Born in Palermo 5/1/1961, Selftaught on saxophone, he moved in 1979 to New York City where has been in contact ith the so called Downtown Loft Scene and No wave. Back to Europe he has started his professional activity as soloist and he started to be considered one of the most interesting improvisors on saxophone.

In 1984 he got a Ph.d in Philosophy at the University of Palermo with a thesis entitled “ J.Coltrane. Liberation trough Sounds .“

In 1990 he won the first price as Best Jazz Talent by the italian magazine Music Jazz. Gianni Gebbia has produce around 40 recordings under his name for various music labels and partecipated in most of the maior festivals of contemporary jazz in Europe, Usa and Japan. Since 2004 he’s regularly spending half of the year in Japan playing and keeping in touch with the local avantgarde music scene. In 1997 and 1998 he has been curator of the Music programs of the City of Palermo and the festival “ Palermo di Scena “ and in 2002 he has directed the multimedia festival Belluard-Bollwer in fribourg in Switzerland and in 2005 directed the musical programs of S.Arcangelo dei Teatri Festival invited by Leo De Berardinis. He has collaborated with artists like: Louis Sclavis, Peter Kowald, Han Bennink, Heiner Goebbels, Henri Kaiser, Fred Frith, Jim O’Rourke.

FREELANCE COLLABORATIONS

Evan Parker,Fred Frith, Louis Sclavis, Gianluigi Trovesi, Lindsay Cooper, Lars Hollmer, Sakis Papadimitriou, André Jaume,Steve Buchanan,Yves Romain, Dominique Regef, Jean Pierre Drouet,Sergey Kuriokhin, Vladimir Tarasov, AnatolyVapirov, Petras Visnaiuskas, Fred Giuliani, Vitas Labutis, Tadashi Endo, Masaki Iwana, Motoharu Yoshizawa, Julie Stanzak, Keiki Miridokawa, Heiner Goebbels, David Moss, Claudio Lo Cascio, Otomo Yoshihide, Antonio Carallo, Raul Ruiz, Noel Akchoté, Benoit Delbeq, Paul Rogers, Thierry Madiot, Guillaume Orti, Christophe Marguet, Hubert Dupont, Ernst Reijsiger, Henri Kaiser, Mari Kimura, Damon Smith, Garth Powell, Phil Gelb, Tim Perkis, Gino Robair, Tom Nunn, William Hooker, Lee Ranaldo, Jim O’ Rourke, Mimmo Cuticchio,Toti Garraffa, Floros Floridis, Lefteris Agouridakis, Antonello Salis, Pino Minafra, Salvatore Bonafede, Stefano D?Anna, Italian Instabile Orchestra, Peter Kowald, Gunther Sommer, Oliver Lake, Glen Velez, Enzo Rao, Tiziano Popoli, Miriam Palma, Lelio Giannetto, Vittorio Villa, Francesco Cusa, Massimo Simonini, Jim Meneses, Jean Marc Montera, Roy Paci, Francesco Cusa, Lukas Ligeti, Xavier Garcia, Nils Wogram, Michael Manring, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Carl Stone, Shinichi Isohata, Ramon Lopez, Jon Raskin, Weasel Walter, Wu Ming 1, William Wynant, Ishibashi Eiko, Kita Yoichiro, Yoshihide Otomo, Daniele Camarda, Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, Charles Hayward, Zeena Parkins, Suga Dairo, Isobe Jun.

FESTIVALS:

Imola Jazz at the Rock, International Jazz festival Sofia Bulgaria, Palermo Fusion Time, Gibellina Etnojazz, Varna Jazz festival Bulgaria, Roccella Ionica Rumori Mediterranei, Total Music Meeting Berlin FMP 1990, Sibiu International Jazz Festival Romania, Wuppertal Jazzspektakel, B.I.D; Berlin, The importance of return tickets-Podewil Berlin, Faenza Folkfestival, S.Arcangelo dei Teatri, Noci Europa Jazz festival, Clusone Jazz, BolzanoJazz Summer, Metastasio Jazz 99, Mulhouse Jazz festival 96-98, Rive De Gier, Angelica Bologna, Jazz Bo-Bologna, Ayler Festival Roma, Concentus Musicus Firenze, Verona Jazzitalia, Macchina dei Rumori Palermo, Curva Minore 97-98, Dreamin' California Palermo 98, Suoni del 900 Teatro Massimo-Palermo, Festival Internazionale sul Novecento Palermo 98, Sord- Nud-Palermo 96, Palermo di Scena 96-97-98, Sicilia Jazzestate Catania, Festival Ibleo del Jazz Ragusa 93-94-95-96, Jazz aux Pyramides Welkenraedt- Belgium, Obiettivo Giappone Roma Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Europa Jazz Festival Le Mans-France, Jazz e interferenze Schio, Link Bologna, Druga Godba Lubjana-Slovenia, Ring Ring Beograd 98, Butoh Festial London 96, Theater X Tokyo, Contemporary Sicily-The New School New York, The Red RoomBaltimore,TimeFlies-Vancouver-Canada, Brooklyn College N.Y. Beanbender's Berkeley-California, Fimav 97 Victoriaville Quebéc- Canada, Les Inaccottoumés Paris- Menagerie de verre, International Jazz festival Saalfelden 1999, Controindicazioni 99 Rome, Icebreaker festival Wien 99. Japan tour March 2000, Usa West Coast April 2000 Portland, Munchen 2000, Noci fest. 2000, Womad in Palermo, Rive De Gier October 2000,Groningen Zomer Jazz festival, Butoh festival Palermo 2000, Curva Minore 2000 pa, Akut Mainz 2000, Rive De Gier 2001, Dansem Marseille 2001. Northsea Jazz Festival 2003. Le trois Jours Groningen. Jazz Nomades Paris,Mulhouse jazz 2004, Beyond the Innocence 2005-2006- Osaka, Klara festival 2008 Bruxelles, Yokohama Impro Meeting 2008.

AWARDS (premi e riconoscimenti):

4rth place 1988 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz " magazine 3rd place 1989 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz " magazine 1st place 1990 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz " magazine Artistic Director Festival di Musica Euroaraba, Palermo Palazzo Steri Artistic Director Palermo di Scena 1997-1998 International Summer Festival of the City of Palermo. Artistic program curator International festival " Curva Minore pratiche inusuali del fare musica " 1997-2000. Director of Objet-a series Stereo Supremo recording label. Articles, interwiews, rewiews appeared on: Musica Jazz, La Repubblica, L'Ora, Giornale di Sicilia, Panorama, Linea D?Ombra, Blu Jazz, Jazz, Improjazz, Jazz Magazine, Jazzthetik, Jazz Podium, Rubberneck, Jazz Hopt, Il Mucchio Selvaggio, Fare Musica, The New York Times (inter. by Ben Rattliff), Coda, The Wire, Jazziz (int.by S. Prestianni) Dec.98 issue, Il Manifesto, Frankfurter Rundschau, Penguin Guide of Jazz, Grove Dictionary of Music, European Free Improvisation web site, Margen Spain 2002. 6th place best italian sax player Top jazz Musica Jazz 2008.

SOUNDTRACKS (colonne sonore per video e film):

" Solo " video by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1993 " Shiki " video by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1993 " Thriller ", " Dr;Jekyll and Mister Hyde ", " una mosca in città " cartoons by Grafimated. " Il viaggio clandestino. Vite di Santi e Peccatori " movie by Raul Ruiz 1993 " Un sogno di lumaca" short movie by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1995 " Terra Madre " short movie by Salvo Cuccia - Avalon prod. 1995 " Diario senza date " movie by Roberto Andò feat. Bruno Ganz 1995 " Peppino Impastato: storia di un siciliano libero " video by A. Bellia published by Il Manifesto " Ce ne ricorderemo di questo pianeta " a movie by Salvo Cuccia 2000 Oltre selinunte by Salvo Cuccia 2007

Lavorare con lentezza a movie by Guido Chiesa - Fandango productions-2004

TEACHING EXPERIENCES

(esperienze di insegnamento):

Saxophone 1984-85 at Django Reinhardt Music school palermo Saxophone 1992 - Open jazz school Palermo Lectures and workshops at Institute of History of Music, University of Palermo - Sonoma State College Music department - Time Flies Vancouver Canada- Fondazione Orestiadi di Gibellina- Mill's College Oakland California.

PAINTING EXHIBITIONS & VISUAL WORKS

1979 - 20 soluzioni pittoriche - Discoteca dell'Opera Universitaria Palermo.

1990 "Le idi di Marzo" with Peter Kowald - Associazione Garraffello Palermo. curators:

Paolo Falcone e Nicola Bramante

1997 Tavoli d'autore - collective exhibition Palermo

1997 Il migliore amico di Cheryl- Galleria l'Altro Palermo. Curator: Nicola Bravo.

2002 Arcana Maior 2.0 Palermo Micromuseum.

2003 Arcana Maior 2.0 Belluard Bollwerk Festival, Fribourg CH.

ARTISTIC DIRECTION

1985

Director of the festival Rassegna Musica EuroAraba Palermo Palazzo Steri, University of Palermo- Italy in collaboration with Unesco. 8 days of ethnical and traditional music.1994Music curator for the Palermo Summer Program directed by Mimmo Cuticchio. 1993 Music curator of the Festival S.Arcangelo dei Teatri S. Arcangelo di Romagna Director Leo De Berardinis.

Curator for the music section of the festival La Macchina Dei Sogni- Palermo

1996 artistic curator for Palermo Summer program directed by Mimmo Cuticchio - City of Palermo.

1997-98

Music curator for dance and music of the City of Palermo in 1997-1998. Director of the Summer Festival Palermo di Scena 98 and 99 promoted the first Womad in Palermo, plus hundreds of concerts and dance performances. etc.

1998

Organizes in Palermo the festival California Dreamin' with artists from California

1997-98-2000

Curator of the international festival of contemporary and improvised music Curva Minore ,

2001-2002

Curator of the music section of Micromuseum (exhibitions by G.Toderi, M.Creed, F.Gonzales-Torres etc).

Art direction and producer for Objet-a label in collaboration with the label Stereo Supremo Milano- Italy.

Art direction for Belluard Bollwerk international festival 2002 in Fribourg Switzerland.

Theatre, Dance and Film Works

Gianni Gebbia has created many performances with writers (Jonathan Coe, Wu Ming) dancers ( Julie Stanzak, Antonio Carallo, Masaki Iwana, Tadashi Endo, Takada Akiko, Yukino No)and composed the music and scores for the following works:

Raul Ruiz ( Il viaggio Clandestino, Vite di Santi e Peccatori),

Roberto Andò ( Diario senza date featuring Bruno Ganz e Moni Ovadia)

Guido Chiesa ( soundtrack for : Lavorare con Lentezza ) prod. Fandango

Jerome Savary (music for the Festino di S.Rosalia the official Saint Patron Celebrations of the City of Palermo).

Vanessa Redgrave (Angeli Migranti, Napoli ed Ercolano 1996)

Salvo Cuccia (Selinunte, Palermo,)

Mimmo Cuticchio ( S.Francesco) ( La macchina dei Rumori )

Francois Chat ( Setaccio - Theatre du Chatelet Paris )

Pina Bausch ( collaboration for music and locations for Palermo Palermo, a piece by Pina Bausch, Wuppertal tanztheater, premiered in Teatro Biondo Palermo 1990)

La Pesca del Tonno 1924 soundtrack for the silent movie by the Istituto Luce produced by Regione Sicilia - Credit Suisse 2011).

Nello La Marca ( sundtrack for Land Side Comiso 2011 Filmworks Productions).

PERFORMANCES ,INSTALLATIONS AND MOVIES

Cane Capovolto (Macchina dis-organizzata)

Arcana Maior 1.0 ( Palermo Micromuseum a cura di P.Falcone)

Arcana Maior 2.0 ( Fribourg Festival Belluard Bollwerk)

Rosae et Lilyum by Gianni Gebbia featuring: Miriam Palma, La Banda di Palermo, Ilaria Casarubea- Fribourg Belluard Bollwerk festival).

“ LASCIAMI “ featuring: Franco La Cecla, Oreste Valente, Giorgia Meli e Diego Spitaleri. Mantova festival della Letteratura 2009.

Magika magic and music piece with Marco Zoppi, Diego Spitaleri, Alice Sparti, Teatro Nuovo Montevergini Palermo).

2011 - He partecipated at the shooting of the movie “ Io sono Tony Scott “ by Franco Maresco

Nel 2011 he has written and directed the musical road movie “ Asakusa no Brecht “ about Tokyo Asakusa’s cabarets and produced by Visionaria.

Discography

1985 Orchestra D.Reinhardt dirretta da E.Intra NO Stop Band lp. centro D.Reinhardt

1987 Gianni Gebbia GIANNI GEBBIA lp Soundevent rec. Se001-

1988 Gianni Gebbia Group ARABESQUES feat. P.Minafra lp Splasch

1988 Compilation 2 Top Jazz from Italy -Yvp music 3018 cd 1990

1990 Gianni Gebbia -SOLO, DUETS, TRIO -cd Geb rec.reprint by Il Pontesonoro Pvd 9602.

1990 Gianni Gebbia Trio - OUTLAND - feat. M. Simonini cd splasch rec. H315

1990 Gianni Gebbia Trio - ZERO IN GEOMETRIA - lp Soundevent S003

1990 Enzo Rao -SHAMAL - cd Il pontesonoro PVD 96-03

1992 Enzo Rao -ACQUA DI MARE - cd Il pontesonoro PVD 96S06

1993 G.Gebbia trio - CAPPUCCINI KLANG - feat. Peter Kowald & Gunther Baby Sommer - cd Splasch rec.

1993 Glen Velez - PAN EROS - cd CMP rec. cd63

1993 compilation Sicilian jazz Collection vol I & II Splasch rec.

1993 Orselli Apuzzo Lalla 2 Canti di orme, sombreri e voli cd Le Parc music 510.

1993 ANGELICA 93 and 94 cd Cai Cai Music 003,004.

1994 G.Guarrella quartet LIVE at Festival Ibleo . cd CMC 9943-2

1995 Gianni Gebbia SOLOS cassette Soundevent S004 .

1995 Giorgio Occhipinti Hereo Nonetto The Kaos Legend - LeoLab 012

1995 Compilation LAVORI IN CORSO cd Stile Libero Virgin SL1024

1996 Gianni Gebbia -BODY LIMITS-cd Splasch rec.

1996 Francesco Cusa IMPASSE - cd Splasch rec. 609;2

1996 Gianni Gebbia - TERRA ARSA- cd More Music momus004

1996 Gianni Gebbia - IL LIBRO DEGLI EROI -cd Victo 051

1997 William Hooker, Lee Ranaldo feat. J. O' Rourke, G.Gebbia - CLOUDS - cd Victo 054

1997 Compilation - Tri lete druge godbe - D.Godba Lubjana Cdg002

1998 Gianni Gebbia - H PORTRAITS - cd rastascan rec.

1998 Gianni Gebbia - POSTILLE NEL TEMPO - cd Multirifrazione Mrf

1999 Gianni Gebbia-Damon Smith- Garth Powell - PEOPLE IN MOTION - Rastascan rec.

1999 Trionacria - THE MYSTIC REVELATION - Curva Minore cd CM01

1999 New european saxophone quartet NESQ - cd Ava Bulgaria 05

2001 ISOLE CHE PARLANO duets with M.Palma in cd erosha 0156

2001 Brett Larner - ITADAKIMASU - Spool- Canada Stl 114-

2001 DELUXE IMPROVISATION SERIES Vol. 1 Ase Japan Ase02

2001 Gianni Gebbia XXII ARCANA MAIOR theTarot sessions StereoSupremo- Rastascan-

2002 G.Gebbia, N.Wogram, X.Garcia PRONTO! Intakt rec. cd

2002 Gebbia-Giannetto-Nunn-Palma-Powell-Robair-Smith A NIGHT IN PALERMO Rastascan Brd0041

2002 Gebbia-Agouridakis-Papadimitriou PADIO+ DESEO ept Greece

2002 Fred Frith - Francois Chat/ SETACCIO cd Theatre du Chatelet

2003 HILDEGARD feat. Dr, Phibes and Goebius cd curva Minore

2004 G.Gebbia-G.Powell-M.Goodheart ZEN WIDOW Evander music-

2004 Soundtrack LAVORARE CON LENTEZZA cd Radio Fandango 014-

2005 Gebbia-Ligeti-Pupillo THE WILLIAMSBURG SONATAS Wallace records

2006 G.Gebbia-D.Camarda DELL'INCERTEZZA Geya Records

2006 Shatadoo feat.G.Gebbia N'DEISSAN Harpo records 06 -

2006 Daisuke Fuwa - RADIO - Chirei records Japan-

2006 Switters THE ANABAPTYST LOOP cd Improvvisatore Involontario

2006 Full Metal Klezmer SHACOR cd el gallo rojo-

2006 Gianni Gebbia DARUMA'S CALL cd objet-a -

2006 Piemonte World THE STARS LOOK VERY DIFFERENT TODAY...cd Musica 90 Torino

2007 G.Gebbia- Stefano Giust DUETS cd Setola di maiale -

2007 Butch Morris - Emyouseeye.it - Bologna Conduction- cd Rai trade -

2007 Gianni Gebbia/ Damon Smith/ Weasel Walter LICHENS exploded records

2007 Riccardo Pittau Congregation - V IV MMV DEATH JAZZ cd Improvvisatore involontario

2008 dr.Leon Switters CURRENT TRENDS IN THE CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN MUSIC DISASTER VOL.III cd I.involontario 0011

2008 Zen Widow - QUODLIBET - 9 Winds records Beverly Hill California

2009 G.Gebbia-D.Camarda-E.Ishibashi MABOROSHI Fmn Sound Factory Kyoto Japan

2009 Gianni Gebbia Daruma’s Call solo sax Lp Wallace Records Soundmetak series

2010 Gianni Gebbia- Stefano Giust- Xabier Iriondo Setola di Maiele

2011 Gianni Gebbia - Diego Spitaleri THE MELODY BOOK Terre Sommerse cd

2011 Lukas Ligeti PATTERN TIME with G.Gebbia,M.Manring,A.Keita,B.Delbecq cd Innova 7325

2011 Gianni Gebbia Trio EMPEDOCLES feat. Stefano Senni & Francesco Cusa HORO new series HCDS 001

2012 Zen Widow SCREAMING IN DAY TIME ( makes men forget ) with Wadada Leo Smith Pfmentum San Diego Ca 069

2012 Gebbia-Kowald-Sommer CAPPUCCINI KLANG 2 Objet-a - only digital download

2012 Gianni Gebbia-SONGS FROM THE COLOSSEUM OF YOUR MIND vol.1 - objet-a

2012 Gianni Gebbia Jòraku-4- SONGS FROM THE COLOSSEUM OF YOUR MIND vol.2- objet-a