Italian saxophonist Enzo Avitabile launched an independent path at the start of the new millennium by merging Italy’s folk roots with forward-looking experiments after years spent as a sought-after session player. Naples, his birthplace in 1955, was where he first picked up the saxophone at seven, later advancing through conservatory training that covered both modern methods and longstanding traditions. The early 1980s found him supporting headline pop acts night after night, a role he maintained for two decades while receiving calls from James Brown, Richie Havens, Tina Turner, hip-hop legend Afrika Bambaataa, and additional luminaries. With the century’s turn, Avitabile redirected his energies toward the ancient Bottari practice, in which drummers fashion massive instruments from old wine casks, thereby assembling a forceful and singular group. Appearances at celebrated venues such as the Womad world music festival, together with strong notices for the ensemble’s first album Save the World, drew widespread notice among listeners of folk and progressive music alike. By incorporating ideas from southern Italian and north African sources, he earned standing as both an inventive musician and a keeper of cultural memory. The follow-up release Festa Farina e Forca (2007) maintained an enduring position on World Music Charts Europe.
