Leonardo is part of the Daniele Malvisi Six Group, a jazz sextet led by Italian saxophonist Daniele Malvisi, performing as a live electronics artist and arranger. The band recorded the album Virtuous Circle of Miles Davis (Alfa Music, 2015), which was recognized as one of the best Italian jazz albums of the year by Musica Jazz magazine.

“Daniele Malvisi expands his group to a sextet to deliver this homage to Miles Davis, where some of the trumpeter’s most famous compositions are revisited in an atmosphere balanced between acoustic and electric.

From a timbral perspective, the first striking feature is the absence of a trumpet, entirely replaced by the leader’s tenor saxophone. Malvisi recounts that he worked extensively—after seeing Davis live in 1986—to translate Miles’ trumpet sound onto his sax. The essence of Davis’ sound during that period is reflected in the way Malvisi rearranged his compositions, including historical ones from much earlier eras.

The project benefits from the interplay of two electric guitars, played by Andrea Cincinelli and Giovanni Conversano, and especially from the live electronics of Leonardo Cincinelli, who introduces unexpected sounds and even Miles’ own voice at times.

The ensemble synergy is remarkable: Malvisi naturally takes center stage, with the guitars framing and complementing his solos, supported by the excellent and well-synchronized rhythm section—Gianmarco Scaglia on double bass and Paolo Corsi on drums, both long-time collaborators of the leader. Finally, the electronics add eccentric and purposeful touches here and there.” — AllAboutJazz.com