Saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio has been active in the Northeast Ohio jazz scene for more than 20 years. He released his first album in 1999, the year his son, Julian, was born.
鈥淎s soon as I had Julian, there was just a focus that immediately happened to me,鈥� Selvaggio said. 鈥淲hen I saw鈥� him being birthed and experiencing that and having to organize my life in a way to take care of an infant child, there was a switch that went off.鈥�
Selvaggio, who is the director of jazz studies at Kent State University, recently released his 12th album, 鈥淪tories, Dreams, Inspirations: For My Boy,鈥� celebrating fatherhood and the bond he shares with his son.
鈥淲e just have a really good relationship. He goes to Kent State, he wants to be like a writer and director of anime film. I'm proud to see that he's become a creative that knows what he wants and he's doing what he wants,鈥� Selvaggio said.
The album features Selvaggio鈥檚 11-piece ensemble with top jazz players from Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh, including Chris Coles, Brad Wagner, Tommy Lehman, Theron Brown and Chris Anderson.
Many players in his ensemble are former students, and he said he鈥檚 proud to foster the next generation of jazz leaders.
鈥淚 tell this to my students all the time: The most important thing you can do when you go out in the world is create community together with people. And that's what I feel we have done here in Northeast Ohio,鈥� Selvaggio said.
The ensemble鈥檚 seven-track album, which Selvaggio composed and arranged, is inspired and dedicated to Julian. Selvaggio said this, coupled with including some of his best musician friends on the recording, has made the album his most personal record to date.
A staple of the local jazz scene
Selvaggio lives in Cuyahoga Falls and grew up in the local music scene, learning from his father, the legendary late jazz accordion and piano player Pete Selvaggio.
His father toured with 鈥渟weet jazz鈥� pioneer Guy Lombardo and performed in the early Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, often playing out seven nights a week.
Selvaggio said being around music shaped him, but he didn鈥檛 fully understand or appreciate what his father did until he began studying music in college.
When Selvaggio began pursuing his bachelor鈥檚 degree in music performance at Kent State, he found his true passion: the saxophone.
鈥淥ne of my main mentors, which was my predecessor at Kent State, is Chas Baker,鈥� Selvaggio said. 鈥淗e hit me to my first, really serious jazz record: Cannonball Adderley, 鈥楻adio Nights.鈥� When I first heard that, it was just like, 鈥極K, that's what a saxophone should sound like. That's what music should sound like. That's what I want to do.鈥欌��
After graduating from Kent State, he moved to New York City to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
Living in New York gave Selvaggio opportunities to perform at famed jazz venues like the Birdland Jazz Club and the Village Vanguard.
He moved back to Northeast Ohio in 1998 and dedicated himself to keeping jazz alive in Cleveland.
鈥淭here was always a plan to come back home,鈥� Selvaggio said. 鈥淚 honestly felt like I could create and do records and tours and do all of those things easier from here, because it was easier to afford than in New York City.鈥�
The saxophonist said there has always been a vibrant jazz scene in Northeast Ohio. But in the 1990s, there weren鈥檛 many jazz performers writing new, modern music.
鈥淚 kind of was the first one to really dedicate myself to composing new, present-day music back in that time, and I was very fortunate to have some musicians around me that wanted to play that music,鈥� he said.
After moving back to Cleveland, Selvaggio put jazz ensembles together and self-produced three records. He has seen the region鈥檚 jazz community grow and become more collaborative and community oriented.
鈥淚t's just exciting for me to have a scene that we can all be a part of what each other is doing, and that that's what makes a scene strong,鈥� he said.
Drawing inspiration from parenthood
On , Selvaggio writes about the creative process, reminiscing back to when he would watch his son play as a child.
The song 鈥淔ree Play鈥� is based on Stephen Nachmanovitch's book of the same name, which details how adults lose their childlike sense of play.
鈥淭he whole book is about him trying to explain that process of what that is and how we can tap back into that,鈥� Selvaggio said. 鈥淪o, when I wrote this tune, it was thinking about my kid in a room, playing all by himself, creating universes.鈥�
The track 鈥淔alling Up鈥� is based on Shel Silverstein鈥檚 book and poem, which Selvaggio said are some of Julian鈥檚 favorites.
The song 鈥淏lue鈥� features his wife, Chelsea Selvaggio, on non-lyrics vocals and harkens back to when Julian declared blue to be his dad鈥檚 favorite color.
Selvaggio said 鈥淕ood People鈥� is an older piece, dedicated to Julian鈥檚 growth from a compassionate and inclusive child to an overall 鈥済ood person鈥� as an adult.
He said younger musicians sometimes view starting a family and balancing their craft as a challenge, but for Selvaggio it was the exact opposite.
鈥淚t just made me focus and say, 鈥極K, well, if I'm going to do these things that I want to do in my life, now's the time.鈥� I got myself together, and from that to this point, I've put myself in a position to do the things I have done,鈥� he said.
Selvaggio said working as a musician, rather than a traditional 9-to-5 job, allowed him more time to spend with Julian.
鈥淭hat, to me, was everything,鈥� he said.
Watch the entire session of Applause Performances with Bobby Selvaggio in the video above or anytime with the PBS app.
