Cristiano Giardini | ODISSEYA • Reference Master Tape Copy •

Reference Master Tape Copy numbered edition
Conceived as a live performance, without compromise. Excessive post-production can distort the spontaneity and immediacy that characterize classical and jazz music, leading to a homogenized sound that impoverishes the listening experience. Therefore, we chose to record the album live, avoiding any digital manipulation, to deliver an authentic and nuanced sound to the audience.

"Odisseya" - Cristiano Giardini
"Ulisse's journey is just one example of what our own journeys could be; 'Odisseya' is mine." With these words, Cristiano Giardini introduces "Odisseya," a jazz concept album inspired by the journey as a metaphor for inner adventure and personal growth. Released in a quintet format for Birdbox Records, the album is available digitally from May 31st, on 180-gram vinyl, and as a reference master tape from July.
"Odisseya" was recorded live at Nightingale Studios in Palombara Sabina without any post-production editing, allowing the music to take shape organically. The album has been met with positive reviews from renowned colleagues for its ability to evoke deep emotions and the composer's instrumental mastery. Joe Lovano writes, "Tell everybody I love it." Jerry Bergonzi comments, "Great sound. Straight forward. Swingin’ Band. Tradition!!!" Paolo Fresu adds, "Beautiful, energetic, well-played, and well-written!"
"This new project marks another significant chapter in Giardini's career, solidifying his status as an influential figure in the contemporary music scene."
Joining the Sicilian saxophonist in the studio were Luca Mannutza on piano, Sasha Mashin on drums, Kim Baiunco on double bass, and Paolo Recchia on second sax.
Cristiano Giardini, known for his collaborations with top-tier musicians and his education at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he studied with Ferdinand Povel and Jasper Blom, and took private lessons from jazz saxophone giants like Joe Lovano, Dick Oatts, Michael Brecker, and Bob Malach, has shared the stage with Ben Sidran, Andy Sheppard, James Morrison, Butch "Lawrence" Morrison, and Bobby Durham, to name a few. Throughout his career, Giardini has been involved in numerous musical projects both as a leader and sideman, and has recorded numerous albums with various jazz ensembles.
"Odisseya" is born from the history of places dear to him: Acitrezza and the Faraglioni rocks, or the Cyclops Islands, linked to Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey. Like a modern-day Odysseus, whose journey is a metaphor for knowledge and a symbol of the conquest of identity and one's place in the world, Giardini embarks on his own journey, combining elements of jazz and experimental music, reflecting his life experiences and deep musical understanding. This journey is also, in fact, a demonstration of his human and compositional maturity."
The album consists of six tracks, three per side on vinyl, with titles in both Italian and Greek, a recurring epic element. It begins with "Il Viaggio" (The Journey), which has the inherent power of the idea of embarking on a mission like the Trojan War, with an unknown destination and an uncertain outcome. Giardini translates Ulysses' state of mind into music with a sustained rhythm and suspended chords, symbolizing the doubt and uncertainty of the human soul, who doesn't know what to expect from the future but whose heart is full of vital energy."