Ritornare – Enzo Favata

Enzo Favata’s Atlantico Quintet explores the musical space where jazz, chamber music, and improvisation converge—never predictable, yet always guided by a clear artistic vision and the diverse musical experiences of its members. This includes the numerous traditional musical traditions of Southern Italy and the Mediterranean region, which have a decisive influence on the group’s sound. Led by Sardinian saxophonist and clarinetist Enzo Favata, the band unfolds a richly colored acoustic soundscape on *Ritornare*—Favata’s first recording for ECM. At his side are longtime musical companions: Marcello Peghin on guitar, Daniel Di Bonaventura on bandoneon, Salvatore Maltana on double bass, and UT Gandhi on drums. Shaped by travels and memories, the music draws its inspiration from the cultural interconnections of the Atlantic as well as from the literary works of Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges. In a dreamlike flow, a unique sonic world unfolds, in which melodies seem to emerge out of nowhere and, in a remarkably organic way, continually transform within the quintet’s playing. All About Jazz wrote about Favata’s music: “In Favata’s world—as with all great ensembles—the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Hardly any statement describes this album more aptly. *Ritornare* was recorded in Munich in January 2026 and produced by Manfred Eicher.