EMANUELE CISI
Tenor sax, soprano sax, composer
Born in Torino, Italy, in 1964, self-thaugt musician, he’s one of the most representative voices on tenor saxophone in today’s international jazz scene.
His unique tone, along with a deep knowledge of the tradition mixed with a personal taste for composition, are became a landmark for jazz lovers.
Since he won the Musica Jazz magazine critic’s prize in Italy as New Best Talent back in 1995, he recorded 12 cd’s as a leader or co-leader and more than 50 as a sideman, for labels based in Italy, France, Belgium, Japan and U.S.A.
During his career, he played and recorded with many great artists like Clark Terry, Jimmy Cobb, Albert Tootie Heat, Walter Booker, Joe Chambers, Ron Carter, Joe Chambers, Nat Adderley, Jack McDuff, Jimmy Owens, Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Billy Hart, Adam Nussbaum, Billy Cobham, Joey Calderazzo, Kenny Wheleer, Aldo Romano, Daniel Humair, Bruce Forman, Joe Magnarelli, Danny Grissett, John Riley, Enrico Pieranunzi, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Sting and many many others.
He has toured extensively in Europe, U.S., Canada, Russia, China, Oceania, South America, South Africa.
In spring 2012, the north american première of the Detroit Torino Urban Jazz Project (a multimedia project he founded in and co-leaded since 2006 with the Detroit born tenor player Chris Collins) took place at the Detroit Orchestra Hall along with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
In last years he also recorded and toured extensively around Europe as a jazz soloist with the baroque ensemble “La Venexiana”, considered as a world class interpreter of Monteverdi’s music.
He’s visiting more and more the U.S. scene, and his trio project, recorded in New York, has been released in October 2013 for the prominent jazz label Maxjazz.
A cd featuring Eric Reed on piano, has been relased in January 2016.
Since 2013 he conceived and promoted a collaboration between the Conservatory of Torino and the Juilliard Jazz School of New York, through workshops, concerts, students exchanges. In October 2016 he has been invited to take a lecture at Juilliard.
In 2015, 2016 and 2017 he has been voted best Italian tenor saxophone player on the eminent Jazzit magazine.
In 2018 he delivers his album “No Eyes – Looking at Lester Young” (Warner Music), featuring Roberta Gambarini and Greg Hutchinson, a warm and personal tribute to Young’s world. Thanks to this acclaimed and successful album, he’s on the third position both as best Italian musician and best album of the year on Musica Jazz annual critics poll called Top Jazz.
His new multimedia project (cd and docufilm), inspired by the pandemic scenario and the concept of “distance”, called “Far Away”, recorded and filmed onboard of a sailboat in open sea together with the Italian prominent actor Filippo Timi, has been released by Warner Music in spring 2022.
His new album, with Italian pianist Dado Moroni, bassist Nicholas Thys and Jorge Rossy on drums has been released in 2025.
He’s full professor of Jazz Saxophone since 2010 and Head of Jazz Department at the Conservatory of Torino.