| Jazz |
Max Ionata’s Tivoli: A Saxophonist Building Bridges Between Cultures.
Firmly planted on the European jazz scene yet reaching far beyond its borders, Italian saxophonist and composer Max Ionata has become one of the defining voices of contemporary jazz. With his new album, Tivoli, Ionata invites listeners into a sound world that is both universal and deeply personal, a jazz that celebrates joy, beauty, and connection, while carrying a poetic touch that has become his signature.
The title itself is a story. Tivoli links two places separated by geography but united in spirit: the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, with their festive, almost magical atmosphere, and the historic Italian town of Tivoli, near Rome, renowned for its villas and lush gardens. The music reflects both inspirations, open, luminous Nordic spaces enriched by the melodic warmth and lyricism of the Mediterranean. The result is an album that feels like a cultural bridge, an invitation to travel across landscapes and traditions through sound.
Those who know these two Tivolis will feel the resonance. Each composition seems to breathe the character of these places. What is missing, perhaps, are only the scents of Italian gardens in high summer, bursting with jasmine, roses, and citrus. But close your eyes while listening, and Ionata’s saxophone suggests even those aromas, folding them into a tapestry of sound where festive energy and meditative depth coexist.
A Voice Recognized Across Continents
Max Ionata is widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian saxophonists of his generation. Over the course of a career spanning more than seventy recordings, he has earned both critical and public acclaim, becoming one of Italy’s most internationally recognized jazz artists. His reputation extends well beyond Europe; in Japan in particular, he enjoys a level of admiration reserved for only a few foreign musicians.
Ionata’s collaborations map the global terrain of modern jazz. He has performed and recorded with Robin Eubanks, Reuben Rogers, Clarence Penn, Lenny White, Billy Hart, Alvin Queen, Joe Locke, Anne Ducros, Steve Grossman, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer, Bob Franceschini, Hiram Bullock, Joel Frahm, Miles Griffith, Anthony Pinciotti, Jon Cowherd, John Benitez, Dino Piana, Roberto Gatto, Dado Moroni, Stefano Di Battista, Gegè Telesforo, Giovanni Tommaso, Flavio Boltro, Furio Di Castri, Fabrizio Bosso, Enrico Pieranunzi, Mario Biondi, Ornella Vanoni, Sergio Cammariere, Renzo Arbore—and many more. He has appeared on stages from Tokyo to New York, from Rome to Copenhagen, in the world’s leading jazz clubs and festivals.
But Ionata’s artistry is not simply measured by the prestige of his collaborations. What sets him apart is his sound—immediately recognizable, yet never predictable. His saxophone carries a warmth that is distinctly Italian, infused with lyricism, elegance, and emotional depth.
Tivoli: A New Chapter
With Tivoli, Ionata is not merely releasing another album. He is opening a new chapter in his musical story. The record reflects the sum of his experiences, but also signals a forward-looking vision: creating bridges between cultures, leading a group of musicians as equals, and renewing his style while remaining faithful to the spirit of jazz tradition.
Ionata’s style may sound instantly familiar, but that familiarity is born not of imitation, but of mastery. It comes from years onstage, from carefully crafted arrangements, and from the kind of refined artistry that places him among the elite of the jazz world. Traditional only in its intention, his music remains unmistakably his own, resonant, lyrical, and rooted in a Mediterranean sensibility that feels both timeless and fresh.
Tivoli is, in the end, an album of journeys. It moves between cultures, atmospheres, and moods, but always returns to Ionata’s voice: warm, magnetic, and deeply human. It is a recording to be savored by connoisseurs, yet it is open enough to welcome new listeners into its fold. In that balance, between sophistication and accessibility, between Europe and the world, lies the enduring strength of Max Ionata.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 3rd 2025
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Musicians:
Max Ionata – saxophone
Martin Sjöstedt – piano
Jesper Bodilsen – double bass Martin Andersen – drums
Track Listing:
Canción para Sara
Consolation
Det lysner
Tivoli
Everything I Love
When We Were One
Naru’s Waltz
Mr. GT