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Leo Genovese

Leonardo Genovese was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina. After some years of studying classical piano at the National University of Rosario as well as private lessons in contemporary music, he moved to Boston in 2001. He started his career at Berklee College of Music where he studied with Danilo Perez, Joanne Brackeen and Frank Carlberg, among others. Leo graduated as a Professional Music Major in 2003 and has been constantly performing and recording with talented musicians such us Hal Crook, Darren Barrett, George Garzone, Francisco Mela, Joe Lovano, Bob Gulloti, Phil Grenadier, Dave Santoro, Chris Cheek, Michael Janisch and Ben Monder. In 2004, he released his first solo album entitled Haikus II signed by Spanish label Fresh Sound Records.

He also performs regularly with the Esperanza Spalding Group, the Mike Tucker Quartet, Planet Safety (w/Bob Gullotti and Dave Zinno), Wayne Shorter Group and Jack Dejohnette. When he’s not touring with Spalding, Genovese – who is currently based in New York – also plays with a loosely assembled group called the Chromatic Gauchos, whose core membership includes Bob Gulloti, Dan Blake and John Lockwood. This threesome, along with Spalding and percussionist Sergio Miranda, appears prominently on Seeds. While Genovese is still early on his career arc, he hopes that his music could eventually be more than just a source of entertainment, but also a force for change in a world that is troubled by economic, social and political challenges.

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Album Review

Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble: Elegy for Thelonious

Read "Elegy for Thelonious" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Dopo aver circumnavigato la musica di Monk in diversi contesti, prevalentemente come pianista in piccoli organici, Frank Carlberg, finlandese di nascita ma newyorchese a tutti gli effetti, affronta in questo suo ultimo, ambizioso lavoro l'ineffabile Thelonious da una prospettiva diversa: dedicandogli una serie di composizioni proprie ispirate a lui e alla sua arte così fuori da ogni ovvietà (non senza scampoli tematici acchiappati al volo e titolazioni spesso molto gustose ed emblematiche, da “Scallop's Scallop" a “Wrinkle on Trinkle," in ...

9
Album Review

Julieta Eugenio: Stay

Read "Stay" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Argentina-born saxophonist Julieta Eugenio takes four breaths ("Breaths" I through IV), that she calls “short, intimate moments," in her ongoing endeavors in this (mostly) trio-format album. The saxophone, bass and drums setup is one of the most intimate. Think Sonny Rollins in Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957) and A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1958), a pair of uncluttered, groundbreaking, chordless outings that stand up as classics of the format. Eugenio has proven herself marvelously ...

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Album Review

Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble: Elegy for Thelonious

Read "Elegy for Thelonious" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Pianist Frank Carlberg has been exploring the music of Thelonious Monk for some time, most specifically on his large group album, Monk Dreams, Hallucinations, and Nightmares, (Sunnyside, 2017). This new album has Carlberg returning to the large ensemble format for more Monk investigations, but this time approaching the work in a more splintered and abstract fashion. He does not simply interpret familiar Monk tunes. He writes compositions and arrangements which stitch Monk riffs and ideas into new fabrics, ...

5
Album Review

Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble: Elegy for Thelonious

Read "Elegy for Thelonious" reviewed by Mark Corroto


There was a sardonic saying circulating a few years ago that observed, “It's Frank Sinatra's world, we just live in it." While that was a backhanded compliment, tailoring it to the subject of this large ensemble recording, we would call it a commendation. Pianist, composer, and conductor Frank Carlberg is telling us, “It's Thelonious Monk's world, and (thank god) we live in it." Carlberg has been a disciple of Monk for decades, recording his music in a piano trio format ...

2
Album Review

Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls

Read "Live at Smalls" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Tre ampi brani per un totale che supera di un po' i settanta minuti di musica tirata e vibrante, colta dal vivo nel gennaio 2022 al celebre jazz club newyorchese, compongono questo notevole nuovo lavoro di Dave Liebman, una delle presenze più significative (e incidenti) della scena jazzistica ormai da oltre quarant'anni. Il gruppo protagonista dell'incisione, del resto, è di prima grandezza, a partire dal pirotecnico (ma mai per miracol mostrare, come si suol dire) trombettista Peter Evans, che si ...

5
Album Review

Colette Michaan: Earth Rebirth

Read "Earth Rebirth" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


Colette Michaan's bamboo flute calls out over a looming drone as Earth Rebirth opens. Instruments emerge out of time to create a watery soundscape that becomes increasingly lush as John Benitez's bass brings in the tempo, with Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante's percussion chattering behind Luisito Quintero's swirling cymbals and Leo Genovese's fluid piano. Michaan mapped the composition minimally. The flute is a suling she acquired in her travels in Indonesia, so she sketched out its scale and gave some harmonic context. ...

1
Album Review

Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud, Marcos Cavaleiro: Estrellero

Read "Estrellero" reviewed by John Ephland


Leo Genovese's piano can sound like an orchestra. It does as much amidst his voluminous solo work on bassist Demian Cabaud's “Arbol Negro," his thick chords, the density of his playing full and ripe. From their new trio recording, Estrellero, which also features the light, sympathetic stylings of Marcos Cavaleiro on drums, are five original compositions split between pianist and bassist. The contrast emerges in Genovese's own voice as he marks time with Cabaud's more plodding, abstract pen. ...

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Recording

Red Piano Records To Release The Debut Recording From: Pianists/Composers Frank Carlberg & Leo Genovese Shadows And Reflections

Red Piano Records To Release The Debut Recording From: Pianists/Composers Frank Carlberg & Leo Genovese Shadows And Reflections

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Available on April 21, 2015 Brooklyn-based Red Piano Records is proud to announce the release of Shadows and Reflections from pianists/composers Frank Carlberg and Leo Genovese. The recording sessions for this album came about in an atmosphere of friendship, common musical interests, and in anticipation of great fun. Carlberg (also a partner in Red Piano Records) commented, “I've known Leo for many years and have always admired his playing and attitude. Playing with him is very easy and always fun!" ...

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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Stay

Cristalyn Records
2025

buy

Elegy for Thelonious

Sunnyside Records
2024

buy

Live at Smalls

Cellar Live
2023

buy

Blues Variant

Criss Cross
2023

buy

Estrellero

Sunnyside Records
2023

buy

Earth Rebirth

Self Produced
2023

buy

Encounter

From: Past Presented
By Leo Genovese

Blues Variant

From: Blues Variant
By Leo Genovese

Cry of the East

From: Da Fé
By Leo Genovese

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