Biography
Born in Rome in 1965, the remarkable Italian pianist Antonio Faraó honed his abilities during the 1980s at Milan’s Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory. His immersion in jazz began while still a teenager performing at local clubs, where his innate keyboard prowess quickly drew notice. He launched his touring career at a young age, appearing at events such as the festivals in Lugano, Merano, Lyon, Umbria Jazz, and Palermo. At twenty-two he captured the New Talent Prize at the 1987 X1 Music Review, and four years later earned the Four Roses Prize as Pianist of the Year. In 1998 he triumphed at the Concours Martial Solal international competition. His first recording, the 1999 Enja release Black Inside, paired his piano with bassist Ira Coleman and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts; post-bop pieces including “Latin Dance,” “Sweet,” and “My One and Only Love” blended Mediterranean flavor with the African-American jazz idiom for which he is recognized. Early in 2001 came the follow-up album Thorn. Growing acclaim drew major collaborators into the studio, yielding the 2002 session Far Out with saxophonist Bob Berg, the 2005 project Takes on Pasolini alongside bassist Miroslav Vitous, and the 2008 and 2011 dates Woman’s Perfume and Domi with drummer Andre Ceccarelli. The 2014 album Evan united him with saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Ira Coleman, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Boundaries marked his 2015 debut on Verve and showcased longtime Italian associates saxophonist/drummer Mauro Negri and bassist Martin Gjakonovski. Eklektik arrived in 2017, featuring rapper Snoop Dogg, vocalist Walter Ricci, drummer Manu Katché, guitarist Bireli Lagrene, and additional guests.
Albums
