (they learn by trying to evenly blow bubbles in a glass of water through a straw while breathing through the nose) and they've been doing it a hell of a lot longer than Evan or Roland Kirk ! " 

Fred Frith  1999

"I've listened with great pleausure to your solo album and I'm happy to see in what direction you are working."

Jan Garbarek 1988