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Francesco Bearzatti

Narrator and Innovator, everywhere a foreigner and yet profoundly Italian. A jazz musician irresistibly attracted to revolutionary processes in his eternal search for creating More.

Listen to Francesco Bearzatti’s "Dear John" (2019) and you’ll understand how. Much more than a tribute to John Coltrane’s mark on modern jazz and sax playing, it’s a love letter that pays homage to the legacy and goes beyond by introducing new and highly individual elements to the music … “Sometimes, originality lies in sincere imitation and then in a respectful questioning of tradition.” (Brian Morton)

Early days of Rock & testing the boundaries

Listening to rock and punk rock legends leaves an indelible influence on the young Bearzatti, growing up in the Friuli province of northern Italy. He devotes several years to rock and pop music, performing in local nightclubs and recording electronic music which continues to pervade a lot of his work. Graduate in clarinet Conservatory of Udine, Italy, he goes on to perfect his studies at Jazz Mobile, New York with George Coleman.

Among the first and formative experiences has got to be the album Live At Vartan (1995) and ensuing US tour with the first Russian trumpeter to make it on the American scene Valery Ponomarev and versatile drummer Ben Riley, best known for his work with Thelonious Monk. In 1994 Bearzatti forms the Kaiser Lupowitz Trio with Enrico Terragnoli on guitar and Zeno De Rossi on drums. Clearly inspired by New York, the Trio stands out for its deep folk drive and embarks on a journey “without limits” and marked by “a joy for experimentation and respect for tradition”. They record Dommage (1996) with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and You Don’t! (1998) at the Systems Two Studio in Brooklyn with Josh Roseman.

Making his mark on the European scene

Suspended Steps (1998) is Bearzatti’s first album as lead musician and sets the tone for European success. Paolo Birro on piano, Marc Abrams on double bass and Max Chiarella on drums, it’s largely an original repertoire and includes tributes to Coltrane and Rollins. This album “leaves no room for doubt about what Bearzatti’s made of and is an inspiration to other emerging artists”. The public and critics like the French magazine JazzMan love it. The Narrator produces a dynamic balance between delicate lyricism in his theme and vigour in his solo pieces with an originality, yet incredible ease that by now had become his trademark.

Subsequent years spent in Paris mark a high point in Francesco’s career. He forms a great friendship with the versatile jazz and rock drummer Aldo Romano and contributes to Because of Bechet (2002). Even when collaborating with other musicians Bearzatti remains true to his style. He can enter in perfect symmetry with a band but always allows room for lyrical flights of genius, phrases on the verge of aphasia whilst remaining riveted to the basic melody. He meets the virtuoso organ player Emmanuel Bex and forms the Bizart Trio. The “multi-woodwind ace” man’s the helm on Virus (2003) and “undoes conventional organ-based trio fare with some cleverly devised arrangements to produce a wonderfully inventive outing indeed!” What’s the secret? In the thirst to produce More, Bearzatti leads the band in altering previously rendered motifs via cunning improvisational opuses, in concert with a silky-smooth edge. The Trio replicate the following year with Hope joined by the grand master of Italian jazz Enrico Rava.

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In Pictures

Francesco Bearzatti P.a.z. Post Atomic Zep at Der Mast, Winter Jazz on the Road 2023

Read "Francesco Bearzatti P.a.z. Post Atomic Zep at Der Mast, Winter Jazz on the Road 2023" reviewed by Danilo Codazzi


A collection of photos from the Francesco Bearzatti P.a.z Post Atomic Zep concert at Winter Jazz on the Road Fest in Brescia on December 12, 2023 featuring Francesco Bearzatti, Danilo Gallo and Stefano Tamborrino. ...

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In Pictures

Francesco Bearzatti Tinissima Quaret Zorro at Lana Meets Fest 2023

Read "Francesco Bearzatti Tinissima Quaret Zorro at Lana Meets Fest 2023" reviewed by Danilo Codazzi


A collection of photos from the Francesco Bearzatti Tinissima Quartet Zorro concert at Lana Meets Fest on June 18, 2023 featuring Francesco Bearzatti, Giovanni Falzone, Danilo Gallo and Zeno de Rossi. ...

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Album Review

Jan Sturiale: In The Life

Read "In The Life" reviewed by Kyle Simpler


Jazz artists frequently take popular music and put their own spin on it. It's sometimes surprising how effectively some rock and pop songs will work in a jazz context. Guitarist Jan Sturiale is aware of this, and In The Life features both original songs along with his takes on some classic jazz and pop songs. Sturiale was born in Italy and began studying guitar at a young age. Over time, he developed his own sound, and his talent ...

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Album Review

Enrico Rava: Edizione Speciale

Read "Edizione Speciale" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


At the time of this fascinating live gig from 2019, trumpeter/flugelhornist/composer/mentor Enrico Rava, at 80 years of age, hadn't lost his knack for catching you off guard. Take “Infant" from Edizione Speciale as a prime example and let the rest of the disc sweep you off your perceptions. “Infant" emerges from a lone Rava fanfare and erupts into all out crash course on free jazz that harkens not only to the audible mind games of early 70's Miles ...

Album Review

Enrico Rava: Edizione Speciale

Read "Edizione Speciale" reviewed by Giuseppe Segala


Nel 2019 Enrico Rava ha tagliato il nobile traguardo degli ottant'anni. Lo ha fatto con la leggerezza densa di sostanza, di sensibilità che hanno sempre distinto il suo operato. In questo documento proveniente da un concerto in Belgio, all'Antwerp Jazz Middelheim Festival, si avverte tutta la baldanza della spontaneità, della estroversione che scatta spesso nei rapporti tra Rava e i giovani di cui il trombettista si circonda. I suoni sono catturati con tale immediatezza che sembra di essere ...

Album Review

Francesco Bearzatti, Carmine Ioanna: Favolando

Read "Favolando" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Da sempre frequentatore delle musiche più diverse, Francesco Bearzatti si presenta in questo disco in una veste piuttosto lontana da quella del suo quartetto Tinissima (clicca qui per leggere l'intervista in cui parla del recente disco della formazione, Zorro): lo troviamo infatti a duettare con un fisarmonicista irpino, Carmine Ioanna, in nove brani, un terzo dei quali completamente improvvisati e gli altri sulla stessa falsariga, ma approfittando di temi o loro, o tratti dalla musica tradizionale. Il lavoro ...

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Album Review

Vanessa Tagliabue Yorke: Diverso Lontano Incomprehensibile

Read "Diverso Lontano Incomprehensibile" reviewed by Chris May


In English, the Italian singer and composer Vanessa Tagliabue Yorke's Diverso Lontano Incomprehensibile translates as “different, distant and incomprehensible." It certainly is different. But it is neither distant nor incomprehensible. It is close-up personal and, though strange, it makes perfect sense, just like a Thelonious Monk piano solo makes perfect sense. It is also beautiful, beguiling and superbly well crafted. For most of its one hour duration the album has little to do with jazz and more to do with ...

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Matteo Mosolo
bass, acoustic

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Edizione Speciale

ECM Records
2021

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In The Life

Drawtheline Records
2021

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Zorro

CAM Jazz
2020

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Favolando

Artesuono
2019

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