Primary Instrument: Drums
Andrea Marcelli: born in Rome, Italy.
During his career he performed in USA, Japan, India, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tunisia, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Estonia, France, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, Lebanon and others. More than 190 of his compositions have been recorded in CD. Two of his compositions have been included on both the “European Real Book” and “The Digital Real Book part 2” by www.shermusic.com.
Graduated in 1986 from the L. Refice Conservatory in Frosinone (Rome) in Classical Clarinet, Jazz Composition and Arrangement. He also attended clinics with Tommy Campbell, Peter Erskine and others.
Worked as featured drummer playing shows for RAI Television from 1982 to 1988 also with the St.Louis Big Band directed by Bruno Biriaco (82/86), including the Live TV Show, “Unicef”, “Il Nastro D`Argento”, “Domenica In” 82,83,84 for Pippo Baudo. The big band has included occasionally Baldo Maestri, Sal Genovese and Paolo Fresu. Among other TV shows that Marcelli performed are: Tandem, DOC, Blitz, Orecchiocchio,”La Musica c`e`, Il Piacere dell`Estate, Vediamoci sul 2, Cartoni Magici.
Andrea, between '85-'96 composed and recorded 7 CDs of Library music for Films, TV and Radio for Primrose Music, Flippermusic and Fonit Cetra broadcasted world-wide.
Andrea moved to USA in 1989 spending 8 years in Los Angeles and 4 in New York and quickly gaining a Special Green Card Visa as a “First preference Alien wth Extraordinary abilities in the Field of Jazz” .
Andrea is resident in Berlin since 2001.
He is leading a very active musical life, he performed live and/or recorded with Wayne Shorter, David Liebman, Don Menza, Bob Mintzer, Mitchel Forman, Eddie Gomez, Mike Stern, Bob Berg, John Patitucci, Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter, Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber, Marc Johnson, Gary Thomas, Chuck Loeb, Bendik, Mike Mainieri, Jeff Andrews, Rick Margitza, Alphonso Johnson, Alex Acuna, Eric Marienthal, Frank Gambale, Jimmy Earl, Hiram Bullock, Michael Manring, Jeff Berlin, Bob Sheppard, Steve Tavaglione, Benny Maupin, Jack Nimitz, Sam Most, Harold Land, Doug Webb, Brandon Fields, Sid Jacobs, Tony Dumas, John Beasley, Kei Akagi, Mike Garson, Bill Cunliffe, Jon Hassell, Freddie Ravel, Gary Willis, Jimmy Johnson, John Leftwich, Brian Bromberg, Andy Summers, L.Subramaniam, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Frank Colon, Guilherme Vergueiro, Teco Cardoso, Meia Noite, Carolina dos Santos Shorter, Moacir Santos, Bill Reichenbach, Tom Fowler, Steve La Spina, George Garzone, Billy Drews, Tony Malaby, Adam Kolker, Rez Abbasi, Roberta Piket, Russ Lossing, David Berkman,. Ed Schuller, Harvie S. (Swartz), Mark Egan, Cameron Brown, Kyle Eastwood, Scott Lee, Markus Stockhausen, Simon Stockhausen, Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Davide Petrocca, Thomas Clausen, Jesper Lundgaard, Bo Stief, Bjarne Roupe, Palle Danielsson, Arild Andersen, Ekkehard Wölk, Johannes Fink, Larry Porter, Dirk Engelhardt, David Friedman, Pietro Tonolo, Puccini Moods, Lorenzo Petrocca, Andrea Pozza, Riccardo Del Fra, Alexey Chizhik, Andrei Kondakov and many others.
Andrea recorded in USA two acclaimed CDs for legendary Major Jazz Label VERVE with his original compositions: “Silent Will” (Verve/PolyGram and Polydor K.K.1989/90) and “Oneness”(Verve/Polydor K.K. and Lipstick Rec.1992/94) Top 10 Jazz CDs of 1991 (#8) for Tower Records' PULSE Top 20 Jazz/Fusion New Released sales, Ad Lib Japan Among the Top Jazz Picks of 1991 for Jazziz Magazine Guitar World Critic's Choise new releases 4/1992.
He has produced Chema Vilchez's debut CD “El sueno del navegante” best Jazz CD of 1996 at Radio 1 Spain and “La Naturaleza Sagrata de la Vida”. He has performed (1994) drums and synth programmings on the film “Mississippi Masala” Columbia Tristar for L.Subramaniama with Andy Summers and Emil Richards. Partecipated in 2002 on the award winning film “Good Bye Lenin” X Films with Antonello Marafioti.
Collaborated with the Rytmiskkonservatorium of Copenhagen recording and producing 1999/2004 several projects, including Paolo Russo/Bo Stief “Alchemy” top best 5 Jazz CD of 2004 in Denmark.
Marcelli`s music credits include among others: Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Berlin, New Delhi, Muenchen. Stuttgart, Paris, Lille, Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Cologne, Hamburg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Moscov, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tokyo, Kyoto, Tunisi, Beirut, Luxembourg, The Foreign Minister of Germany, The Minister of Foreign Affair of Germany, Berlin Senate, The Goethe Institute, The Jazz Services England, The Danish Jazz Federation, JazzKaar Estonia, Finnish Jazz Federation, Italian Embassy in Sweden, India and Estonia, Italian Konsulat Dortmund, Kolkata, Mumbai, Danish Embassy in Berlin and Tokyo, English Embassy in Berlin, USA Embassy in Berlin, Los Angeles County, Nowegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Sibelius Music School in Helsinki, Osaka Tennoji School and Kultuuriakadeemia in Vijandi Estonia among others.
In 2002 won two awards at the Berlin Jazz and Blues Awards. Andrea has been invited in Japan 2005, 06, 08, 09, 11.
During 2004 Marcelli was invited again in New York to record his third CD “Beyond the Blue” released in 2005 USA and Canada by Art of Life Records, in Japan by 55Records and in Europe by BHM Music with Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer, Mitchel Forman, Eddie Gomez. Two of Andrea's compositions are included in “The European Real Book” and “The Digital Real Book part two” by www.shermusic.com.
Andrea has more than 190 of his compositions recorded in CDs and broadcasted world-wide. His credits include: RAI TV and Radio, BBC England, PBS Usa, Fox Sport Usa and Mexico, ABC Usa and Mexico, Financial Report 5 Australia, CBC Canada, TV5 Canada, RBB Radio Kultur, MDR TV, Deutsche Radio Kultur, WDR TV, Bayerische Rundfunk Radio, BMW, Mercedes,Volkswagen, Deutsche Sparkasse, Hyatt Hotel, Vivaldi Hotel,Gallerie Lafayette and many many others.
In 2008 Andrea recorded his fourth CD “Sundance” released in Japan by 55Records. In trio with Thomas Clausen and Davide Petrocca. Sundance released in 2012 by Storyville record (rest of the world). In 2009 he played in Japan, India, Sweden, Norway, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, England among others. In 2010-11 he played in India, Japan, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, France, England, Luxembourg, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Tunisia, Sweden, Lebanon, Finland and Russia among others. In 2012 he played in USA, Japan, Russia, Germany and Italy. Marcelli's 4th solo CD “Sundance” is released world wide with Danish Label Storyville. Featuring Danish pianist Thomas Clausen and Italian/German bassist Davide Petrocca!! In Japan still released with 55Records. —————————————
Andrea Marcelli WORKSHOPS CREDITS:
- Rytmiskkonservatorium of Copenhagen workshops but also recording and producing several projects CDs of advanced students.
- Norwegian Academy of Music Oslo Collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Oslo
- Sibelius Music School in Helsinki Collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Helsinki
- Osaka/Japan Tennoji School - Nagoya/Japan Free Hills Junior Orchestra - Kunitachi/Japan with Hanagumi Ensemble
- Kultuuriakadeemia in Vijandi Estonia Collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Norway - Oskarshamn/Sweden Music School
- Musician Institute of Los Angeles Concert/workshop
- Maputo/Mozambique, Collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Mozambique 1- Escola de Musica e Arte ECA 2- Scuola Italo/Mozambicana 3- Ass. dos Musicos Mocambicanos
- Harare/Zimbabwe, International High School Collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Zimbabwe
Following in the footsteps of his Silent Will and Oneness albums, the long overdue new album by Andrea Marcelli is now available. The composer/drummer/clarinetist, Italian born and naturalized U.S. citizen, has finally produced Beyond the Blue. The executive co-producer of the album is Paul G. Kohler for Art of Life Records.
Joining Andrea Marcelli are some of the Jazz scene's finest soloists: saxophonist Bob Mintzer, guitarist Mike Stern and bassist Eddie Gomez, with whom Marcelli has already worked in various projects before; pianist Mitchel Forman, a longtime collaborator, performs on all of the trio, quartet and quintet tracks.
The 12 tracks, totaling 64 minutes, are previously unreleased original compositions by Andrea Marcelli chosen from music he has composed over the past several years in Los Angeles, New York and Berlin. The album was digitally recorded on October 2nd, 2004 by Michael Brorby at Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn, New York and digitally mastered by Jan Erik Kongshaug at the Rainbow Studio in Oslo, Norway.
Completing the final picture of the project is the CD artwork. Designed by Paul G.Kohler, it includes several oil artworks by Andrea Marcelli painted in the same period in which the music was composed.
Liner Notes from Beyond the Blue:
I always agreed with the thought that one of the basic facts in life is to dig beyond appearance until the real meaning is found. This is also the sense of Beyond the Blue. My new album, long overdue, is autobiographic. Music sometimes reveals the truth better than words.
Often during the session I explained to the musicians what the composition meant to me. For example the track Meaning of the Family is about the long voyage to form a family and the strong determination to keep it. Distances is again written for the people who we love, too often far away, while Between Poles was inspired by the feeling of being attracted by different roads at the same time and Retirantes is dedicated to the many people who left their home to find a new one in another country. Of course in our lives we always find the time for serenity and celebration like on Summer Nights, Orange Green and Welcome, this last one dedicated to my newborn son Paul. Other tunes are descriptive like Herbst, which in German means autumn, and the more abstract paintings Emotions, Still and Fragments.
There is no need to introduce the musicians involved in this project: Bob Mintzer, Mike Stern, Mitchel Forman and Eddie Gomez. Their great talent has been celebrated for many years. I already had the privilege to collaborate with them in different occasions and I am particularly grateful to them for their commitment and sensitivity to dig and bring out the deepest meaning of the music.
Beyond the Blue is about intensity, but most of all it is about the sincerity to express and describe, through music, our inner world. Hopefully, one more time through the arts, we can affirm how precious and irreplaceable human life always is.
I hope you enjoy the music.
Andrea Marcelli (2005)
Awards:
Top 10 Jazz CDs of 1991 (#8) for Tower Records' PULSE Top 20 Jazz/Fusion New Released sales, Ad Lib Japan Among the Top Jazz Picks of 1991 for Jazziz Magazine Guitar World Critic's Choise new releases 4/1992. "El sueno del navegante" best Jazz CD of 1996 at Radio 1 Spain (Producer and performer) Paolo Russo "Alchemy" top best 5 Jazz CD of 2004 in Denmark. 2002 won two awards at the Berlin Jazz and Blues Awards.- Allan Holdsworth Interview (Chitarre): ”He is dedicate and passionate, I like that in a musician. I liked very much Andrea as musician and composer and I liked his musical project.”
John Kelman (www.allaboutjazz.com, February 2005) ....Marcelli's compositions transcend simple melody, transporting the listener to places known and unknown, eliciting hidden emotions... Beyond the Blue represents something of a quantum leap for Marcelli as a player, but more notably as a writer. There's a maturity of concept, a clarity of vision, that makes Beyond the Blue something of a watershed for Marcelli....
“Simply stunning.” (Silent Will) - Bill Milkowski (Guitar World choice for New Release, April 1992)
“Among the notables of a musical generation adept to acoustic technique and electronic innovation are Max Roach, Bill Bruford, Chad Wackerman and Andrea Marcelli”. Indeed [Silent Will] is one of the most impressive and ambitious instrumental debut of recent years.” - Chris Hoard (Jazziz - The art of drumming)
“The themes and instrumental colors seem made for each other, more like painting than a string of jazz solos.” - Owen Cordles (Jazz Times)
“Made in Italy” emerges also in the field of Jazz. Silent Will is the proof. A music thick of colors tenuous and aggressive following a logic of voyages elegant and intense, sophisticated and solid, sparkling and deep. Marcelli is a sort of young Missoni of Jazz, he is able to immerse the compositive texture in a multitude of colors blended wonderfully each other creating harmonious drawings. A superb work produced with care and intelligence. “Made in Italy” emerges not only in the fashion's field.” - Mario Luzzi (Rockstar)
“Terrific debut...essential listening!” AMG Pick **** - Paul Kohler (AMG Web Site)
“This ambitious project is first-rate ***1/2” - Robin Tolleson (Down Beat)
“Hats off to determination and talent.” - Ken Micallef (Modern Drummer)
“What gives the album more than just peculiar interest as a meeting of the mighty is Marcelli's solid writing. Therein lies the moral of the story: what the jazz world needs now is more solid writing. Players will follow.” - Josef Woodard (Jazziz)
“Strong and passionate, Silent Will is a very impressive first release, it is definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys strong jazz compositions combined with driving and energetic playing.” - Clare Davis (Contemporary Jazz Review)
“The only Italian musician in decades of Jazz who has been able to break our isolation and be successful in America as well.” - Gianfranco Salvatore (Fare Musica)
Max Roach, Andrea Marcelli - Jazz Pick of the week “Drums and drummers: explore the once-and-future this week,... Marcelli who seems to have learned from the Roach approach to polyrhythmic textures... the title track, thick with nearly lyrical tom-tom and cymbal color.”- Bill Kohlhaase (L.A. Weekly)
“Drummer Andrea Marcelli has created a unique and inventive product in his disc entitled Oneness. The most fascinating and unusual song on the CD is “The Dance of the Soul” which is a showcase for the leader's skill andability on clarinet. Marcelli is an extremely sensitive and lyrical woodwind player who utilizes the instrument to its maximum potential.” - Mal Sands (L.A.Jazz Scene)
“ ...a memorable crew ... highlights include the clarinet/percussion fantasia of “The Dance of the Soul” and the lovely clarinet/piano duet of “Clouds.” - Jazz Reviews (Billboard)
“Andrea Marcelli's new CD “Oneness” was just released ... hats off! - News (Percussioni)
A really exciting project [Oneness] is a must for your CD collection. Congratulations Andrea! Performance: 10/10 ! - Emanuele Luzzi (Suono)
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