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Enrico Pieranunzi
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Enrico Pieranunzi |
piano |
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Enrico Pieranunzi
Enrico Pieranunzi’s solo piano playing,
which is featured on three Egea recordings (the last of which was a
celebration of 300 years of the development of the piano), is among
the most memorable moments of recent editions of Umbria Jazz. His
Suite for Perugia (again for solo piano), dedicated to the city of
Umbria Jazz, and a duo with Marc Johnson are soon to be released.
Pieranunzi’s success should come as no surprise, given that he has
been one of the leading players on the European jazz scene for over a
quarter of a century. He was born in Rome in 1949 and learnt jazz in
the field, playing as a young man in the clubs of Italy’s capital -
including at Pepito and Picchi Pignatelli’s wonderful “Music Inn” -
with Italy’s top players and with the great American soloists in town,
including Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods and Art Farmer. His
knowledge of music, his academic training and his abilities as a
composer and teacher make him a complex and fascinating artist. Over
the years, the influences of Erroll Gardner and Bud Powell have been
replaced by a personal style and sound which are wholly his own and
make him a master of the keyboard. These factors, together with his
elegant touch and his approach to trio playing, have led more than one
critic to describe him as an Italian Bill Evans.
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