Massimo Urbani
Massimo Urbani ( born May 8, 1957 in Rome, † June 24, 1993 ) was an Italian jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Massimo Urbani grew up in the Roman Primavalle district and learned the clarinet at age eleven, but later switched to saxophone. He was already from 1973 on jazz scene in Italy and was regarded as a musical " Wunderkind". At seventeen he played in a quartet of Giorgio Gaslini. He became known in Italy through his memberships in the bands of Mario Schiano and Marcello Melis, musical idols were Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.
In 1973 made his first recordings; He can be heard on Schianos album Sud. He also studied with Giorgio Gaslini at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome. In 1974 he was a member of the second edition of the formation Umbria Jazz with guest musician Sonny Stitt; He also played in the Collective Orchestra Gaetano Liguori. Invited by Enrico Rava, he has performed in New York's Central Park. The mid-1980s he became a member of the band by Giovanni Tommaso ( Via GT, 1986) and adopted since 1979 a number of albums under his own name; his first record 360 Degrees Aeutopia on Red Records originated with the American musicians Don Burton, Cameron Brown and Beaver Harris. Stir among the jazz criticism aroused especially his 1993 with his brother Maurizio Urbani, Danilo Rea, Giovanni Tommaso and Roberto Gatto arisen album The Blessing.
On the night of 23 to June 24, 1993 Urbani died of a heroin overdose. Cook and Morton have linked him to masterful bebop saxophonist of the continent. According to him, an international jazz award is named.