He began studying the saxophone at thirteen in a small neighbourhood band made up mainly of youngsters. It was there, until the age of sixteen, that Stefano developed what would become one of the essential qualities of his music: joy. During this period two decisive encounters set him on his vocation.
He discovered jazz, falling in love with the tart sound of Art Pepper (“…I immediately wanted to play like that… it was the beginning of my passion”), and met the man who would become his mentor, the legendary alto saxophonist Massimo Urbani (“he was a monster, he played without knowing what came next. Instinctively.”).
Ha iniziato a studiare il sassofono all’età di 13 anni in una banda di un piccolo quartiere, composta principalmente da ragazzini. E’ qui che, fino all’età di 16 anni, Stefano ha sperimentato quella che sarebbe diventata una delle qualità essenziali della sua musica: l’allegria. Durante questo periodo ha due incontri decisivi che lo indirizzano verso la sua vocazione.
Scopre il jazz, innamorandosi del suono “acidulo” di Art Pepper (“…immediatamente volevo suonare in quel modo… fu l’inizio della mia passione”) e incontra l’uomo che diventerà il suo mentore, il leggendario alto sassofonista Massimo Urbani (“lui era un mostro, suonava senza conoscere cosa venisse dopo. Istintivamente.”).
jazz musician
. He enrolled at the conservatoire, refined his technique through the classical saxophone tradition (Jacques Ibert and others) and took his diploma with top marksat the age of 21 . He then began playing in groups of various kinds and in 1992 happened to play at theCalvi Jazz Festival ; there he met French musicians for the first time, above allJean-Pierre Como , who invited him to play in Paris. For Stefano it was a revelation (“when I arrived in France I had the feeling I had been born there. In Italy I had the feeling I didn’t exist…”).From then on Stefano shuttled between Rome and Paris , playing as many auditions as he could to pick up engagements. Eventually he secured two concerts at the
Sunset in Paris , with a trio made up of the drummer Roberto Gatto and the French bassist Michel Benita. Gatto pulled out and was replaced at the last minute by the drummer Aldo Romano, who was struck by the saxophonist’s compelling style. A friendship was born on the spot. On the second night Stéphane Huchard was on drums and invited Laurent Cugny, who was about to take over the ONJ (French National Jazz Orchestra). Stefano was hired immediately. In two dream nights Di Battista’s life had changed.It was 1994, and his career took off in Paris. Sunset di Paris, con un trio formato dal batterista Roberto Gatto e dal contrabbassista francese Michel Benita. Gatto rinuncia e viene rimpiazzato all’ultimo minuto dal batterista Aldo Romano, che viene colpito dallo stile affascinante del sassofonista. In un attimo è nata un’amicizia tra i due. La seconda sera Stèphane Huchard è alla batteria e invita Laurent Cugny, prossimo a prendere le redini dell’ONJ (Orchestra Nazionale del Jazz). Stefano viene assunto all’istante. In due sere da sogno la vita di Di Battista è cambiata. E’ il 1994 e la sua carriera decolla a Paris.
ONJ under Cugny, he kept meeting people, gave a number of trio concertswith Daniel Humair and J.-F. Jenny-Clark, and played with visiting American musicians such as Jimmy Cobb, Walter Booker and Nat Adderley. Di Battista’s career was at a turning point. A mainstay of Aldo Romano’s various groups and a member of Michel Petrucciani’s sextet, Stefano began to think about a project under his own name. In 1997 his first album for
Label Bleu , entitled “Volare”, saw him alongside Flavio Boltro on trumpet, Éric Legnini on piano (his pianist of recent years), Benjamin Hénocq on drums and Rosario Bonaccorso on double bass (“the rhythm section I had always wanted”). In 1998 came his first contract with the historicBlue Note label, for which he recorded the album “A Prima Vista” with the same line-up, which would become his regular group. In July 2000 he recorded a masterly album alongside the incomparableElvin Jones on drums (John Coltrane’s legendary drummer),Jacky Terrasson on piano and Rosario Bonaccorso on double bass. al piano e Rosario Bonaccorso al contrabbasso.