Born: July 6, 1963 Primary Instrument: Piano
Born in Messina, Italy (Sicily), self-taught from the age of 6, he studied for several years with the pianist-composer Salvatore Bonafede, and, in New York for a brief and intensive time with Richie Beirach. In the years he attended several jazz courses and clinics, among the others Siena Jazz; Berklee Clinics in Umbria, Aebersold School in London , and piano courses with Shirley Scott, James Williams and Franco D’Andrea.
Luciano performed in several festival and jazz- clubs in Europe and US. He is the pianist of the Mahanada Quartet an original combination of free improvisation and written music. With Mahanada he has released three CDs, and garnered extremely good reviews and recognitions “Top Ten CDs Critic’s Best Choice Top Ten CDs 2006 - Cadence, “Best Albums of 2006 - All About Jazz, Italy).
Luciano also released two CDs in duo with the guitarist Giancarlo Mazzù: “Seven Tales About Standards” (SplascH Records, 2006) and “Seven Tales About Standards Vol.2” (SplascH Records 2009). Both the CDs have been considered as a creative and original approach to the standards: “The approach in these tunes is a delight,like a Third Stream reworking of Undercurrent” (Cadence); >“A work of rare elegance and intelligence, and dialogic fineness. A continuous pleasure for ears and mind” (“Best Albums of 2009”, All About Jazz, Italy, 2009)”Favourite Ten CD’s 2006” (El Intruso Jazz Magazine, Argentina).
He is one of the two pianist (with Salvatore Bonafede), of Double Piano Orchestra directed by the italian jazz vocalist and composer Rosalba Lazzarotto. With Rosalba's groups he has recorded the CD Double Rainbow (Wide Records, 2006), and My Funny Valentine (Wide Sound, 2008).
Luciano has been signaled as Talent of the Year, Pianist of the Year, Group of the Year (2008 and 2009) and CD of the Year in Top Jazz Poll 2009 of Musica Jazz magazine.
In 2010 Luciano Troja released At Home With Zindars a piano solo CD, entirely dedicated to the music of the American composer Earl Zindars, well-known for the close friendship and the musical empathy with Bill Evans, who played many of his songs along the entire career. The work is an along five years personal research inside the world of the composer. The CD contains 14 Earl Zindars compositions -some of them never previously released- and a 40-page book, realized after a personal visit at home with the Zindars family, in San Francisco.
Website: www.lucianotroja.com MySpace: www.myspace.com/lucianotroja
Awards:
- 2011 Record To Die For -"At Home with Zindars", Stereophile Magazine -10°Independent Music Awards Nomination "Best Tribute Album 2010" for "At Home with Zindars" - Reviewer's Choice: Top Ten Albums of 2010 ("At Home with Zindars") Cadence Jazz Magazine - 10 Best New Songs of the Year "Earl and Bill" by Luciano Troja, from "At Home with Zindars" Ken Franckling Jazz Notes“16 jewels strung together into a luminous arc of meditation” -Thomas Conrad, Stereophile
“Troja adds to Zindars's reputation, succeeding admirably in translating the beauty that lies in Zindars's simplicity, and in navigating the deceptively complex structures in which these rhapsodic poems of love abide” -Ian Patterson, All About Jazz
“ It is one of the better new piano CDs I have heard in a while.There are still many great up-and-coming artists emerging, but far fewer poets. Here is a chance to discover one.” -Maxwell Chandler, Jazz Police
“Illuminating the music from his point of view Troja invites us to discover the uniqueness and the beauty of this music” -Stefano Zenni, Il Giornale Della Musica
“Luciano's solo work is touching and deeply moving” [CD Discovery of the Week] -Marc Myers, JazzWax.com
“A perfect tribute to Earl Zindars” -Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene
“A CD to savor for many reasons” -Ken Franckling, Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes
“This is a loving project… listeners who know the Evans’ versions will admire Troja’s careful, tender lyricism, his delicate way with a melody, his harmonic variety, the sound he gets from the piano”. -Michael Steinman, Cadence
“A beautiful CD...Troja has shown to be one of the most creative and original pianist of recent years” -Marcelo Morales, El Intruso Jazz Magazine Argentina
“A very beautiful gift for piano aficionados and for all those who love elegant music.” -Roberta E. Zlokower, Roberta On The Arts
“Listening to At Home With Zindars is like finding an unexpected treasure trove of new musical delights” -Brad Walseth, JazzChicago.net
“A marvelous performance...Troja's tribute to Zindars is not only relaxing and charming but intellectually challenging” -Edward Blanco, Ejazznews
“This is an important achievement and a treat for fans of the genial, evocative style that Zindars - and Troja- so successfully mine” -Alan Young, Lucid Culture, NYC
“Anyone who likes the piano for all the right reasons will have a friend in this one” -George Harris, The Jazz Messenger
“An extraordinary labor of love… Troja is the perfect musician to take us on this journey” -Don Netsky, City Newspaper
D'istante3 Giancarlo Mazzu'/Blaise Siwula/Luciano Troja (Slam Productions, 2012)
At Home With Zindars Luciano Troja (Luciano Troja, 2010)
Seven Tales About Standards Vol.2 Giancarlo Mazzù/Luciano Troja (SplascH Records, 2009)
Mannahatta Mahanada Quartet (SplascH Records, World Series, 2008)
My Funny Valentine Rosalba Lazzarotto Quintet (WideLab, 2008)
Seven Tales About Standards Giancarlo Mazzù/Luciano Troja (SplascH Records, 2006)
Double Rainbow Rosalba Lazzarotto Double Piano Orchestra (Wide Sound, 2006)
Taranta's Circles Mahanada Quartet (SplascH Records, 2005)
[uno] Mahanada Quartet (Ethnoworld, 2004)
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