With more than 100 recordings to his name, including 17 as a bandleader, Italian saxophonist Max Ionata has long been recognised as one of Europe’s most distinctive voices.

At the concert at Jazzhus Montmartre which is pupported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Copenhagen he is launching a new international quartet that unites Italian lyricism with the elegance of Scandinavian jazz. The line-up - Martin Sjöstedt (piano), Jesper Bodilsen (double bass), and Martin Andersen (drums) - brings together some of Northern Europe’s most respected musicians.

They will be performing music from their freshly released album TIVOLI.

At the heart of this album lies a cultural bridge. The title refers both to the Tivoli Gardens in
Copenhagen, with its sense of magic and play, and to the historic Italian town of Tivoli near Rome, celebrated for its villas and gardens. These twin inspirations frame the music: wide-open Nordic atmospheres glimmering with Mediterranean warmth and melodic depth.

The mix of originals and handpicked classics highlights the
ensemble’s versatility while underlining Ionata’s grounding in the jazz tradition.
Ionata’s saxophone sound is warm and direct, with a natural swing feel and phrasing
unmistakably rooted in the jazz tradition - qualities that have led him to share the stage with
modern greats, from Steve Grossman and Clarence Penn to Joe Locke, Greg Hutchinson,
Enrico Pieranunzi and many more.

With this group and the album he opens a new chapter - building bridges across cultures, leading a band of equals, and renewing his voice while staying rooted in the lineage of jazz. It’s an album of chemistry, tradition, and reinvention from a saxophonist still pushing forward after two decades on the international stage.