ARRIGO CAPPELLETTI

Arrigo Cappelletti (Brunate, February 12, 1949) is an Italian jazz pianist, composer and essayist.

He joined several jazz events – some are listed here: Como Jazz Meeting in 1976 and 1996, Rapallo Festival in 1984, Italy Jazz Festival Capolinea di Milano in 1986-1987-1989, 7th International Jazz Festival City of Milan in 1988, “I suoni del jazz” (Sounds of Jazz) Festival in Pavia in 1991, Jazz Review in Palazzo Butera – Palermo in 1991, Pori Festival in Finland in 1991, “Sanremo: l’altra musica” (The other music of Sanremo) in 1993, Jazzitalia Festival in Verona in 1994, Noto Jazz Festival in 1996, Portogallo EXPO 98, Festival Sete Sois Sete Luas in Portugal in 1999), Clusone jazz in 2000, Festival Jazz&Wine in Gorizia in 2000, “Le voci del jazz” (Voices of Jazz) in Milan Auditorium in 2003, Iseo jazz, Siena jazz, EcoJazz Festival in Reggio Calabria in 2004, Villa Celimontana Festival in Rome in 2005, Siena Jazz in 2005, Novara Jazz Festival (2007), Santannarresi Jazz Festival (2009) and Padova Jazz festival (2009). In 2004 the musical video On smoking by Francesco Leprino, based on Cappelletti’s music, participates in Not Still Art Festival (Brooklyn, NYC, U.S.A.).

In Italy he played with several artists – among them: Gianni Cazzola, Sergio Fanni, Paolo Dalla Porta, Roberto Ottaviano, Gianni Coscia, Giulio Visibelli and Sandro Cerino. He worked with international musicians as well: Barre Phillips, Lew Soloff, Mike Mossmann, Daniel Schnyder, Bill Elgart, Olivier Manoury, Steve Swallow, Ralph Alessi, John Hebert, Jeff Hirshfield. He worked with the singer Mia Martini and with the Giorgio Gaslini Italian Jazz Orchestra. In 1988 the American magazine Cadence included his record Reflections in the best ten records of the year.

Inspired by John Lewis, Lennie Tristano, Bill Evans, Paul Bley, for several years he found the ideal dimension to express his free, intense, elegant jazz in a Trio with piano. At the end of ’80s he discovered Tango Jazz and so he anticipated what now in Italy is the trend: contamination between jazz and other genres. He lived in Portugal where, together with some of the most relevant Portuguese Fado artists as Custódio Castelo, Jorge Fernando, Alexandra, he carried out a personal musical project, Terras do risco, creating songs on lyrics of Portuguese poets of 20th Century (for more information: José Serra Cruz). He lived in Russia, as well, where he worked with vocalist Polina Runovskaya.

He produced a lot as writer and essayist: Il profumo del Jazz (The fragrance of Jazz) a book on jazz improvisation (published by ESI – Naples), half didactic half autobiographic; Paul Bley, la logica del caso (Paul Bley, the logic of casualty), a biography and an essay on Paul Bley (published by LEPOS – Palermo). Besides, he taught Jazz by CDM and by Nuova Milano Musica in Milan, by Civic Musical Institute “Brera” in Novara, by Music Conservatory of Sassari and Reggio Calabria. He was teacher of Jazz Piano by Music Conservatory of Alessandria. Now he is teacher of jazz by Music Conservatory of Venice.