Ivan Valentini is a composer and saxophonist active primarily in the field of improvised music and its interaction with other forms of artistic expression.

Since 1992 he has released under his own name the albums Paz, Senza Famiglia, Slanting, Il Teatro Impossibile, Light and Darkness, Rust & Blue, Dripping Sound and Camera Funky, all centered on original compositions.

With Luca Perciballi he created the project The Black Box Theory, dedicated to an in-depth exploration of free improvisation, resulting in the albums The Black Box Theory, Room Music and Un Lieu.

Significant is his work on the relationship between music and poetry, documented in the records La casa azzurra, Viaggi, I giorni assenti and Fumàna.

Among his most notable ongoing collaborations are those with pianist Franco D’Andrea, dancer Teri Weikel, poet Alberto Bertoni, and musicians Michele Francesconi, Roberto Dani, Giancarlo Bianchetti, Achille Succi, Paolo Botti, and the groups Orchestra Spaziale and Cantodiscanto. Occasional but significant collaborations include those with Henry Threadgill, Mathias Ruegg, Bruno Tommaso, Steve Bernstein and Antonello Salis.

He currently leads his own quintet and co-directs the quartet Blankrooms with pianist Andrea Cappi, with whom he has released Look at Something Closely.

Music Bio long

Ivan Valentini is a saxophonist and a composer.

After searching for the most suitable way of expression, he devoted himself to music attending seminars and getting diplomas in Saxophone and Jazz Music.

Since the early 90s he has been leading figure within music groups comfortably moving from improvised music to other forms of art, always proposing his own compositions.

He reinforces his musical activities by devoting time to Zen phylosophy.

He performed occasionally with Henry Threadgill, Mathias Ruegg, Bruno Tommaso, Steve Bernstein, Enrico Rava.

Long collaboration with: Franco D’Andrea, Luca Perciballi, Roberto Dani, Tito Mangialajo, Giancarlo Bianchetti, Achille Succi, Michele Francesconi, Attilio Zanchi, Simone Guiducci, Marco Detto, Massimo Manzi, Enrico Merlin, Paolo Botti, Alberto Capelli …and others…

Since 1987 he has been regularly performed in music and poetry in collaboration with the poets Alberto Bertoni ed Enrico Trebbi. Occasionally with Maurizio Cucchi, Giovanni Giudici, Gianni D’Elia, Giancarlo Sissa, Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, Laura Betti, Mauro Macario, Emilio Rentocchini.

In the first 90ties he used to played with the italian song writer Vinicio Capossela.

For almost ten years he’s been collaborating with american dancer and choreographer Teri Weikel, creating music for Il Maestro e Margherita (with Antonello Salis), Atomi, Le città invisibili, Le ali dei sassi and realizing many improvised performances for solo sax and dance.

In 1996 his composition Paz was selected to be part of Andrea Pazienza unlimited anthology CDRom, which includes the whole artist’s production.

In April 2008 he presented his compositions included in CD Light and Darkness in a concert at the Peking University Hall.

Long collaboration with the bands Orchestra Spaziale and Cantodiscanto.

Among all the festivals he took part: Jazz at the Rock, Imola – Termoli Jazz – Festival Musica ‘900, Trento – Sagra Musicale Malatestiana – Itinerari Jazz, Trento – Romapoesia in Campidoglio, Roma – Rovereto Jazz – Merano Jazz – Di Nuovo Musica, Reggio Emilia – Le Vie del suono, Modena – Metastasio Jazz, Prato – Radicondoli Estate – Crossroads, Emilia Romagna – Carpino Folk Festival – Isole che parlano, Sardegna – Folkfest, Spilimbergo – Musica per Roma, Roma – Angelica Festival, Bologna.

Essential discography:

Under his own name:

1992 Paz (Splasc(h) records)

1993 Senza famiglia (Modern times)

2004 Slanting (Splasc(h)records)

2007 Il Teatro Impossibile (Real Music)

2008 Light and Darkness (Real Music)

2016 Rust & Blue (Autoproduzione)

2017 Dripping sound (Autoproduzione)

The Black Box Theory (Ivan Valentini, Luca Perciballi)

2019 The Black Box Theory (Setola di Maiale)

2023 Room Music (Flying Robert Music)

2024 Un Lieu (Jazz’Halo)

With poets Alberto Bertoni and Enrico Trebbi:

1997 La casa azzurra (Moby Dick)

2002 Viaggi (Arx-collana)

2012 I giorni assenti (Moby Dick) (plus Michele Francesconi)

2019 Fumàna (Setola di Maiale) (plus Luca Perciballi)

With Franco D’Andrea:

1999 Eleven (Philology)

2000 Combinazione Uno (Via Veneto Jazz)

With Cantodiscanto

2010 Tutto il mondo è paese (Materiali sonori)

2014 Todo el mundo a cantar (Materiali sonori)

2022 Pandemusica (Visagemusic)

With Orchestra Spaziale:

2013 Orchestra Spaziale meets Zappafrank” (A simple lunch)

Blamkrooms:

Look at Something Closely