Kekko Fornarelli (born 10 January 1978 in

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

, Italy) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer.

Biography

Kekko Fornarelli is a pianist and a composer. He was born in

, Italy in 1978. He began learning

classical piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

at the age of three, first through private tuition and later at the Conservatorio Piccinni in Bari. Fornarelli's interest in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

music began at the age of 18. From there on, he has immersed himself in jazz, which has led him to travel worldwide. He has recorded four albums, ''Circular Thought'' in 2005, ''A French Man in New York'' (2008), inspired by French pianist

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

in the three years he spent in France.
''Room of mirrors'' was released in 2011 by Auand sound. Alison Bentley writes "I can't stop listening to the CD: a fusion of Romantic classical music, modern jazz and 21st century dance rhythms, played with Italian brio from the heart." His last work, "Outrush" was released in 2014. Eric Vloeimans, Flavio Boltro, Rosario Giuliani, Francesco Bearzatti, Benjamin Henocq, Jerome Regard, Manhu Roche, Luca Bulgarelli are only some of the artists he has shared ideas, sounds, life experiences and stages with. The tour that has brought his music to more than 25 countries over the world in the last two years – Russia and all Europe, Asia, Australia – is a huge success everywhere. "Fornarelli is a skilful instrumentalist with classical roots and a subtle improviser's mind". Alison Gunn of the Financial Times writes "A near-perfect balance of tension and freedom. Fornarelli's music has a pared-down yet catchy style that draws on his classical roots, with influences from pop to trip-hop to gospel"

Paolo Fresu Paolo Fresu ( sc, Pàulu; born 10 February 1961) is an Italian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, as well as a composer and arranger of music. Career Born in Berchidda, Sardinia, he picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the ban ...

writes: "As long as there are musicians as open minded as Kekko Fornarelli, jazz will carry on being the World's music. Kekko’s intimacy is made of rich melodies and chord progressions which evoke some delicate forms of modern jazz, but are translated by that particular touch which makes him one of the most interesting young pianist of the moment."Paolo Fresu, Booklet "A French man in New York", Wide sound 2008

Discography

* ''Circular Thought'', 2005 (Wide) * ''A French Man in New York'', 2008 (Wide Sound) * '' Room of Mirrors'', 2011 (Auand Records) * ''Outrush'', 2014 (Abeat)

References

External links

Official website

Profile on Musicbrainz

Profile on BBC Music

Soundcloud

Facebook page

Reverbnation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fornarelli, Kekko 1978 births Italian jazz pianists Living people 21st-century pianists 21st-century Italian male musicians Italian male jazz pianists