Biography

Bass player, composer

Born in Milano on sep 12, 1955, he lived in Buenos Aires, Naples, Venice, Turin, Tunis, Rome, Paris.

Since 1991 he lives in Turin (Italy).

Formerly self-tought musician, he started as a trumpet player, then moved to the electric bass. He recorded his first album in 1973 (Dedalus, Trident records) then to the double bass.
After a year spent in Tunisia, in 1978 he moved to Rome, where he began to play with tenor saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco and altoist Massimo Urbani.

From 1979 he became one of the most requested bass player as a sideman and played with
Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Walter Davis Jr, Jimmy Knepper,
Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Clark, Enrico Pieranunzi,
Al Grey, Franco d’Andrea, Tete Montoliu,
Sal Nistico, Enrico Pieranunzi, Dave Samuels.

In the 80’ He has been a regular partner in the Enrico Rava quartet and in the Michel Petrucciani trio.
He joined in concerts and international tours
Dino Saluzzi, Joe Henderson, Chet Baker, John Taylor, Steve Lacy,
Lee Konitz, Paul Motian, Joe Lovano, Pharoah Sanders,
Charles Lloyd, Ray Anderson, Tony Oxley, Daniel Humair,
Barry Altschul, John Abercrombie, Cristian Escoudè,
Philip Catherine, Aldo Romano.

 

From the 90’ he has been playing together with
Richard Galliano, Paul Bley, John Surman, John Taylor,
Paolo Fresu, Kenny Wheeler, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman,
John Scofield, Franco Ambrosetti, Antonello Salis,
Joe la Barbera, Bill Elgart
and many others.

Since 2000, besides keeping working as a sideman, he started playing with his own projects and composing for jazz workshops, dance performances, theatre and contemporary arts events – collaborating with Peppe Servillo, Lella Costa,
David Riondino, Piergiorgio Oddifreddi, Valter Malosti, Sosta Palmizi,
Stefano Arienti, Pilar Gomez Cossio.

In the last 15 years, he kept working with
Uri Caine, Dave Liebman, Rita Marcotulli, Fabrizio Bosso,
Dado Moroni, Javier Girotto, Antonello Salis, Gianluca Petrella,
Arve Henrikssen, Jon Balke, Andy Sheppard, Nguyen Le, Perico Sambeat,
Boyan Zulfikarpasic, Franco Ambrosetti, Eric Vloeimans.

 

He has been teaching double bass and ensemble at the Siena Jazz Foundation since 1990.

After teaching jazz at the Conservatories of Music of Sassari and Parma,
he became the director of the Jazz Department of the Conservatory of Turin,
where he is now teaching jazz composition and double bass.

He also teaches Double bass and electric bass at the Conservatory of Genova.

He held various master classes and jazz workshops in Jazz Schools and Conservatories in
Dublin, Den Haag, Paris, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Lausanne, Chambery, and different institutions in Italy.

From 2012 to 2016 he has been the ideator and artistic director of the
Fringe Jazz Festival in Turin.

In 2017 and 2018 he exported and directed the festival in Florence
(FJFF) aka Firenze Jazz Fringe Festival.

Here recorded more than 200 albums – 20 as a leader or co-leader – and played concerts and tours
all over Europe and in Usa, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal,
Israel, Turkey, Yemen, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Japan and Korea.

Gallery photo