If you paid attention to the short-lived Blue Note Bar on the outskirts of Ybor City, then you might’ve seen a young Anthony Alidissi cutting his teeth in the live music scene. The saxophonist and pianist—who discovered jazz in freshman year at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School—is now at Temple University where his ensemble with bassist Dan McCain drummer Maria Marmarou won the Outstanding Rhythm Section award at the 2023 Jack Rudin Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center. And when he’s home, the 21-year-old Dunedin native gets it in with Ethos of Alidissi, an ensemble that recently brought to life songs its principal wrote around figures in Greek mythology. Last July at Seminole Heights’ Far Forest—flanked by drummer Roger Lanfranchi, saxophonist Nick Bredal (aka ChootyB), bassist Seth Lynn and Temple colleague guitarist Walter Krissel—Alidissi played Moog and Rhodes like a man possessed on songs that stand up with the very best jazz fusion of modern times (there was a Domi and JD Beck cover) and exude the same kind of joy legends like Chick Corea used to bring to the stage.
@anthonyaldissi on Instagram
Related Stories
Anthony Aldissi’s jazz ensemble is back in Tampa on Friday
This article appears in Best of The Bay 2023.
