James Senese
James Senese | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gaetano Senese |
| Born | January 6, 1945 Naples, Italy |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
Gaetano "James" Senese (born 6 January 1945) is an Italian saxophonist, composer, and singer-songwriter.
Life and career[edit]
Senese was born in Naples, the son of Anna Senese and James Smith, an American soldier from North Carolina in Italy because of World War II.[1][2] Senese's father moved back to the US eighteen months after Gaetano's birth and never returned.[3] Senese started playing the saxophone at 12 years old.[1] He made his professional debut in the 1960s, as a member of the rhythm and blues band The Showmen (later known as Showmen 2), with whom he won the 1968 edition of Cantagiro.[1][2]
In 1974 Senese co-founded and led the critically acclaimed jazz-rock group Napoli Centrale. After the group disbanded in 1978, he started a long collaboration with Pino Daniele, both in studio and on stage. His first solo album was released in 1983 by Polydor Records.[1][2]
A documentary film about Senese, James, was directed in 2020 by Andrea Della Monica and premiered at the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival.[4]
Discography[edit]
- James Senese (Polydor, 1983)
- Il passo del gigante (Tobacco, 1984)
- Alhambra (EMI Italiana, 1988)
- Hey James (Blue Ange1, 1991)
- Sabato Santo (Polosud, 2000)
- Passpartù (ITWHY, 2003)
- Tribù e passione (with Enzo Gragnaniello) (Edel Italia, 2003)
- E' Fernut' 'o Tiempo (Arealive, 2012)
- O sanghe (Alabianca/Warner, 2016)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Livio Quagliata (1 May 2016). "James Senese, "O' sanghe" di un nero a metà". La Repubblica. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ^ a b c Enzo Giannelli. "Senese, James". Gino Castaldo (ed.). Dizionario della canzone italiana. Curcio Editore, 1990.
- ^ "Biografia di James Senese". Cinquantamila.it. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "«James» Senese fa ripartire AstraDoc". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 16 December 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
External links[edit]
- James Senese at AllMusic
- James Senese discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1945 births
- Living people
- Musicians from Naples
- Italian saxophonists
- Male saxophonists
- Italian male singer-songwriters
- Italian singer-songwriters
- Italian jazz musicians
- Italian people of African-American descent
- 21st-century saxophonists
- 21st-century Italian male singers
- Italian male jazz musicians
- 20th-century Italian male singers