Michel Petrucciani

Michel Petrucciani ( born December 28, 1962 in Orange, Vaucluse, † 6 January 1999 in New York) was a French jazz pianist with Sicilian roots.

Life

Michel Petrucciani was the son of Sicilian native and jazz guitarist Antoine (Tony) Petrucciani and his French wife Anne. Petrucciani suffered from brittle bone disease and was dwarfed. Throughout his life he suffered hundreds of fractures. Despite his short stature, he had great and powerful fingers. His father recognized his musical talent and encouraged him in the preschool with daily hours of piano practice. With his father he took on the 2001 album Conversations published. Michels brothers are also jazz musicians. Philippe was guitarist Louis and playing bass.

Because of his congenital disease Michel Petrucciani could not attend school like other children. That's why they sent him in the distance learning audio cassettes, with lessons in French, mathematics and English, to learn independently to. Instead listen to the tapes obtained and learn, Michel Petrucciani put the lessons and played on music.

Petrucciani gave his first concert as a professional with thirteen years at a jazz festival in the Drôme. He played with Kenny Clarke and trumpeter Clark Terry. In 1979 he moved to Paris, where he released his debut album on Flash in the year. He also played in a trio with his brother and bassist Louis and saxophonist Lee Konitz.

In 1982 he moved to California and played in the group of Charles Lloyd, with whom he performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, among others, appeared and worked intensively in the sequence. In the same year he was awarded the Prix Django Reinhardt. In 1983 he attracted attention on the Kool Jazz Festival. In the early 1980s made ​​recordings with Lee Konitz, Jean -Francois Jenny -Clark and Aldo Romano. In March 1984 he performed in a trio with Palle Danielsson and Eliot Zigmund on at New York's Village Vanguard. A year later the Blue Note album Pianism and in 1986 the trio album Power Of Three with Petrucciani on piano, Wayne Shorter on saxophone and Jim Hall was on guitar.

In Germany he came through his regular appearances on the show Willemsens week with Roger Willemsen October 1994 to June 1998 to greater awareness. He played among others with John Abercrombie, Joe Lovano, Jack DeJohnette and Eddy Louiss.

In 1994, he appeared with a solo program with jazz standards ( " Medley of My Favorite Songs ") in the Théâtre des Champs- Élysées; Was launched in 1996 with Bob Brookmeyer, Stefano Di Battista and Flavio Boltro Album Both Worlds. One of his last works is the Dreyfus solo album Live, recorded in Frankfurt, with interpretations of Strayhorn's "Take the A-Train ," " Besame Mucho " and Ellington's "Caravan".

Petrucciani was married and had a son (Alexandre ), who inherited his illness, as well as an adopted son. Michel Petrucciani died in 1999 of pneumonia. He was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris next to the grave of Frédéric Chopin.

Awards (selection)

Discography

Important recordings

• Charles Lloyd: Montreux '82
• Charles Lloyd: A Night In Copenhagen with Bobby McFerrin
• Eddy Louiss, M.Petrucciani: Conférence de presse
• Michel Petrucciani: Live in Germany
• Stéphane Grappelli, M. Petrucciani Flamingo
• Michel Petrucciani & Tony: Conversation
• Michel Petrucciani, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson: Trio in Tokyo

Recordings under his own name

• Flash ( 1980)
• Michel Petrucciani Trio ( Owl, 1981)
• Date with Time ( 1981)
• Michel Petrucciani (1981 )
• Oracle 's Destiny ( Owl, 1982)
• Toot Suite ( 1982), Owl ( with Lee Konitz )
• 100 Hearts ( Concord, 1983)
• Note'n Notes (1984 )
• Cold Blues ( Owl, 1985)
• Pianism ( Blue Note, 1985)
• Power of Three ( Blue Note, 1986)
• Michel Petrucciani plays ( Blue Note, 1987)
• Music ( Blue Note, 1989)
• Playground ( 1991)

• Live (1991 )
• Promenade with Duke ( Blue Note, 1993)
• Marvellous ( Dreyfus, 1994)
• Eddy Louiss / Michel Petrucciani live ( Dreyfus, 1994)
• Darn That Dream (1996 )
• Flamingo ( with Stéphane Grappelli ) ( 1996)
• Both Worlds ( Dreyfus, 1998, with Stefano Di Battista )
• Solo Live in Germany ( Dreyfus, 1998)
• Estate ( 1999)
• Live in Tokyo (1999)
• Bob Malach & Michel Petrucciani (2000)
• Inédits Concerts / Live (2000)
• Conversation (2001)
• Days of Wines and Roses - The Owl Years 1981-1985 (2001)

Documentary

• Michel Petrucciani - life against time. (OT: . Michel Petrucciani - Body & Soul ) Documentary, France, Germany, Italy, 2011, 102 minutes, directed by Michael Radford, Producer: Gunnar Dedio, German Release Date: December 8, 2011, video clippings, 1:49 min and 5:19 min.