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"His fluid tone and easygoing articulation carry the alto and soprano on a journey
that respects tradition while pumping new energy into the scene." all about jazz
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bio
Bobby Selvaggio is one of the leading voices on alto sax in today's Jazz scene. In the words of two of today's main figures in Jazz: Kenny Werner - ".....Bobby is among the best of players out there...." and Joe Lovano - ".....Bobby is one of the few young saxophonists on the scene today that captures you with his strong presence, focus, and sound.......". Bobby plays alto and soprano sax, alto clarinet, flute, is a bandleader of multiple projects, composer and arranger, Jazz clinician, and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at Kent State University. After living in New York City for 4 years, gigging all over the city at such places as the Vanguard and Birdland, and getting a Masters in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music, Bobby moved back to Cleveland with his family and has recorded 6 CD's ( the last 2 for Arabesque Records ), booked gigs and tours with his various bands, is continually creating new musical projects, and is writing a book on Jazz Improvisation. Besides his busy music schedule, Bobby enjoys spending time with his wife Chelsea, son Julian, and cats Mingus and Maisy.
quotes
Joe Lovano ~ “Bobby Selvaggio is one of the few young saxophonists on the scene today that captures you with his strong presence, focus, and sound. He carries you with him on his journey through these original compositions and has put together a fantastic group for his new release. I’ve known Bobby for some time and it’s very exciting for me to hear his development, and see his passion and drive through the years grow and grow……Carry on Bobby!!!! That’s what it takes.”
Kenny Werner ~ “Bobby’s CD was really something special. It’s not often that a composer sets up tunes and situations that make the band and every soloist sound special, but once we understood Bobby’s compositions, each and every one of them started to make us sound brilliant. Also, for my money, Bobby is among the best of players out there!”
reviews
by S. Victor Aaron-Bobby
Selvaggio Grass Roots Movement
For a serious post-bop performer to take a leap
into Grooveland, it can often be a risky bet. Will they be able to keep their
artistic integrity? Will they even care? A couple of years ago, alto saxophonist
Bobby Selvaggio made his second album (his first for the Arabesque Recordings
label), leading a standard quintet that featured Kenny Werner through
sophisticated modern jazz compositions all written by Selvaggio himself. Modern
Times (2009)
as that album is called, was a solid record, and showcased Selvaggio's aptitude
for setting up challenges for himself and conquering them, while making it all
sound easy. A tune from that
album I
wrote about for jazz.com, "Whirlwind," was one brilliant
example of that.
Two years later, Selvaggio is back with Grass
Roots Movement, released last month. Once again, Bobby leads a quintet for
an Arabesque release that contains all original Selvaggio compositions. But
there's a distinction with this all-new quintet, as this is an electric band
that plays jazz with a bent for the groove. No worries, though: Selvaggio didn't
sell out.
Helping out Selvaggio on this album are Nir Felder
(guitar), James Johnson (drums), Kip Reed (electric bass) and Frank LoCrasto
(fender Rhodes). With the exception of fellow Cleveland homeboy Reed, the rest
of the group were recruited from a stable of young fast risers of New York
scene; Felder himself has seemingly come out of nowhere to be on this fourth
album reviewed on this site, all within a span of about a year.
This is one tough unit, playing bop lines in the pocket
on funk numbers like "No Turn On Red" and "Return To Sender" (not the Elvis
song). Other tracks remain squarely in the straight jazz realm despite the
presence of more contemporary instruments. "Chicken Legs" and "Spy Movie" are
such songs where Selvaggio built some tricky rhythms and created detailed
melodies around them.
Selvaggio must really like Felder's playing because he
gets nearly as much spotlight as the leader. Felder takes the first solo on the
first song, "No Turn On Red," where everyone except Johnson backs out, and the
skilled guitarist is left to create melody as he's soloing. He passes the test
with flying colors. His other notable solos are found on the empyrean "Dust
Bunnies"---the best ballad here---and the propulsive "Return To Sender." Though
the other players don't get solo opportunities quite as much, their supporting
roles prove to be critical by creating the sounds and rhythms of contemporary
jazz with the complexity and mystery of more advanced jazz. LoCrasto's
Rhodes is delectable,
creating a warm buffer zone between the lead players and the hard, sometimes
off-kilter grooves of Reed and Johnson.
Selvaggio's own playing fits this style naturally, as
even on Modern
Times he
showed sensitivity to complex rhythms. "Fish Food" is where he takes his own
turn soloing with only the drums behind him, and on there and elsewhere he
brings together the best facets from jazz--- soul, intelligence and swing---into
one voice. He can also play with intensity and focus, channeling melancholy
moods like a real master as he does on "Signature Needed."
Some jazz exists to make you move, and others to make you
think. Bobby Selvaggio's new disc Grass
Roots Movement does
both, making it the right jazz record to cue up for nearly all your jazz moods.
Downbeat Jazz Magazine October 2007
CD - Unspoken Dialogue ( Playscape Recordings )
Artist - Bobby Selvaggio ( alto and soprano sax )
Reviewed by John Ephland 3 ½ Stars
Fronting a capable and sensitive quintet, alto/soprano saxophonist Selvaggio bends the rules to his advantage. On the set’s nine tunes ( all Selvaggio’s except “Alone Together” ), there’s a nice blend of straight ahead jazz with some Latin configurations, odd time signatures, and ballads. But the arrangements make the difference. Take the opener, “Forgotten Man”. Sporting a swinging, halting nature, with fine solos from trumpeter Paul Tynan and Kenny Werner on piano, it’s a tip-off to what follows: music that’s thoughtful, slyly subversive, perhaps a wee bit delicate, but hardly conventional.
Jazz.com
Track - Whirlwind
Artist - Bobby Selvaggio ( soprano sax and composer )
CD - Modern Times ( Arabesque Recordings AJ0190 )
Musicians: Bobby Selvaggio - soprano sax, Kenny Werner - piano, Matt Wigton - bass, Nathan Douds - drums.
Recorded: July 2008
Rating: 88/100 ( Very solid and worth checking out )
Bobby Selvaggio wanted to write a demanding tune that takes its cues from Wayne Shorter and his present-day quartet. Composing something like this is one thing, but performing it must have been another chore entirely. Fortunately for Selvaggio, the band was up to the task, and this recording of “Whirlwind” is their first take. The group collectively puts accents on beats at irregular spots, playing whack-a-mole all over the melody. Even when Selvaggio improvises, he somehow maintains the presence of mind to drop in those scattered pulses in the middle of some pretty involved soloing. If you listen closely enough, you can hear Werner simultaneously doing the same kind of multitasking. Despite the jagged rhythms, the harmony lands on its feet after every somersault. Impish strains like this one are such a gas.
Reviewer: S. Victor Aaron
Toledo Blade Review
Reviewed by Tom Henry
Briefly Noted MODERN TIMES Bobby Selvaggio (Arabesque Jazz)
Cleveland-based saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio is not a household name. But any musician who can pull you into a trance the way he does is worthy of recognition. Working off some fine original compositions that explore many of the delicious nuances of jazz, from cool backbeat rhythms and hearty tempos to an intricate use of pauses, he also offers a fair amount of ad-libbing and improv. — T.H.
All About Jazz / NY
Modern Times
Bobby Selvaggio (Arabesque)by Donald Elfman
I had the good fortune of releasing an album by the Cleveland legend, late accordionist Pete Selvaggio, and it seems that his son, saxophonist Bobby, has inherited his father’s passion. On Modern Times he comes out swinging in a multi-colored affair that suggests how much he has heard and how deftly he blends solid instrumental dexterity with a sense of composition. The album kicks into gear with the original “Quick Solutions”, written with Sean Jones in mind. Jones had worked for two years in Cleveland with the leader’s octet and is powerfully in the center of this tune. He and Selvaggio have bold solo sections and find invention in the midst of the fire. Jones is also central to the sinuously funky “Timbuktu Step”, a Middle Eastern-flavored groove. He gets through the quirky theme with ease and later solos with beautiful grace while Selvaggio slices and dices through a piece that sounds both simple and complicated at once. As the set proceeds, one becomes thoroughly impressed with the rhythm section: pianist Kenny Werner masters everything from collective improvisation to complex chord changes all without seeming to break a sweat, and bassist Matt Wigton and drummer Nathan Douds offer propulsive and lyrical support. Selvaggio lets the influence of past greats like Cannonball and Phil Woods glow through his playing but also makes it quite clear that his own voice is creative and original.
All About Jazz
Modern Times - Bobby Selvaggio - Arabesque Records
A few expressive squeals and experienced blue tones help the leader to create his message with class. He and trumpeter Sean Jones interpret "More or Less" with an authentic legacy that recalls Cannonball Adderley feeling down home and pretty much at ease. Along with piano, double bass and background drums, the quintet shines enthusiastically in its candor. Walking bass and an economical rhythm make this track stand out as an automatic favorite. The same happens with "Fastfood Wisdom," which provides sparks for Selvaggio's quintet in a flurry of expressive conversation. This unit has plenty to say, and it's all highly creative.
Selvaggio's title track takes a dreamy situation and allows it to ramble with lethargy as a tired soul with moaning interest. Other selections, such as "Out of Time" and "Timbuktu Step," follow a quicker pace that provides spontaneity and refreshing solace. Selvaggio moves randomly through a field where nothing stays the same as he lifts the music and shares it with his fellow artists in a show of rhythmic variety.
Pianists Kenny Werner and Dan Murphy add considerably to the leader's modern jazz session by planting its harmonic foundation and stretching out with creative solo work. Selvaggio enjoys the interplay and smokes alongside their stellar support. Each track contains a new surprise that finds the saxophonist and his musical partners carrying the jazz torch over uncharted territory.
Track listing: Quick Solutions; Timbuktu Step; You've Changed; Whirlwind; Waiting; More or Less; Out of Time; Fastfood Wisdom; Time Being; Modern Times.
Personnel: Bobby Selvaggio: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone (4, 5, 10); Kenny Werner: piano (3-5, 7, 9, 10); Sean Jones: trumpet (1, 2, 6, 8); Matt Wigton: bass; Nathan Douds: drums; Dan Murphy: piano; Paul Tynan: flugelhorn.
Style: Modern Jazz
Published: July 26, 2009
JazzReview.com
review by Randall Parrish
Bobby Selvaggio provides a formidable assortment of musical delicacies on his most current release entitled Modern Times. Selvaggio is a superb saxophonist whose compositional approach to Modern Jazz fully allows each member of his ensemble adequate space to speak his own voice. He is an inspired leader, not timid in allowing his companion musicians occasion to step forward and display improvisational skills and wide-ranging influences. The end product is a very interesting set, covering various moods and textures with style and flair.
The opening song, “Quick Solutions,” features some nimble shifting rhythms courtesy of Matt Wigton on bass and Nathan Douds on drums. A powerfully vigorous dialogue between Bobby Selvaggio on alto sax and Sean Jones on trumpet is spirited, and highly enjoyable. The abundantly engaging “Timbuktu Step” follows and conjures up mind images of distant dark places. African camel caravans, Indian snake charmers, and other richly surreal foreign scenes come to mind thanks to the effectively arranged horn section paired with the exotic time progressions on this instrumental tale.
The songs “Whirlwind” and “Waiting” both epitomize what makes Bobby Selvaggio and his group special. These compositions contain complex saw-toothed rhythms and intricate soloing; tied firmly together by way of all members of the group perfectly in sync with every irregular syncopated beat fashioning fantastic and expressive musical curtains.
The lone non-original composition contained on Modern Times is the attractive standard “You’ve Changed.” The tune is restructured and features some pleasing piano by wizard Kenny Werner in support of Selvaggio whose sweet sax tones massage the melody. Werner’s skilled presence benefits six of the ten tracks on the disc, and in particular, he provides emotionally affecting piano on “Waiting.”
A very charming exploration of some earlier Jazz styles is scrutinized on the composition “More Or Less.” The resourceful horn duo of Sean Jones and Selvaggio once again confirm their incredible compatibility while Dan Murphy on piano in conjunction with the rhythm section of Wigton and Douds impart appealing sensitivity to the mix; all making “More Or Less” deeply engaging.
The group sets off into free-form jazz territory on “Fastfood Wisdom,” a piece of music inspired by Ornette Coleman. It opens with a wide, sprawling melody containing an uncluttered, spacious feel despite non-stop manic percussion. The tune takes somewhat frenzied and turbulent turns along the way, allowing each member liberties to distend and reach out creatively.
Modern Times ends with the title track, an exquisite contemplative unrushed melody, driven gently by pianist Kenny Werner in the midst of the rises and falls of a resonant upright bass. Selvaggio appears inspired by the great melodic saxophonists such as Stan Getz, as his performance on this song is superbly passionate and heartfelt. Lushly eloquent, “Modern Times,” is a lovely finale.
Bobby Selvaggio has assembled an impressive array of artistic musicians for Modern Times. The combined display of stellar musicianship coupled with the sophisticatedly presented imaginative arrangements makes for a heady and savvy musical adventure. In simple terms; Modern Times is an innovative and invigorating release.