The Italian Instabile Orchestra’s instigator was born in Ruvo in 1951. Ruvo is a small Apulia town where he still lives, and where he teaches. Pino Minafra was a singer in his church choir, before he took up the trumpet in his local brass band. After a stint in a classical band, he began his career in jazz soloist in 1980. He eventually became a leader and composer of his own group. He quickly began creating events and gained national and international attention with his first group, Praxis. South Italian jazz concerts are even more rare than those in the rest. On record, he recorded an improvised trio featuring Han Bennink and Ernst Reijseger from Holland (Noci…strani Friutti, Leo); Colori was his own quintet/sextet, while Sudori, which was well-received in Canada (Victo 95). Minafra is a flugelhorn and trumpet master. He occasionally plays didjeridoo style with a length plastic water pipe. Enja released La Banda in 1998. It was a double CD featuring traditional Apulian brass bands playing popular operatic arias as well as original compositions by Willem Breuker and Michel Godard. Godard recorded Castel del Monte with Minafra, Gianluigi Trvesi at the Svevian Fortress near Minafra’s hometown. There, he also promoted an annual European Jazz Festival for many years with great dedication. Minafra’s “Fantozzi” is a classic of Instabile’s repertoire. With his chaotic conducting, it is also a staple in Instabile’s repertoire. (Litania Sibilante and Enja 2001). Victo released a CD with Minafra’s quartet live at Banlieues Bleues Festival, Paris (Canto Libero 2002). Allmusic
