Paolo Fresu style is based on the classic Miles Davis sound of the 50s: Video

10.02. – Happy Birthday !!! At the beginning of the ’80s, trumpeter Paolo Fresu attended the Siena Summer Jazz Seminars and amazed Enrico Rava with his creativity, talent, and technique. Over the next ten years, he became a major player on the Italian scene, first with his own quintet (which is still going), then branching out in a variety of projects.

After finishing his Conservatory studies, he became a teacher at the same Jazz Seminars in Siena; he lives half the year in Paris, from where he coordinates the major Time in Jazz Festival he created in his hometown. His discography numbers an astonishing 130 titles since he’s been invited to play all over Europe in a variety of projects, from contemporary music to straight jazz, from dance to jazz/folk fusions.

Live in Montpellier His style is based on the classic Miles Davis sound of the ’50s, and the very lineup of his quintet is reminiscent of Davis’ group, with excellent tenor Tino Tracanna. They mostly play originals and the music flows fresh and engaging, never a mere imitation. Live in Montpellier (1990) and Ossi di Seppia featuring Gianluigi Trovesi, both on Splasc(h), are good representations of the different facets of the group; Shades of Chet is an affectionate tribute with Rava on Label Bleu (2001) featuring new piano talent Stefano Bollani. Sonos ‘E Memoria (ACT 2001) and Metamorfosi (BMG 1999) are respectively inspired by Sardinian musical heritage and European classical Richard Strauss, their success being proof of his commitment to an open musical aesthetic. In addition to Fresu’s quintet, he played in an unusual duo with bassist Furio di Castri, this became the PAF trio with the addition of Antonello Salis on piano and accordion, and another trio with English pianist John Taylor (Contos, Egea 1995), while his European quartet includes French-Vietnamese guitar player Nguyên Lê (Tales From Viêtnam, ACT, 1995).

Paolo Fresu started studying his instrument at the age of 11 in the “Bernardo de Muro” music band of Berchidda, where he was born.

After experiences light music he discovered jazz in 1980 and started his professional activity in 1982 following first the and then recording for the RAI, the Italian public broadcasting corporation, (Radio 3 ‘Un certo discorso) under the direction of Bruno Tommaso.

In 1984 he graduated in Trumpet at the Cagliari Conservatory under Enzo Morandini and attended the music department of DAMS, the faculty of arts of the University of Bologna. Still in 1984 he won several prizes as best talent in Italian Jazz.

In 1990 he won the prize as best Italian musician, best group (the Paolo Fresu Quintet) and best record (Live in Montpellier). In 1996, in Paris he won the prestigious prizes “Bobby Jaspar” awarded by the “Académie du jazz and the “Django d’Or” (the European music Oscar) as best European jazz musician and in the year 2000 he had another nomination for the “Django d’Or” as best international musician.

He has been a music teacher in State Middle schools and, for the past twenty years he has led and intense teaching activity in many contexts.

The list of collaborations is prestigious: ranging from the leading Italian musicians like F. D’Andrea, GL. Trovesi, G. Gaslini, E. Rava, B. Tommaso, G. Tommaso, E. Pieranunzi, T. Ghiglioni and others, to Europeans and Americans like K. Wheeler, J. Taylor, D. Liebman, D. Holland, Ph. Woods, A. Romano, G. Mulligan, B. Brookmayer, J. Zorn, R. Del Frà, J. Abercrombie, H. Merril, M. Portal, R. Galliano, T. Gurtu, G. Shuller, M. Waldrom, del Fra, J. Hall, L. Soloff, J. Hassell, Uri Caine, Gil Evans Orchestra etc.

He has recorded over 220 LPs and CDs, of which over thirty under his own name and others in international collaborations. He has performed various artistic intrusions (in painting, sculpture, installations, video, etc).

He divides his time between Paris, the Apennines which bridge Tuscany and Emilia, Bologna and Sardinia and is President of the “TIME IN JAZZ” Cultural Association of Berchidda, which organizes the Jazz Festival by the same name, as well as other cultural events.