Portraits is a sonic journey through the iconic figures of jazz history—a musical gallery where each portrait comes to life through sound. In this setting, the Saxofollia Quartet blends refined composition with improvisation, weaving together European classical forms with African American musical material.

This reinterpretation offers a fresh perspective, highlighting how these seemingly distinct languages are, in fact, deeply intertwined and have continuously influenced one another.

Just like in painting, where different techniques capture the essence of a face, Portraits explores the sonic identities of giants such as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Bill Evans—transforming each composition into a moving picture. The musical thought of these masters is reimagined through classical forms like the suite or theme and variations, where composition and improvisation merge into a fluid and ever-evolving narrative.

Improvisation is not merely a counterpoint to composition—it is the beating heart of the project. The solo interludes by Marco Ferri and Lorenzo Simoni inject moments of pure spontaneity into the compositional structure, making each performance unique and unrepeatable.

The program also includes Diffusion by Gordon Goodwin—not a portrait of a composer, but of the saxophone itself, the true protagonist of jazz music. Structured in four movements, this piece tells the story of the instrument through a stylistic journey that explores both its classical and jazz approaches.

More than just a tribute to jazz greats, Portraits is a reflection on the very nature of this music: an ever-evolving art form where structures and performance practices intertwine in a timeless dialogue.