Riccardo Zegna

Riccardo Zegna was born near Torino in 1946 to a family of musicians. As a very young child he toured northern Italy playing the “congas” in the "Zegna Big Band" of his father; Ilario Zegna. At the age of 5 he also started playing drums and at 13 years of age began studying classical piano. In 1970 gained a diploma at the N. Paganini Conservatorio in Genoa (Italy) and began consequently performing in piano recitals. During the 70’s after performing in countless jam sessions at Turin’s “Swing Club” or Milano’s “Capolinea” club he then, in 1976, starting dedicating his career to jazz. The late 70’s and 80’s saw him collaborating with musicians the likes of : Buddy Tate, Eddy “Lockjaw” Davis, Harry”Sweets” Edison, Bob Berg, Lee Konitz, George Coleman, Steve Grossman, James Moody, Gil Goldstein, Kay Winding…. In 1983 he played at the “Parade du Jazz” with Pepper Adams in Nice. He has appeared as sideman on many numerous recordings and in 1986 appeared on the albums “Alliance”, “Simbiosi” and “Disguise” along with Pietro Tonolo and Joe Chambers. In 1996 he finally made his first piano solo album under his own name to great critical and artistic acclaim with “Andalusa”, and soon after in trio entitled “Green Dolphin Street” both of which for the Italian Label Splasch. In 1999 he was invited to play with Paul Jeffrey at the Savoy Club in New York and at the Duke University in Durham in the States. That same year he formed his own group along with clarinettist Gabriele Mirabassi. With this cameristic formation he was finally able to express himself not only as pianist but also as a gifted composer and arranger experimenting with chamber music and jazz amalgamated togeather, choosing jazz and classical musicians to portray his compositions. The result of this was the highly acclaimed album “Piccolo Valzer” and soon after “Barcarola” for the Italian label Egea. He has appeared at Umbria Jazz Festival since 1999 almost every year either as sideman or with his own group. In 2002 he played for Radio O.R.F. in Vienna. In 2004 yet again with long time friend Pietro Tonolo they recorded “Oltremare”, with Paul Motion. Another milestone for 2004 was his piano solo performance at the Southport International Jazz Festival (U.K.) where he literally “brought the house down”. The year 2006 saw the release of the beautiful album “Carillon”, as always for the Egea Record Company. In 2007, he worked as arranger and pianist on the theatrical production of “Marilyn Monroe in Jazz” with the English Jazz singer Joanna Rimmer. Since 1983 Riccardo has been teaching every summer at the Siena Jazz Seminars in Tuscany and he currently teaches jazz at the conservatory of music in Cuneo near Turin in Italy. Riccardo is well known in Italy, more so as being a “musicians musician”…… He is also a very talented Jazz drummer.
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