Gianno Basso
b. 24 May 1931, Asti, Italy. Basso studied clarinet at the Conservatorio di Asti before playing with various American groups in Belgium and Germany in the late '40s. When he returned to Italy he played in dance orchestras before joining the radio orchestra of Armando Trovajoli in 1956. He co-led one of Italy's best bands with trumpeter Oscar Valdambrini (1955-60) and worked with a succession of touring American musicians including Chet Baker, Buddy Collette, Slide Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Phil Woods and Gerry Mulligan. In the late '70s he founded the band Saxes Machine. His first influence as a tenor saxophone player was Stan Getz but he was later influenced by Sonny Rollins. His playing is characterized by the impetuosity associated with free jazz. Though he still plays club dates he now works mostly as a studio musician in Rome.