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Corrado Abbate

Corrado Abbate, jazz pianist and composer.

About Me

Born: February 19, 1958 Instrument: Piano

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.

In november 2006 Abbate took part with Jazzcom’s members in “Mallets, brushes and more”, italian tour of Mike Mainieri (american vibes player, founder and leader of “Steps Ahead”), playing with him, together with musicians as Claudio Allifranchini, Luigi Tognoli and others).

In 2007 Abbate took part to bassist Fabio De March’s project called “Leggero in Jazz”, together with Gigi Di Gregorio, Carlo Bernardinello and the vocalist Lilly Gregori. With original arrangements by De March, the group proposes some of the great pop themes, revisited in jazz.

In 2008 Abbate with his “Multiverse Jazz Quartet” recorded a CD entitled “Un'ombra in cammino” (Philology), that includes 8 original tunes by all the members of the group.

Year 2011 saw the production of a new CD by “Jazzcom”, entitled “Dummy and Human” (Dodicilune), with the participation of the trumpeter Flavio Boltro. The recording includes 7 original tunes by the members of the group.

Actually Corrado Abbate is also a stable member of the “Gigi Di Gregorio Ensemble” and of the “Cluzon Big Band”.

Corrado Abbate has taken on several projects in the theatrical field, composing music for the staging of works by Arrabal, Topor, Jodorowskij, de Ghelderode, Allen and other artists.