Franco D'Andrea

Francesco "Franco" D'Andrea (born on March 8, 1941 in Merano) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer.

Life
D'Andrea is considered one of the most famous jazz musicians from Italy and has recorded a large number of albums (some 200 albums). He developed his style in the 1960s and won several awards in his home country. He has worked with Gato Barbieri, Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Phil Woods, Ernst Reijseger, Slide Hampton, Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli, Max Roach, Lee Konitz, Johnny Griffin, Han Bennink, Dave Douglas and also with numerous Italian musicians.

His career began in 1963 with Nunzio Rotondo playing for the italian broadcast RAI and in Gato Barbieri's band in 1964-65. D'Andrea continued then with the Italian vanguard ensemble Modern Art Trio 1968-72 and Perigeo 1972-77. Since 1978 he's been playing with his own bands (Trio, Quartet, Eleven) and as a solo performer. He has been a teacher at the Conservatorio "F.A. Bonporti" in Trento 1994-2006 and currently at mitteleuorpean jazz academy in Merano and at Siena Jazz.

In 2010 he received for his life's work the Award "Musicien Européen de l'année" (Académie du Jazz de France) and 2011 the Honorary Award at the Italian Jazz Awards - Luca Flores.

Discography

 * Nuvolao (Carosello, 1978)
 * No Idea of Time (Red, 1983) with Mark Helias, Barry Altschul
 * Chromatic Phrygian (YVP Records, 1989)
 * Airegin (Red, 1991)
 * Ornithology Phil Woods & Franco D’Andrea Trio (Philology, 1994)
 * Inside Cole Porter (Red, 1996) with Lee Konitz
 * Jobim (Philology, 1997)
 * Eleven (Via Veneto Jazz, 2000) with Steven Bernstein
 * Solo 5 - Duke (Philology, 2001) solo
 * Solo 7 – Napoli (Philology, 2001) solo
 * Magicians at Work (Philology, 2002)
 * I Love You So Much It Hurts (Winter & Winter, 2002) with Ernst Reijseger
 * Plays Monk - Live At Metastasio Jazz (Philology, 2003)
 * Creole Rhapsody: D.Ellington (Philology, 2005)
 * The Siena Concert (Blue Note 2008)
 * Modern Art Trio (Dejavu, re-issue 2008, orig. 1970) with Bruno Tommaso and Franco Tonani
 * Conversations (Gambit Records, re-issue 2009, orig. 1973) with Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli
 * Sorapis (El Gallo Rojo, 2011)
 * Traditions and Clusters (El Gallo Rojo, 2012)
 * Today (El Gallo Rojo, 2013)

Filmography

 * 2006 - Franco D'Andrea Jazz Pianist (Miramonte Film)