In 1956 he founds the “New Jazz Quartet” (a group stylistically close to the “Modern Jazz Quartet”) with which he takes part, in 1958, at the “Quirino Theatre” of Rome to the 2^nd National Festival of Jazz.
In 1957 he constitutes the “New Jazz Society” (formation prevalently of hard bop) with which, in 1958, he holds in Palermo – the first in Italy – two concerts at the Conservatory of Music, and takes part, later, to various important festivals (3^rd National Jazz Festival of Fregene, Festival of Comblain-La-Tour in Belgium, Saint Vincent, Bergamo, Pescara, Festival of the New Tendencies of Italian Jazz at the State University of Milan).
In 1962 he realizes an experience of third stream music with the “New Jazz Quartet” together with the soloist of the “Symphony Orchestra of the Sicilian EAOSS”; in 1965 he plays with an analogous mixed formation including a crowded group of professors of the Symphony Orchestra of the Massimo Theatre of Palermo.

Starting with 1961 he is a promoter in Italy of the utilization in a jazz key of themes of the Italian and European musical folklore (folk jazz), giving an eloquent demonstration with the long-play “Oleodotti a Sud-Est” (South East Pipe Lines) recorded with a quintet in 1975.

In 1976 he regenerates one of the most ancient villas of the17th century of Palermo, Villa Pantelleria, and since 1977 to 1990 he sets the abode of the “Django Reinhardt’s Center”, a cultural interdisciplinary center where jazz has a position absolutely paritary with the symphonic, lyric, electronic and folk music.

In 1983 he changes denomination to the “New Jazz Quartet”, becoming “Modern Art Quartet”, as a compliment to John Lewis; under his direction he makes a tour with the Symphony Orchestra of  the Massimo Theatre of Palermo with a program of third stream for quartet and orchestra.

Photo by Salvo Fundarotto

In 1984, on the basis of an intense and didactic activity, lasting until today, he constitutes a big band with 19 elements, the “Sicilia Jazz Big Band” (formerly “Reinhardt’s Jazz Studio Orchestra”) which has carried out so far more than 300 concerts, has made seven records and has given hospitality to soloists such as Dusko Gojkovich, Gianni Basso, Sergio Fanni, Rudy Migliardi, Paolo Damiani and others.
In 1990, with some soloists of the orchestra and with the drummer Gianni Cavallaro he has constituted a new formation which in an octet (with the name of “Sicilia Jazz Dixielanders”) re-proposes a philological reconstruction of jazz of the 20’s.
On October 1991, in the course of a long voyage in the United States he was bestowed the honorary citizenship by the Mayor of New Orleans.