Roberto Pistolesi

Roberto Pistolesi was born in Frosinone in 1978. he attended the conservatory of classical music L.Refice in his hometown ,where he studied violin, piano, theory and reading and had a degree. He quit classical studies at the age of 16,when he had his first drumset. Very involved with music, he learned as a self-taught (the first thing he did on drums was improvising on “take five”…) for one year listening music and trying to emulate drummers. In 1994 he started to take private lessons from Azeglio Izzizzari, a very good teacher who gave him a strong foundation and a great amount of concepts that influenced him a lot. In the years spent studying all day long, he became a well known up-and-coming drummer in his town, where he played with a lot of different Rock, Alternative, Pop, Country bands. Improvisation was already in his mind and he spent long days playing alone with drums. In 1996 he attend his first jazz workshop with M.Giammarco, F.Sferra, G.Tommaso, D.Rea, F.Zeppetella and fell in love with jazz music. In 1998 he attended the U.M.(university of music) in Rome, where master Ettore Mancini auditioned him doing only the last two years of course.at U.M. he studied a variety of differrent styles with F.Sferra, M.Dei Lazzaretti, John Arnold, Gianpaolo Ascolese. In 2000 he achieved the “diploma” from U.M. and moved to Rome, beginning to play with singers/bands in roman clubs,festivals,contests,big stages,in the field of Pop/Rock music. In 2002 he subbed for one of his teachers in a music school called “Ciac” for the whole year, making his first serious experience in teaching. From 2002 he began to teach in U.M. , firstly subbing, and then having his own class, teaching technique, coordination, reading. In the meanwhile he began to be called as a session-man in many bands playing covers and originals, doing recording sessions too. In 2002 he played at the Concert of the 1st of may in S.Giovanni in Rome,a very important music festival ,where he played with the band M.I.G. in front of more than 800.000 people. In 2004, after having a lot of experience in lot of musical fields, he decided to go deeper in jazz drumming,going to jam sessions and studying the be-bop and hard-bop drummers,and then began to be interested in big band drumming, studying especially the styles of Count Basie’s drummers Sonny Payne and Jo Jones. From 2004 he began to play with a lot of jazz players in Rome and became member of several jazz bands, playing in clubs and festivals. COLLABORATIONS (past and present): George Garzone, Eddie Henderson, Steve Slagle, Virginia Mayhew, Steve Grossman, Joy Garrison, Bertha Hope, Kim Clarke, Rossano Sportiello, Wendell Brunious, Carol Sudhalter, Lino Patruno, David Blenkhorn's “AUSTRALIAN ALL STARS”, Pietro Ciancaglini, Andy Gravish, Joris Teepe, Chris Crocco, Giuseppe Bassi, Joseph Lepore, Tommaso Scannapieco, Giovanni Amato, Gianluca Renzi, Marcello Rosa, Max Ionata, Sandro Deidda, Bepi D'Amato, Andrea Beneventano, Pietro Lussu, Giorgio Rosciglione, Fabio Mariani, Mauro Battisti, Ron Segun, Stefano Sastro, Niki Nicolai, Enzo Scoppa, Daniela Velli, Red Pellini's GANG, Minnie MInoprio, Gianni Saint Just, Michael Supnick, Riccardo Biseo, “ALL TIMES ORCHESTRA” directed by Stefano Zavattoni, “Sefano Zavattoni Octet”, Orchestra del “BRANCO”, Carlo Atti, Emanuele Basentini, Massimo Davola, Luigi Grasso, Pasquale Grasso, “GREG” and the “BLUES WILLIES”, Agostino Di Giorgio, Giorgio Cuscito,Luca Velotti, Claudio "GREG" Gregori,Claudio Colasazza, Alberto Collatina, “ITALIAN BIG BAND” directed by Marco Renzi, Francesco Puglisi, Mauro Ottolini, Massimo Pirone, Michele Ascolese…He is part of the following bands/projects: ROBERTO PISTOLESI TRIO Domenico Sanna: piano With various bass players.“THE AMAZING QUARTET/QUINTET OF ATTILIO TROIANO AND ROBERTO PISTOLESI” Attilio Troiano: tenor sax, vocals .arrangements Giovanni Amato: trumpet, flugelhorn Michele Di Martino: piano Tommaso Scannapieco: bass Roberto Pistolesi: drums BEPI D’AMATO/MARCELLO ROSA “JAZZ HERITAGE” Bepi d’Amato: clarinet Marcello Rosa: trombone Giorgio Rosciglione: bass Giorgio Cuscito: pianoBEPI D’AMATO QUARTET (same personnel except Marcello Rosa)MARCELLO ROSA SEXTET Andy Gravish : trumpet Max Ionata :tenor and soprano saxes Paolo tombolesi :piano Gianluca renzi :bass Roberto Pistolesi:drumsLINO PATRUNO “JAZZ SHOW” Lino Patruno: guitar, banjo Gianni Saint Just: clarinet Giorgio Cuscito: tenor sax Guido Giacomini: bass Adriano Urso: piano Roberto Pistolesi: drums“ALL TIMES BIG BAND” diretta dal M. STEFANO ZAVATTONI.“ITALIAN BIG BAND” diretta dal M. MARCO RENZI.MICHAEL SUPNICK’S “JAMMIN AND SWINGING”