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Gianluigi Trovesi has doubtlessly been influenced by African-American musicians from Armstrong and Ellington to Bird and Ornette. Yet the improvisational style coined in America is just one of many musical idioms the eclectic Trovesi has collected and combined during the course of his career. One also hears in his writing and playing influences ranging from Gregorian chants to Baroque fugues, from Bel Canto arias to the traditional dances and folk songs of his native Bergamo region, from the cherished brass band legacy that began bringing grand opera to the Italian masses to the work of 20th-century innovators like Stravinsky, Bartók and Zappa.

"Dedalo", an outstanding collaboration between Trovesi and Germany's renowned WDR Big Band, features brilliantly orchestrated and executed versions of Trovesi "classics" that were previously recorded in smaller formations. Although Trovesi spent 15 years as a member of the RAI Radio Big Band in Milan, this project is the first time that he arranged and directed music for an ensemble featuring the "classic" big band instrumentation. The WDR Big Band's tight ensemble playing on this recording makes it clear why an invitation to perform with them is one of the most coveted opportunities available on the international jazz scene today. Taking full advantage of the instrumental resources at their disposal, Gianluigi Trovesi, Corrado Guarino and Fulvio Maras wrote lush arrangements that mine the rich harmonic and melodic nuances that were just waiting inside Trovesi's compositions to be ingeniously developed.

"Dedalo" begins and ends with performances of "Hercab," with the second, shorter version taped live, as was the CD's title track, before an ecstatic crowd at the 2001 edition of Germany's Moers Music Festival. The carnival atmosphere of this Dixieland flavored tune, exemplified by Stockhausen's growling horn and Chastenier's honky-tonk piano, conjures up images of a vaudeville or cabaret show. This album takes us on whirlwind tour of Gianluigi Trovesi's remarkably multi-faceted musical universe in just over an hour. It's a fascinating journey connecting a kaleidoscope of worlds.