Raul Gagliardi

Biography
Press

I am a jazz guitarist - and when I say "jazz" I mean any form of music where there's space for improvisation. I begun like many others as a self-taught until - exploring by ear the pentatonic scales - I realized that I could play along my records discovering new melodies which weren't part of the original songs. I had then identified the focus towards my exploration around music was geared to: improvisation. I started a long journey through jazz music made up of studying guitar, listening to records, workshop with italian and international musicians, until I landed on the Degree in Jazz Music at the Conservatorio of Cosenza where I graduated with a dissertation on odd times and polyrhythms. Actually, at that time, I had already investigated music from a different perspective for my Degree in Language Studies at Università della Calabria where I was interested in how poets from different ages had looked at music in their works.

Although jazz standards are my foundation, my study material and part of my repertoire, I have a passion for oud masters such as Anouar Brahem and Rabih Abou-Khalil and musicians like Aziza Mustafa Zadeh. Also, I feel a strong connection with the Mediterranean and the Middle East due to the fact that I was born and grew up in Southern Italy. In fact, in my original compositions that I've been performing since 1998 with my first project Vinagre and later on with Amanita trio, I've always tried to pursue a meeting point between jazz sounds and melodies and rhythms from the Mediterranean and the Middle-East. With my latest project, Amanita trio, my ethnic influences have no longer centre stage but they are completely melted into the jazz language. To sum up, my research - both in life and music - is about preserving my heritage and my past, through a language which is able to change and absorb influences without necessarily falling into clichés.

During the many years spent teaching in music schools and academies, I've always tried to transmit my passion for music to my student whilst encouraging them to look for the kind of music they enjoy listening to and playing, beyond my teachings. Therefore, I had many collaboration with actors and directors both as musician and composer. Besides, in my career I've always enjoyed writing my own arrangements for popular tunes, and I've always been satisfied with the results ;)

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Raul Gagliardi

“What is actually outstanding about Amanita is their ability to develop ever-changing musical atmospheres while their well-defined timbral identity still persists, evoking a strong stylistic, soloist and composing personality.” Eugenio Mirti for Jazzit (March/April 2012 – Jazzit Likes It!)

“One of the trio’s highlights is the musicians intimate mutual understanding, which allows them to confidently take on even the most demanding scores. Uniquely, their music’s referential point of departure is not only the jazz universe but the whole Mediterranean soundscape, which they constantly look at as a great source of inspiration. A contemporary jazz with overlays reminiscent of deep traditional flavours, where different overlay patterns follow in succession, but always with the right balance between script and improvisation.” Gerlando Gatto on Online Jazz (www. online-jazz.net)