About Me
Born in Taranto in 1969, Marcello Nisi started studying music in his tender age, reaching the cello diploma at the age of 21. He followed in his father’s footsteps, who was a very high-level classic and jazz composer, besides being a famous pianist nationwide. When still very young, Marcello started going through many chamber orchestra concerts, all directed by prestigious music directors. He also played with top level classic soloists. At the same time, while perfoming as a classic musician, he has been cultivating a passion for jazz music and drums in particular, also taking private lessons. He took part in many seminars held by Elvin Jones, Gene Jackson, Kim Planfield, Massimo Manzi, Enzo Zirilli, Dejan Terzic, Ettore Fioravanti, Ron Petrides. Filled with Afro-american sound and after long time studying, he has based his own drumming on drummers such as Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Jack De Johnette, Al Foster, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Brian Blade, Bill Stewart. The distinctive feature in his drumming is the style deriving from Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams and Jack De Johnette deep study.
Very alive musician in the jazzy background, he has played with notable musicians like Antonio Faraò, Benny Golson, Sonny Fortune, Chico Freeman, "Ku-Umba Franck Lacy, Philip Catherine, Jed Levy, Dado Moroni, Carlo Atti, Robert Bonisolo, Andrea Beneventano, Ron Seguin, Andy Gravish, Greg Burk, Nico Morelli, Fabio Morgera, Henry Cook, Ben Charest, Francesco Bearzatti, Daniele Scannapieco, Marcello Rosa, Marco Vaggi, Max Ionata, Barend Middelhoff, Beppe Caruso, Tino Tracanna, Eddie Palermo, Alessio Menconi, Antonio Tosques, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Maria Pia De Vito, Luca Aquino, Martin Jacobsen, Mathias Duplessy, Roberto Ottaviano, Aldo Vigorito, Gianni Lenoci, Giuseppe Bassi, Gaetano Partipilo, Mirko Signorile, Aldo Bucci, Alberto Parmegiani, Ettore Carucci, Pierluigi Balducci, Dino Plasmati, Paola Arnesano, Patrizia Conte, Tom Kirkpatrick, Daniella Firpo, Larry Ray, Daniele Dell'Omo, the South African singer Tia Architto, in the Santiago de Cuba Municipal Band (Alberto Parmegiani quintet), etc. He has teamed up with the jazz class of the Academy of Music "N. Rota" in Monopoli, during the workshop in wich F. Murnau’s silent cinema masterwork "Nosferatu" was given a sound.
It’s been in that occasion, besides Gianni Lenoci class, he collaborated with Sakis Papadimitriou and Georgia Sylleou. "Nosferatu a Monopoli" cd has been then recorded and produced by the Greek label "Anakrousis". Recently, he has performed in a trio jazz, in the Magna Grecia International Orchestra. Also, he has been engaged in national and international important musical events and festivals such as: "Jazz in Palmengarten" (Frankfurt festival - Germany), "Jazz 'n' mehr" (Glarus - Switzerland), "Jazz World Music" (Essen - Germany), "Widder Jazz Festival" (Zurich - Switzerland), "Festival delle Crete Senesi", "Taranto e il mare", "Jazz, Soul & Blues", "Le pietre che cantano", "Internazional Guitar Festival", “Blues Festival", "Festival dell'EnoJazz" of Acaja, "Take five spaghetti", "Echi Nell'isola", "3° Festival Jazz & Blues" di Rivoli (To), "Gezziamoci 2003" (Onyx Matera), "Profumi di musica 2004", "Torre Coccaro Jazz Festival", Jazz Festival di Otranto '04, Barga Jazz 2003, "September Jazz", at Blue Note of Milano (July '05 in Sonny Fortune Quartet), BeatOnto Jazz Festival 2007, Monopoli Festival 2007, Peperoncino Jazz Festival '07, Sogliano Lokomotive Jazz Festival 2007, BariJazz, Orsara Jazz Festival, Summer Jazz 2007 "Città di Ascoli", Baroque Festival etc... He is currently engaged in manifold trio, quartet and quintet music projects (with Henry Cook, Greg Burk, Ron Seguin and the exceptional participation of Franck Lacy). He often performs is Antonio Faraò Italian trio, in several projects with Alessio Menconi, in trio with Ettore Carucci, "The Other Trio" plays "The Other Trane" and many others.
