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Corrado Abbate

Originally trained as a classical pianist, Corrado Abbate quickly turned to jazz, soon demonstrating a distinct aptitude for composition and arrangement. He has always loved leading small combos, playing mainly his own compositions, together with exciting jazz renditions of numbers from various musical styles.

During the Eighties he led a number of groups highly active on the Torinese scene ("Arsis", "Modal Jazz Quintet", "Sharp Eleventh"), playing everything from hard bop to modal, from fusion to free-funk. Many talented young musicians, now well-known professional players, like Luigi Tessarollo, Marco Tardito, Roberto Regis, Davide Graziano and others, emerged from these groups. In the same period he played with musicians as Massimo Urbani, Gianni Basso, Franco Mondini, Alfredo Ponissi, Luciano Bertolotti and many others.

In 1991 he formed his own quartet with Fulvio Albano (tenor and soprano sax), Claudio Nicola (double bass) and Raffaele Fontana (drums); in 1993 this formation recorded a CD entitled "Brecce" (Pentaflowers) and stayed together for the whole of 1994, playing numerous concerts in Italy and taking part in important jazz festivals.

In 1995 he founded "Primitivo", a group that was to become the most important acid-jazz band in the Turin area; in 1996 this group, including saxophonist Danilo Pala, the Cuban trumpeter Amik Guerra and the Argentinean percussionist Luis Casih, together with Nicola and Fontana, recorded a CD entitled "Speed Jazz" (Tielines), from which followed an intense series of concerts lasting throughout 1998, with participation in numerous international festivals (Ivrea Eurojazz Festival, Turin JVC Jazz Festival, Bordighera Jazz and Blues, Catanzaro Jazz Fest, to name but a few). In this period Abbate played also with musicians such as Claudio and Fulvio Chiara, Enzo Zirilli, Nicola Muresu, Alessandro Minetto and many others.

Year 2003 saw the realization of "Jazzcom Project", a band that includes, as well as its leader, Danilo Pala (altosax), Gigi Di Gregorio (tenorsax), Roberto Giolito (double bass) and Carlo Bernardinello (drums), whose aim is to offer quality contemporary jazz which is more easily accessible to a non-specialist audience. In 2005 “Jazzcom” recorded a CD entitled "Stultifera Navis" (SFR), receiving flattering acclaim from critics and audiences and taking part in important jazz festivals ("Due Laghi Jazz Festival" in Avigliana, "Quarna Jazz Festival", "Ovada InContemporanea", "Moncalieri Jazz Festival"). In 2006 the bassist Fabio De March became a member of the group.

In 2006 Abbate created a new group called "Multiverse Jazz Quartet", including Gigi Di Gregorio (tenor and soprano sax), Piero Cresto-Dina (double bass) and Marco Puxeddu (drums), with a repertoire of original compositions by all the members and interpretations of modal jazz themes by Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Tyner, Henderson, Wheeler and others.

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Another smile

Self Produced
2018

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Dummy and Human

Dodicilune Records
2011

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Un'ombra in cammino

Philology Jazz Records
2008

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Stultifera navis

Studiottanta Fortune Records
2005

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Speed Jazz

Tielines
1997

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Brecce

Pentaflowers
1994

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