The line-up – Martin Sjöstedt (piano), Jesper Bodilsen (double bass), and Martin Andersen (drums) – brings together some of Northern Europe’s most respected musicians. The group first found its footing on stage in Sweden and Denmark, and the album captures the trust, interplay, and instinct that emerged from those concerts. Rather than a studio experiment, Tivoli feels like the arrival of a working band.

At the heart of the album lies a cultural bridge. The title refers both to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, with its sense of magic and play, and to the historic Italian town of Tivoli near Rome, celebrated for its villas and gardens. These twin inspirations frame the music: wide-open Nordic atmospheres glimmering with Mediterranean warmth and melodic depth.

The repertoire reflects this dual spirit. Ionata contributes original works such as Tivoli, Mr. G.T. (a tribute to long-time friend and collaborator Gegè Telesforo), and Naru’s Waltz, while Bodilsen offers the delicate Det lysner. The set is rounded out with tributes to Kenny Wheeler (Consolation), Argentine composer Sergio Ruben Aranda (Canción para Sara), and standards by Cole Porter and Johnny Griffin. This mix of originals and handpicked classics highlights the ensemble’s versatility while underlining Ionata’s grounding in the jazz tradition.

Ionata’s saxophone sound is warm and direct, with a natural swing feel and phrasing unmistakably rooted in the jazz tradition – qualities that have led him to share the stage with modern greats, from Steve Grossman and Clarence Penn to Joe Locke, Greg Hutchinson, Enrico Pieranunzi and many more. 

With Tivoli, he opens a new chapter – building bridges across cultures, leading a band of equals, and renewing his voice while staying rooted in the lineage of jazz. It’s an album of chemistry, tradition, and reinvention from a saxophonist still pushing forward after two decades on the international stage.