Born: January 3, 1971 Primary Instrument: Guitar
The rhythmical richness and melodic communicative distinguish his performances. A very interesting artist on the jazz scene today, guitarist and composer Fabio Bottazzo is stealing attention as an artist of elegant musicality, taste and intelligence. The phrasing reflects Bottazzo’s various influences from Jim Hall to Joe Pass, but still personal and continually evolving. He has recorded rock, alternative and jazz-oriented albums as a sideman. His first debut album recorded in 2007 under his own name, with Japanese bassist Satoshi Azuma, is called “Beginning Blues”. He has performed in Italy and Japan, also appearing in some japanese jazz festivals such as “Jozenji Street Jazz Festival” in Sendai, “Bandai Jazz Festival” and “Niigata Jazz Street”. He has played with Yasuhito Mori, Masami Fuji, Bruno Marcozzi, and Sebastiaan Kaptein among others.
Coming from a family of non-musician, Fabio Bottazzo was born in the town of Padova, Italy in 1971. He took up the guitar at age 16, studying as self-taught and immediately influenced by the late 80’s rock music. Bottazzo studied jazz guitar and harmony with Italo De Angelis from 1993 to 1996. At this time he was intensely studying, recording and performing many genres. Then he attended the Summer School Classes by the “Berklee College of Music” during the “Umbria jazz” event in 1996. In 2002 he graduated at “UM” school of music in Rome after three years of studies and he improved his skills with Fabio Zeppetella. He also attended many clinics: Pat Metheny, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Henderson and others. He has studied also with Charlie Banacos for a brief period.
Bottazzo is a pleasant jazz improviser and composer whose music can be placed somewhere between post-bop, acoustic and modern jazz.
In 2010 (Sept) he is a guest in the “World Music Scene” spot of “Chikyu radio”, a program of the japanese national radio NHK. In 2010 (May) his second album “It’s no Coincidence”, with japanese bassist Yasuhito Mori (b) and dutch drummer Sebastiaan Kaptein (d, perc) is on sale in Japan. It contains almost Bottazzo’s original compositions.
In September 2010 this album received a good critical from the japanese magazine “Jazz Life” (No. 395). In the same period he was interviewed by another specialized magazine, “Jazz Hihyo” (No. 157). The work was judged 14th in the list “My Best Jazz Album 2010” drawn up by the same magazine (n.160 - 2011) and the composition “In un Giorno di Pioggia” was placed at 18th place in the “Best Jazz Melody 2010”.
Fabio Bottazzo lives in Japan since 2004. He continues to dig his extremely elegant voice while performing both as a leader and sideman.
(2011/07)
