Zeno De Rossi

"...the estimable Zeno De Rossi on drums, who moved from subtlest gradations of pulsation to kickass powerhouse tub-thumper in the blink of a millisecond (the snail crawls across the edge of the razor blade)" - Gary Lucas NYC

Able to move between jazz, experimental music and avant-garde pop and rock, drummer and composer Zeno De Rossi (Verona - 1970), is one of the most in- demand musicians in the Italian music scene. His interest in music and the drums came early through the record collection of his father and older brothers.

His stylistic versatility have been featured with Hank Roberts, Chris Speed, Wayne Horvitz, Bill Frisell, Sam Amidon, Petra Haden, Dave Douglas, Cuong Vu, Greg Cohen, Mike Patton, Briggan Krauss, Anthony Coleman, Marc Ribot, Steven Bernstein, Josh Roseman, Brandon Ross, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jamie Saft, Ted Reichman, Frank London, David Krakauer, Ralph Alessi, Mark Orton, Gary Valente, David Murray, Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie, Carla Bozulich, Ben Goldberg, Gary Lucas, Curtis Hasselbring, Jim Black, Hamid Drake, Alexander Hawkins, Frank Lacy, Han Bennink, Mat Maneri, Francesco Bearzatti, Gianluca Petrella, Franco D'Andrea, Gianni Gebbia, Marco Cappelli, Cristina Zavalloni, Vinicio Capossela, Massimo Pupillo, Enrico Rava, Tenores di Bitti, The Klezmatics, Antonello Salis, Gianluigi Trovesi, Alexander Balanescu, Raiz, Nada, Howe Gelb, Hindi Zhara, Ute Lemper a.o.

He has released several albums as a leader, two with the project SULTRY: "Sultry" (Splash 2001) and "Plunge" (El Gallo Rojo Records 2005), two with the project Kriminal MUSEUM: "Plateau Phase" (Guns Chocolate 2002), "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "(Punto Rojo / Backerai 2005), and two with the project SHTIK:" Me'or 'Einayim "(El Gallo Rojo Records 2007) and" The Manne I Love! VOL.1 & VOL.2. "(El Gallo Rojo Records 2010), this last one entirely devoted to the music of Shelly Manne. In May 2014 he released the debut album of his new trio, "Kepos", (El Gallo Rojo Records 2014), its preview was published in October 2013 and sold as an attachment to the Italian magazine "Musica Jazz". In 2014 he also released “Ruins” (Skirl 2014), a duet record with the american saxophonist Chris Speed. In 2016 he released a duet record with Giorgio Pacorig "Sleep Talking" (Artesuono 2016) and in 2017 "Zenophilia" (Auand/El Gallo Rojo Records 2017) with his brand new band. The latest album of his trio “Elpis” was released on 2020 by the Brooklyn based label Skirl.

From 2003 to 2016 he worked with Italian singer Vinicio Capossela. Through this collaboration he had the opportunity to share the stage with artists coming from the most diverse backgrounds, such as Roy Paci, Matteo Salvatore, Flaco Jimenez, Shane Mac Gowan, Vinicius Cantuaria, Mario Brunello, Calexico, Enzo Del Re, Adamo, Raiz, Paolo Rossi, Ginevra Di Marco, Alfio Antico a.o.

Zeno plays drums in the following bands: GUANO PADANO, PIPE DREAM, UNSCIENTIFIC ITALIANS, ROPE, Francesco Bearzatti TINISSIMA QUARTET, Roberto Ottaviano ETERNAL LOVE, Franco D'Andrea TRIO / OCTET, Frank London GHETTO SONGS, Mauro Ottolini SOUSAPHONIX, Simone Zanchini QUARTET, Gabriele Coen QUINTET, Wayne Horvitz EUROPEAN ORCHESTRA, Enrico Terragnoli ERZ.

Co-founder and member of El Gallo Rojo collective since 2005, he takes part in many projects born inside the collective, such as THE LEAPING FISH TRIO, MIDNIGHT LILACS, ROPE, MICKEY FINN, HOUDINI's CAGE, GALLO AND THE ROOSTERS, Enrico Terragnoli ORCHESTRA VERTICAL, Alfonso Santimone LASER PIGS / DAX.

He currently leads his trio (featuring Giorgio Pacorig on fender rhodes and Francesco Bigoni on tenor sax and clarinet), ZENOPHILIA (featuring Piero Bittolo Bon on alto sax and bass flute and Filippo Vignato on trombone) and SHTIK, a flexible lineup which blends jazz and music widely inspired from Jewish culture, whose heritage is one of Zeno’s huge influences.

He has recorded for several labels including ECM, Atlantic, Warner Bros, Nonesuch, Blue Note, Tzadik and Ipecac.

In 2008 he wrote the music for the ballet PAPER WALL by Silvia Bertoncelli and Giannalberto De Filippis.

In 2010 he toured Europe, Russia and Israel with Mike Patton's MONDO CANE.

He has been voted as Best Drummer 2011 in the Italian magazine Musica Jazz critics poll. In the same year, he was awarded a prize as Drummer of the Year by InSound magazine.

Zeno performs in major and minor festivals, concert halls famous and infamous, big and small in Italy, Finland, Austria, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Slovenja, Croatia, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Perù, China, Greece, Cuba, Ethiopia, Canada, Portugal, Serbia, Indonesia, Canary Islands, Russia, Israel, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, Norway, Turkey, Qatar, Thailand, Bosnia Erzegovina, Montenegro, Lebanon and the USA.

Since 1998 he spent long periods of time in New York City, playing in some of the most important clubs of the new music scene, like the Tonic and the Stone.

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