Member Since: 2/4/2007
Band Website: karnataka.org.uk
Band Members:
Influences: ENRICO PINNA,
MIKE STERN, SCOTT HENDERSON, JIM HALL, WES MONTGOMERY, JEFF BECK, PAT METHENY, TOM HARREL, CROSBY STILLS NASH & YOUNG, JONI MITCHELL, LYLE MAYS, ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, JACO PASTORIOUS, J.S. BACH, PAGANINI, BRAHMS.
Sounds Like: Guitarist from Genoa, at the age of 16 he begins playing folk and pop music in local clubs together with emerging artists such as Big Fat Mama, Red Wine, Beppe Gambetta and Paolo Bonfanti. Since 1987 until 1989 he studies jazz attending clinics held by the most popular jazz local improvisers and organized during some of the Italian most important jazz events, namely Umbria Jazz and Ravenna Jazz, where he is strongly encouraged by Mick Goodrick (Scofield’s an Metheny’s teacher) to pursue the hard career of the musician.
In 1989 he records his first LP with the group “Axmo Quartet†and Enrico Rava’s acknowledgment of the young guitarist’s talent hits the liner notes. Since 1989 until 1991 he participates together with the before mentioned group to several Jazz Festivals in La Spezia - L'Aquila -Genova - Frebourg - Bielefeld – Paris and works as a free lance all over Italy (he also accompanied Gianni Morandi in the Saturday Night Show “Fantasticoâ€). In 91 he records a CD for Amnesty international titled "Zoom" together with the band "Strani Itineranti" and he composes and arranges one of the tracks, “Africaâ€, which he plays together with 2 percussionists from Senegal on the words of a poet from Morocco.
Afterwards he collaborates with Paolo Silvestri for the production of movie soundtracks, with Bruno Tommaso and with the thaetre group Comuna Baires from Argentina for music for the theatre. In the spring of1995 he plays for two months in Finland in the main clubs of the Finnish capital - Helsinki. He records and signs the arrangement of "Sangue dell'Eden" (translation of "Blood of Eden" authorised by Peter Gabriel) and plays with Dado Moroni and Claudio Fossati for a CD of Paolo Cogorno, songwriter from Genoa.
In 1996 he is awarded a scholarship by Lanciano Sinphony Orchestra after playing in some cocerts of contemporary music. In 1997 and 1998 he plays with Terry Pack, British bass player, and plays along with one of the most popular blues harp players – the American Johnny Mars - in several tours. After that he starts a collaboration with a large number of recording studios as session player and arranger and he plays in several music scenarios of all kinds and style and he develops a personal sound that wins the favours of the critics and the public.
Since 1999 he particiaptes to three clinics which will turn out to be determinat for his career; the first one is held by Scott Henderson who invites him to join his group Tribal Tech with an improvised song; the second is held by Jim Hall who praises his original sound and music sensitivity; the third one is held by Mike Stern with whom he starts a proficous collaboration and a friendship which has bound the two guitarists until now; as a result Mike particiapates as a guest star in the first CD of the newly formed band "QUADRA" with Giuseppe De Paola at the drums, Luca Lamari at the Keybord, Pippo Matino at the bass and Marco Fadda at the percussions.
The promotion of the above mentioned CD by Quadra has been up to now his main activity together with important collaborations with popular bands and players. In 2004 he plays in one of Paolo Conte's tour, he particiapates twice in tours in the US with Steve Washington and across Europe with Johnny Mars. He arranges and plays in the new CD by "Nitti & Agnello", two songwriters from Genoa who played at the Sanremo festival. He records as guest some songs by the drum player Marco Cavani, he arranges, mixes and masterizes Nitti's solist record and he's composing for a new quartet with Enzo Zirilli,Terry Pack and Phill Hudson (the latter having played with Tina Turner) for a two-guitar project. A new CD with Mariangela Bettanini will be released by the end of the year (guitar and voice) with TUCK AND PATTI's cover notes.
In January 2005 he records as a bass player the new single CD by Nello Daniele (Pino Daniele's brother) successfully playing along with the italian drum player Tullio De Piscopo. In June 2006 he was arranger, art director and sound engineer of the first CD by Mariangela Bettanini directing the band with Dado Moroni,Paolino Dalla Porta and Enzo Zirilli. In summer 2006 another Cd and tour with Johnny Mars and another one with the two-guitar quartet with the above mentioned British group - Enzo Zirilli,Terry Pack e Phill Hudson. He has also been for four years and will be the artistic director in the jazz festival "Jazz sotto le stelle" in the famous club "SOLELUNA" in Albissola (Italy) where Tuck&Patti, Scott Henderson, Enrico Rava and many others have successfully played. Pierini guitars endorser, together with Nek's guitarist Massimo Varini he holds guitar clinics all over Europe.Recently he won an audition with nominated Rock-progressive band Karnataka and they are starting the first tour with the new band.
Record Label: HEY MAN RECORDS
Type of Label: Indie