Album: Tivoli

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. On Tivoli (out December 12th, 2025 on Mingus Records), he launches 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. The group first found its footing on stage in Sweden and Denmark, and the album captures the trust, interplay, and instinct that emerged from those concerts. Rather than a studio experiment, Tivoli feels like the arrival of a working band.

At the heart of the 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 repertoire reflects this dual spirit. Ionata contributes original works such as Tivoli, Mr. G.T. (a tribute to long-time friend and collaborator Gegè Telesforo), and Naru’s Waltz, while Bodilsen offers the delicate Det lysner. The set is rounded out with tributes to Kenny Wheeler (Consolation), Argentine composer Sergio Ruben Aranda (Canción para Sara), and standards by Cole Porter and Johnny Griffin. This 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 Tivoli, 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.

Max Ionata (saxophone) Martin Sjöstedt (piano), Jesper Bodilsen (double bass), and Martin Andersen (drums)

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Track Listing

1. Canción para Sara (Sergio Ruben Aranda) 2. Consolation (Kenny Wheeler)
3. Det lysner (Jesper Bodilsen)
4. Tivoli (Max Ionata)

5. Everything I Love (Cole Porter)
6. When We Were One (Johnny Griffin) 7. Naru's Waltz (Max Ionata)
8. Mr. GT (Max Ionata)

Background info / Liner Notes:

About Max Ionata

Max Ionata has built an international career that bridges jazz tradition and contemporary exploration. With more than 100 recordings-including 17 as a leader-he has collaborated with artists such as Alvin Queen, Steve Grossman, Ali Jackson, Joe Locke, Enrico Pieranunzi, and Gegè Telesforo. His distinctive sound and expressive sensitivity have earned him national and international recognition, from the Massimo Urbani Award to multiple Jazzit Awards as Italy’s leading tenor saxophonist.

In addition to his performing and recording career, Ionata teaches Jazz Improvisation Techniques at the Pollini Conservatory in Padua, inspiring the next generation of musicians.