Francesco Crosara

WHO

FRANCESCO CROSARA is a Seattle-based Italian jazz pianist, composer and recording artist who has performed at select musical venues internationally. Format varies from piano solo to duet, trio, or larger ensembles.

STYLE

Straight-ahead jazz, with elements of latin, fusion, classical and world music.

MUSIC INFLUENCES

PIANO: Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Joe Zawinul.
OTHER: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Weather Report, Return To Forever, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny.

PERFORMED WITH

Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Von Freeman, Lilian Terry, Bobby Shew, Ira Sullivan, Don Menza, John Heard, Gabe Baltazar, Mayuto Correa, Bruce Forman, Barbara Morrison, Earl Palmer, Mark Lewis, Osama Afifi, Jeff Busch, Milo Petersen, Clipper Anderson, Mark Ivester, Farko Dosumov, D'Vonne Lewis, Steven Bentley, and more.

ARTIST BIO

Born in Milan, Italy, Francesco Crosara is a jazz pianist, composer and educator who has performed at festivals and venues across the USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, and Italy.

Since 1992, Crosara has produced 6 jazz albums internationally. His album "Colors" received 4 stars from Downbeat magazine.

Francesco's mother, Lilian Terry, was one of Europe's foremost jazz vocalists across four decades. Also a TV/radio personality, and educator in Italy, she recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, and with Tommy Flanagan, and co-founded the Dizzy Gillespie Popular School of Music in Bassano, Italy. Lilian's memoirs, "Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray, and Friends", (2017- University of Illinois Press) received a highly positive review from Downbeat magazine and others.

EDUCATION & INFLUENCES

Francesco studied Classical piano & Theory at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, followed by private studies in Jazz Harmony, Composition and Improvisation in Italy. In 1981 he attended USC in Los Angeles where he was a permanent member of the USC jazz big band. Main influences have been family friends Dizzy Gillespie and Chick Corea.

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

Seattle 2017 to current – Currently performing in different configurations, primarily as jazz piano trio format, featuring top musicians from the Pacific Northwest. Selected as featured band in the July 2019 series Jazz: The Second Century, sponsored by Earshot Jazz in Seattle.

Hawaii 2014 - Piano/vibraphone duet and recording live at KHPR National Public Radio, Honolulu. Featuring vibraphonist Noel Okimoto. World premiere perfomance of Francesco's original composition "Harmony Suite".

Italy 2011 - Benefit piano trio concert and recording sponsored by the Associazione HDmenti in Valdagno (Vicenza). Featuring drummer Mauro Beggio and bassist Edu Hebling.

Japan 2009 - Second Japan tour in September 2009 for a series of performances in Kyoto and Osaka, including participation in the Kansai Music Conference Showcase. Francesco featured music from his new CD release “KURAMA”, recorded live in Japan in October 2008. He was joined by a fine group of musicians from Kansai, including Yasushi Gonjo on acoustic bass, Larry Marshall on drums and Eric Weigmann on percussion and drums.

Japan 2008 - Appearance at Jazz On Top Club in Osaka, Japan, on October 25, with drummer Larry Marshall and bassist Yasushi Gonjo. One night only special trio performance and recording session.

Mexico 2005 & 2006 - Featured artist at the 2006 Morelia Jazztival. Performance at the Teatro Ocampo in Morelia, Michoacan, with tenor sax Juan Alzate, cuban percussion master Roberto Vizcaino and rhythm session quintet.

France 2003 - Piano trio concert with Lilian Terry and at the MIDEM 2003 Festival in Cannes to present their new CD "Emotions" released by "TCB the Montreux Jazz Label".

Los Angeles 2002 - Performances at jazz clubs with: Don Menza, John Heard, Ralph Penland, Mayuto Correa.

France 2001 - Performance with Lilian Terry at Chateauvallon jazz festival and at Nice jazz clubs.

Chicago 1997-2000 - Performances at jazz clubs with: Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, and Roy Hargrove.

Hawaii 1995 & 1996 - Musical theater performances at Honolulu Theatre award winning productions of "Grand Hotel" and Rogers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song".

San Francisco 1992 - Performed at Jazz at Pearl's with guitar virtuoso Bruce Forman and his quartet.

Spain 1992 - Selected as duet with drummer Eric Kurtz to join 40 artists to represent Hawaii at the US Pavilion in occasion of the Universal Expo'92 in Seville, Spain. Performances at the Belgian and New Zealand Pavilions.

Hawaii 1990 - Performance at Leeward Jazz Festival with quartet. Guest appearance by alto madness founder Richie Cole.

Hawaii 1988-1993 - Member of saxophonist Gabe Baltazar's jazz quartet. Performances at festivals, clubs, and appearances on Hawaiian TV.

Los Angeles 1981-1984 - While attending university at USC, Francesco performed regularly with the University's Jazz Ensemble featuring guest stars such as Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Shew and Bill Magnuson.

Mexico 1983 - Performances at 2 editions of the Morelia jazz festival sponsored by the University of Michoacan.

Italy 1981 - Performances at Jazz Festivals in Bassano, San Marino and Campobasso. Also featured on Italian TV among a selected group of emerging young artists.

DISCOGRAPHY

CONCERTO - Live in Italy (issued in 2011 by Crosara Creative). Live trio performance at the Teatro Super, Valdagno, Italy, in October 2011. Featuring Edu Hebling on bass and Mauro Beggio on drums. Benefit concert and recording sponsored by the Associazione HDmenti.

KURAMA - Live in Japan (issued in 2009 by Crosara Creative). Live trio performance recorded in Japan in October 2008. Featuring Yasushi Gonjo on bass and Larry Marshall on drums. The title track, the orchestral "Kurama Suite" was inspired by a mystical mountain North of Kyoto. Originals and standards presented with a fresh new approach.

NOTES (issued in 2008 by Crosara Creative). Produced and performed live piano solo concert at Atherton Auditorium in Honolulu sponsored by KHPR (National Public Radio). Originals and jazz compositions by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans. Mixed by Bernie Kirsch at Chick Corea's Mad Hatter Studio.

EMOTIONS (issued in 2003 by TCB Records) - Produced, arranged and performed by Francesco, featuring Lilian Terry and Von Freeman as well as international musicians from the US, Brazil and Egypt (note Night in Tunisia sung in Egyptian).

COLORS (issued in 1999 by Southport Records, Chicago), featuring guest artist Von Freeman. Format includes jazz standards, original straight ahead and latin jazz. The album was well received by Downbeat Magazine (rated "4 stars"), Jazz Times, Jazz Improvisation Magazine, Cadence Music Review, All Music Guide, All About Jazz and The Jazz Review.

ENERGY (issued in 1992 by Power Wave Records, Honolulu). Nominated for a Hawaiian 1993 Hoku Hanohano Award in the Instrumental Album of the Year category.

WORKSHOPS

Morelia, Mexico 2005 & 2006 - Conducted master classes in improvisation at the Universidad Michoacana San Nicholas De Hidalgo and at the Conservatory of Music Las Rosas.

Hawaii 1992-1996 - With the University of Hawaii Statewide Cultural Extension Program, Francesco performed to enthusiastic audiences around the rainbow state bringing jazz education to schools, correctional institutions, libraries and public parks.

Indiana 1997-1998 - served as Instructor of Piano Improvisational Technique in the Applied Music Program at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

MEDIA

Music score, companion DVD for art book: "Sergio Zen - La Pittura Come Pratica Esistenziale, Carte Dipinte 1957-2007" (2008)

Live jazz performances broadcast in Hawaii (1993 & 1994) Original music score for "The Teeny Tinies" a 3-D animation film pilot

Commercial Jingles for Hawaiian Host Chocolate radio spots (1994)