Giorgio Gaslini

Giorgio Gaslini (; 22 October 1929 – 29 July 2014) was an Italian jazz pianist, composer and conductor.

He began performing aged 13 and recorded with his jazz trio at 16. In the 1950s and 1960s, Gaslini performed with his own quartet. He was the first Italian musician mentioned as a "new talent" in the Down Beat poll and the first Italian officially invited to a jazz festival in the USA (New Orleans 1976–77). He collaborated with leading American soloists, such as Anthony Braxton, Steve Lacy, Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, Max Roach, but also with the Argentinian Gato Barbieri and Frenchman Jean-Luc Ponty. He also adapted the compositions of Albert Ayler and Sun Ra for solo piano, which the Soul Note label issued. He also composed the soundtrack of Michelangelo Antonioni's La notte (The Night, 1961).

From 1991 to 1995, Gaslini composed works for Carlo Actis Dato's Italian Instabile Orchestra, and was the first holder of jazz courses at the Santa Cecilia Academy of Music in Rome (1972–73). As to contemporary music, he composed symphonic works, operas and ballets represented at the Scala Theatre in Milan and other Italian theatres, in addition to film scores, including Bali (1970), Your Hands on My Body (1970), Cross Current (1971), The Hassled Hooker (1972), The Night of the Devils (1972), So Sweet, So Dead (1972), When Women Were Called Virgins (1972), Five Women for the Killer (1974) and Kleinhoff Hotel (1977). In 1975, he was contacted by Dario Argento to score Deep Red, having previously scored Argento's The Five Days in 1973. Argento was disappointed by the music, and only three of Gaslini's original themes were retained.

Gaslini died at 84 in Borgo Val di Taro, in the province of Parma, where he had been living for years together with his longtime wife and 14 dogs and cats.

Discography As leader Recording date Title Label Year released Notes 1966-02 Nuovi Sentimenti La Voce Del Padrone 1966 With Don Cherry and Enrico Rava (trumpet), Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Gianni Bedori (alto sax, flute), Gato Barbieri (tenor sax), Kent Carter and Jean-François Jenny-Clark (bass), Aldo Romano and Franco Tonani (drums) 1967? New Sound Jazz #2 Cinevox 1967 1968-04, 1968-06 Il fiume Furore I dischi del sole 1968 1968? Grido Durium 1968 In concert 1969? Un quarto di vita Durium 1969 with I Nuovi Angeli and Edmonda Aldini 1969? Newport in Milan Produttori Associati 1969 with big band 1970? Africa ! Mikrokosmos Produttori Associati 1970 1972? Una cosa nuova Produttori Associati 1972 1973-03 Message BASF 1973 1973? Favola Pop Reportage Da "L'Isola Di Utopia" Produttori Associati 1973 1973-10, 1973-12 Fabbrica occupata Produttori Associati 1974 Co-led with Jean-Luc Ponty 1973-11 –1974-07 Colloquio con Malcolm X PDU 1974 1976? Canti di popolo in jazz PDU 1976 Co-led with Bruno Tommaso 1976? Jean-Luc Ponty meets Giorgio Gaslini Produttori Associati 1976 1976-01 Murales live Dischi della Quercia 1976 In concert 1976-04 New Orleans Suite Dischi Della Quercia 1976 Quartet, with Gianni Bedori (tenor sax, soprano sax), Julius Farmer (electric bass), John Vidacovich (drums) 1977-06 Free Actions Dischi Della Quercia 1977 Sextet, with Gianni Bedori (tenor sax, soprano sax), Gianluigi Trovesi (alto sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet), Paolo Damiani (bass), Gianni Cazzola (drums), Luis Agudo (percussion); in concert 1977-11 Graffiti Dischi Della Quercia 1978 [2LP] Sextet, with Gianni Bedori (tenor sax, soprano sax), Gianluigi Trovesi (alto sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet), Paolo Damiani (bass), Gianni Cazzola (drums), Luis Agudo (percussion); in concert 1981-05 Gaslini Plays Monk Soul Note 1981 Solo piano 1984-07 Schumann Reflections Soul Note 1984 Trio, with Piero Leveratto (bass), Paolo Pellegatti (drums) 1987-10 Multipli Soul Note 1988 With Roberto Ottaviano (alto sax, soprano sax, sopranino sax, bass clarinet), Claudio Fasoli (tenor sax, soprano sax), Bruno Tommaso (bass), Giampiero Prina (drums) 1990-07 Ayler's Wings Soul Note 1991 Solo piano 1990-03, 1990-09, 1991-03, 1991-06 Masks Soul Note / Musica Jazz 1992 With orchestra 1994-01 Lampi Soul Note 1994 With Daniele Di Gregorio (vibes, marimba, percussion), Roberto Bonati (bass), Giampiero Prina (drums) 1996-02 Jelly's Back In Town Dischi Della Quercia 1996 With orchestra 1996-07 Mister O Soul Note 1997 With orchestra 1995-05, 1997-06 Ballets Soul Note 1998 With strings 2000-06 Sacred Concert. Jazz Te Deum Soul Note 2002 In concert with orchestra 2000-09, 2001-03, 2001-04Enigma Soul Note 2001 Partially in concert (2000–09). With Proxima Centauri Orchestra. 2002-05 Il Brutto Anatroccolo Il Manifesto 2005 with Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna 2002-06 Urban Griot Soul Note 2003 With Proxima Centauri Orchestra; In concert 2003-09 Plays Sun Ra Soul Note 2005 Solo piano 2003-11 Elle Velut Luna 2004 2006? Musica Totale Azzurra 2006 2007-01 Jazzitaliano Live 2007 Casa Del Jazz 2007 Trio, with Roberto Bonati (bass), Roberto Dani (drums, percussion); in concert 2007-05 Ellaura Velut Luna 2007 With Laura Conti 2011-05 Piano Solo: Incanti Cam Jazz 2011 Solo piano; in concert

Compilations L'Integrale, Anthologia Cronologica No. 1, No. 2 (Soul Note) – rec. 1948–1964 L'Integrale, Anthologia Cronologica No. 3, No. 4 (Soul Note) – rec. 1964–1968 L'Integrale, Anthologia Cronologica No. 5, No. 6 (Soul Note) – rec. 1968–1969 L'Integrale, Anthologia Cronologica No. 7, No. 8 (Soul Note) – rec. 1973–1974 Giorgio Gaslini: Sinfonico³ (Velut Luna, 2010) – classical rec. 1992, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2009 Gaslini sinfonico 4 (Velut Luna, 2014) – classical rec. 1999, 2011, 2013

Main sources:

As sideman With Mario Schiano Jazz a confronto 8 (Horo, 1974)

Selected filmography La notte (1961) Le sorelle (1969) Le tue mani sul mio corpo (1970) La pacifista (1970) Incontro d'amore a Bali (1970) Un omicidio perfetto a termine di legge (1971) Quando le donne si chiamavano madonne (1972) Il vero e il falso (film)|Il vero e il falso (1972) La notte dei diavoli (1972) Rivelazioni di un maniaco sessuale al capo della squadra mobile (1972) Le cinque giornate (1973) Profondo rosso (1975) (with Goblin)