Gaetano Partipilo

Born in Cassano delle Murge, a little town near Bari, in Italy, on October 2nd 1974, he is the musician son of a musician father. He takes up his career at the early age of eight years old, playng in the band of his town. At fifteen he enroles himself at the Academy of Music “N.Piccinni” in Bari where in 1997 will obtain his degree. There he studied classical music and begins with jazz. He attend the jazz lessons of Roberto Ottaviano and at the same time he begins to play in several local jazz bands.

With the flowing of time he finds in jazz the best way to express himself, particulary in improvisation. He always has an eye to his own style and sound and starts many important experience, playng for instance with Mark Murphy, Tony Scott, Enrico Rava, Rossana Casale as a special guests of the “Jazz Studio Orchestra”.

Between 1996 and 1997 he attends the E.E.C. courses for high professional qualification in Siena. There he studied with Mario Raja, Furio Di Castri, Ettore Fioravanti. In 1997 he plays in the “Dolmen Orchestra” for the co-operations with John Surman, Louis Sclavis and Michel Godard.

An experience that will influence his way of thinking about improvisation is going to be the meeting with Greg Osby guest star in an exibition of “The Jazz Convention”, a combo where he plays.

During the sammer 1998 he studies with Gianluigi Trovesi and Paolo Fresu at Siena Jazz Summer seminars. During this time he takes a scholarship to rapresent the Siena Jazz Association at the 1999 International Jazz meeting of the I.A.S.J. (International Association of School of Jazz). This is a great chance to relate with young musician from different artistic and cultural traditions but, above all with the famous Dave Liebman, Randall Conners, Ronan Guilfoyle, Greg Badolato and many others.

On May 1999 he partecipates at the 1st International Contest “W il Jazz” at the Smeraldo Theater of Milan, as a member of the “Dear Jazz Quintet”, classed second.

Beetween October and December 1999, Gaetano lives in New York City, where he meets many times some important musicians of the local scene such as Jason Moran, Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits and Greg Osby. Once back to Italy he establishes the “Urban Society”, were he tries out a new way in his compositions and improvisation. With the Urban Society he records the first album as a leader, with two special guests: the japaneese bassist Az'shi Osada and one of the most rappresentative drummers of the New York area, Nasheet Waits. This recording has been released by famous Soul Note in 2002

On August 2000, in Bari, he's co-director of the big jam-session “All that jazz” where exibited about forty italian musicians, Jesse Davis, Mike Melillo and Billy Cobham.

Between 2001 and 2003 he collaborated with Dave Liebman, Giacomo Aula, John Schroder, Peter Klinke for the group called “Berlin Experience”.

At the same time he recorded as sideman with brazilian singer Rosalia De Souza in “Garota Moderna”, italian pianist Mirko Signorile in “in full life”, vibes player Pasquale Bardaro in “The last news”, director and composer Bruno Tommaso in “Amare terre”, Meridiana Multijazz Orchestra in “Suoni Meridiani” and recording solo session with Nicola Conte, Bobby Hughes, Rainer Truby and Mo' Horizons.

The second album “Gaetano Partipilo and Urban Society “ BASIC” was released on september 2004 for Soul Note label

On 2004 and 2005 he classed 2nd and 3rd in “Best new Talent” category in a “Musica Jazz reading Poll”

His new recording project feature Mike Moreno on guitar, Matt Brewer on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. This project called “New York Crew” was born in January 2006 in New York City. This album has been released on September 2007 by famous Emarcy/Universal

Other co-operations with Dave Liebman, Dave Binney, Stefano Bollani, Fabrizio Bosso, Gianluca Petrella, Roberto Menescal, Nguyên Lê, Greg Burk, John Arnold, Jonathan Robinson, Todd Horton, Salvatore Bonafede, Bruno Tommaso, Nicola Stilo, Roberto Ottaviano, Maurizio Giammarco, Nico Morelli, Rudy Migliardi, Gianni Lenoci, Mike Applebaum, Joy Garrison, Massimo Manzi, Patrizia Conte, Cristina Zavalloni, Daniele Scannapieco, Pietro Lussu, Pietro Ciancaglini, Lorenzo Tucci, The Jazz Convention Quartetto Moderno Maurizio Quintavalle, Guido Di Leone, Claudio Colasazza, Marcello Magliocchi, Salvatore Tranchini, Domenico Caliri and many others.

Gaetano Partipilo has played in England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Bulgaria, Switzerland, U.S.A., Japan, Portugal, France, Macedonia and Croatia.