For six decades, Franco Ambrosetti balanced a career in industrial manufacturing with a thriving, yet often parallel, life as a jazz musician. After selling his business in 2000, Ambrosetti dedicated himself fully to music, continuing a career that has spanned decades and collaborations with jazz luminaries like Dexter Gordon and Michael Brecker.
Born in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1941, Ambrosetti followed a path laid by his father, Flavio, a saxophonist who performed alongside Charlie Parker. While pursuing a business career, leading the family’s manufacturing company, Ambrosetti maintained a consistent presence in the jazz world, recording albums and performing at festivals. This duality is the subject of his memoir, Two Roads, Both Taken, which challenges the conventional wisdom that one must choose between artistic passion and commercial success.
Ambrosetti’s discography includes over twenty albums as a leader, beginning with A Jazz Portrait of Franco Ambrosetti in 1965 and continuing with Cheers in 2017, and Lost Within You in 2021. He has similarly appeared as a sideman on recordings with George Gruntz, contributing to albums like Drums and Folklore (1967). His work has been recognized for its blend of classical influences – Ambrosetti holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Basel and received classical piano training – and a self-taught mastery of the trumpet and flugelhorn.
Recent projects, including his album with strings, have garnered critical attention. Jeff Levenson, the producer of Ambrosetti’s recent work, has suggested the album deserves Grammy recognition for both Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. His 2018 album, The Nearness of You, was released on the Unit label, followed by Long Waves in 2019.
Ambrosetti’s ability to navigate both the business and musical worlds has positioned him as a unique figure in European jazz. His story, as highlighted by The Tonearm, serves as an inspiration for those seeking to pursue multiple passions simultaneously. He continues to perform and record, demonstrating a commitment to both artistic expression and a life lived on multiple planes.
