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Gianluca Renzi

Gianluca Renzi was born 1975 in Frosinone, a little italian city near Rome and he’s fast becoming one of the most interesting musician in Europe. He has been touring all over the world as a sideman with some of the most known international musicians and as a leader of his own “sextet” and “all star orchestra” and he just moved to New York city.

Gianluca Renzi is an acoustic and electric bass player and arranger as well. He has Degrees in classical music performance and in jazz performance, jazz composition and jazz arranging from the Italian Conservatory of Music. He also studied with Marc Johnson, Miroslav Vitous, Palle Danielson and John Patitucci.

He has recorded more than 30 cd’s with the most important Italian and american musicians such as Steve Lacy, Steve Grossmann, David Fuzinsky, Leon Parker, Umberto Fiorentino, Rosario Giuliani, Maurizio Giammarco, Giovanni Mirabassi.

As a leader he has recorded 3 records with his own bands for the italian label WIDE SOUND. One of those record, “Don’t stop your mind” has been considered one of the best record of 2005 from the main jazz magazine in Italy “Musica Jazz”.

As a coleader he has recorded 3 records for the famous japanese label VENUS RECORD with the band called “Roma trio”. Those record have been best sold records in Japan in 2007 and 2008.

In 2006 he was selected as one of the best young musician in Italy for the prize Django D’or. In 2008 he was selected as one best italian rising musician for the prize EuroDjango.

Gianluca Renzi has performed as a sideman with some of the today’s most acclaimed international artists such as Alex Sipiaguin, Joe Locke, Bobby Watson, Steve Lacy, Carl Allen, Steve Grossman, Gary Smulyan, Barney McAll, Leon Parker, Alvin Batiste, Gene Jackson, Mike Melillo, Adam Nussbaum, Rick Margitza, Robert Stewart, Marcus Baylor, Eric Mc Pherson, Billy Harper, Orrin Evans, Giovanni Mirabassi, Enrico Pieranunzi, Gianni Basso, Stefano Battaglia, Fabrizio Bosso, Antonello Salis, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Flavio Boltro, Rosario Giuliani, Antonio Faraò, Franco Ambrosetti and many others.

He has performed as a leader and as a sideman in the some most important cities of the world such as Tokio, Nagoya, Osaka, New York, Seoul, Beijing, Paris, Strasbourg, Geneve, La Valletta, Cartage, Rijeca, Valencia, Siviglia, Lussembourg, Klaypeda, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Cannes, Beyrouth, Rome, Milan and many cities around Italy.

As a composer and arranger, Gianluca Renzi has collected various experiences writing for chamber orchestra, big band, combo jazz orchestra, sextet, octet, quintet and classical trios. He has been writing arrangement for his own orchestra, sextet and for other musicians and agencies as well such as Rosario Giuliani, Giovanni Mirabassi, Maurizio Giammarco, LKT trio, and the famous advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi.

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Album Review

Gianluca Renzi: Don't Stop Your Mind

Read "Don't Stop Your Mind" reviewed by AAJ Staff


By Angelo Leonardi | Translation by Christine Recchia

At just thirty, he's already had an extensive history of formative experiences: recordings with Stefano Battaglia, Riccardo Fassi and Giampaolo Ascolese; and collaborations with Pieranunzi, Melillo, Ambrosetti and Watson. Bassist Gianluca Renzi delivers his second disc as a solo artist with a renewed lineup (pianist Pietro Lusso and trombonist Raffaele Carotenuto are confirmed participants), animated by fresh, expressive articulation. Renzi's main influences are the greats of modern jazz who made the biggest ...

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At just thirty-four, he's already had an extensive history of formative experiences: He has performed and recorded with Alex Sipiaguin, Joe Locke, Bobby Watson, Steve Lacy, Carl Allen, Steve Grossman, Gary Smulyan, Leon Parker, Alvin Batiste, Gene Jackson, Mike Melillo, Adam Nussbaum, Rick Margitza, Robert Stewart, Marcus Baylor, Eric Mc Pherson, Billy Harper, Orrin Evans, Enrico Pieranunzi, Gianni Basso, Stefano Battaglia, Fabrizio Bosso, Antonello Salis, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Flavio Boltro, Rosario Giuliani, Antonio Faraò, Franco Ambrosetti and many other. Renzi’s main influences are the greats of modern jazz who made the biggest innovations to the language of hard bop in the early '70s’artists like Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Andrew Hill, Herbie Hancock and Jackie McLean. It’s no accident, then, that the bassist’s music, which affirms his gifts as composer and arranger, is profoundly marked by African-American aesthetics

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Primary Instrument

Bass, acoustic

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Classical degree at Music Conservatory in Italy Jazz arranging and improvising degree at Music Conservatory in Italy Workshop with Marc Johnson, Miroslav Vitous, Palle Danielsson, Dave Holland

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Green Moon

Splasc(H) Records
2010

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Charles and Joe

Wide Sound
2008

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Charles & Joe

Wide Sound
2008

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