Perigeo were the great band of Italian jazz-fusion — a Rome quintet of virtuoso players, led by bassist Giovanni Tommaso, who across five albums in the 1970s brought the electric jazz-rock of Miles Davis and Weather Report into an unmistakably Italian frame. Alongside Area, they stand as the most important jazz-rock group Italy produced.

The short version

Formed in Rome in 1971, Perigeo gathered five of the country’s finest jazz musicians around bassist Giovanni Tommaso and set about pioneering Italian fusion — complex, electric and lyrical by turns. Across five albums for RCA, from “Azimut” (1972) to “Non È Poi Così Lontano” (1976), and through tours of Europe alongside Weather Report, they became the leading light of the Italian jazz-rock scene. Their music sits at the jazz edge of the wider Italian rock of the era, and remains a touchstone for fans and players alike.

Rome, 1971: a jazz supergroup

Perigeo was the dream of double-bassist Giovanni Tommaso, who had spent time in New York absorbing the lessons of jazz greats before returning to Italy to form his own electric group. Around him he gathered four more heavyweights of the Italian jazz scene: pianist Franco D’Andrea, saxophonist Claudio Fasoli, American guitarist Tony Sidney and drummer Bruno Biriaco. They took their name from the astronomical term for the point at which the Moon comes closest to the Earth — a fitting image for a band bent on drawing distant musical worlds together. Signed to RCA and quickly a popular live draw, they met early resistance from jazz “purists” but soon won a devoted following, playing the major Italian festivals and touring in France and England.

Italian jazz-fusion

Perigeo’s music took its cue from the electric jazz-rock of Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew” and the fusion of Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but filtered it through a distinctly Italian sensibility. Complex jazz harmony met the energy and drive of rock; lyrical, introspective passages gave way to fierce collective improvisation; and creative use of electronics, the Fender Rhodes and the Moog sat alongside touches of Mediterranean and Italian folk colour. Wordless vocals drift through a handful of tracks. Built on the individual virtuosity of five remarkable players, theirs was, alongside Area, the most accomplished jazz-rock in Italy.

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Azimut to La Valle dei Templi

Perigeo’s debut “Azimut” (1972) laid out their jazz roots and ambitions, and brought immediate success. With “Abbiamo Tutti un Blues da Piangere” (1973) they took a clear leap forward — more complex, more expressive, ranging from jazz-rock to funky jazz, and often regarded as the true birth of their style. “Genealogia” (1974) brought their most popular music yet, a touch more accessible and richer in synthesizer, and a triumphant European tour that summer. The following year’s “La Valle dei Templi” (1975), reckoned with “Genealogia” among their finest, was more vital and dynamic still — its rhythmic drive boosted by guest percussionist Tony Esposito — and arrived off the back of a European tour with Weather Report, bringing real commercial success. Their fifth and final album, “Non È Poi Così Lontano” (1976), recorded in Canada, showcased the players’ technical command but turned toward pop, marking the end of their jazz-rock road.

Album by album

Five albums from the leaders of Italian jazz-fusion. Tap any title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

Perigeo were five virtuosi, each with a serious pedigree: Giovanni Tommaso, who had modernised the very technique of the double bass in Italy; pianist Franco D’Andrea, later an internationally renowned bandleader; saxophonist Claudio Fasoli; American guitarist Tony Sidney; and drummer Bruno Biriaco. After the band wound down in 1976, the five reunited in 1980 as Perigeo Special for the ambitious concept album “Alice”, before Tommaso launched a New Perigeo with younger players. All went on to long and distinguished careers as session musicians, leaders and teachers, and the original members reunited more than once over the years — most recently for a celebrated one-off concert in Florence in 2019. But it is the five RCA albums on which their reputation rests.

Where to start

Begin with “La Valle dei Templi” (1975) or “Genealogia” (1974) — their two most acclaimed albums, and the ideal way into their bright, dynamic fusion. From there, “Abbiamo Tutti un Blues da Piangere” (1973) shows the band coming fully into their own, while the debut “Azimut” (1972) captures their first statement. Together they map the rise of Italian jazz-rock.

Why they still matter

Perigeo matter as the pioneers of Italian jazz-fusion — the band who, more than any other, proved that the country could meet the electric jazz-rock of America and Europe on its own terms. Gathering an extraordinary group of players and giving their music a Mediterranean voice, they set a standard that, alongside Area, defined the Italian jazz-rock of the 1970s and still draws new listeners today. For anyone exploring the jazz edge of the Italian scene, Perigeo are essential.

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