It is more and more common to find groups whose members, from different parts of the world and backgrounds, come together to create something other than ‘world music’ or ‘fusion’. In this case Italian born-Usa bread guitarist Gianni Chiarello is joined by a British rhythm section (Lidia Cascarino-Close/bass, Dave Mayne/drums)o create a powerful blend of music that borrows elements from the American jazz and funk tradition, but also from British classic rock and blues.
Biography
Gianni Chiarello has gained a reputation as an extremely versatile musician, having professional credits as a guitarist, bassist, arranger and producer. Traditional in nature, contemporary in sound, his passionate and emotionally evocative guitar playing rarely treads on safe musical territory. As a performer his attention to tone and feel is compulsive, with a genuine ease in many styles of music learnt during his travels to their territory of origin. His music is a preconception-free mix of Jazz, Rock, Blues and contemporary elements, where harmony, melody and rhythm marry to serve the natural flow of music.
A Native of Italy, in his forming years he performed with some of his country's finest musicians working towards developing different styles, from rock to pop, funk and jazz. In 1999 he moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, on a scholarship program, where he graduated with a Degree "Magna cum laude" in Professional Music, studying under the direction of Mick Goodrick, Hal Crook, Brett Willmott and Dave Samuels, also playing in the Boston area and along the States' east coast as a freelance musician.
His work as a session player is vast, ranging from playing and producing countless demos, to credits in albums to be found on shelves around the world. He has been performing with, and leading as Musical Director, numerous bands and orchestras, comping for celebrities from the sixties like The Platters, The Coasters, Bobby Arvon, The Diamonds, Vegas - Broadway entertainers like Tony Tillman, Kenny James, Hal Fraiser, Lorna Luft, Ben Vereen, Susan Anton and Dominique Allen. Furthermore his work entailed musical theatre style production reviews, encompassing shows such as “Smokey Joe’s Café”, “We Will Rock You”, “Starlight Express”, “Grease” and “Rent”.
After relocating to the UK in 2005, his focus is now on writing, producing and performing music in different settings and styles, working on the release of his first album and educational material, both online and on paper.
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