KEKKO FORNARELLI, piano
Kekko Fornarelli is one of the most widely appreciated young pianists internationally. His unique ways of balancing an endless research with universal usability, and his ability to draw the profanes up to that foreign thing called jazz makes him one of the most eclectic and pervasive artists in the current international music scene. His unique style is characterized by its attempt to create music to observe, more than just to listen to. A way to tell stories, emotions and situations.
Kekko Fornarelli was born in Bari (Italy) in 1978. He began learning classical piano at the age of three, first through private tuition and later at the Conservatorio Piccinni in Bari. Fornarelli’s love for jazz music began at the age of 18. From there on, Kekko has immersed himself in the study of the instrument, the style, and the music, a life journey which has led him to travel worldwide creating opportunities for meeting a great number of artists and developing his skills. Rosario Giuliani, Flavio Boltro, Michel Benita, Francesco Bearzatti, Luca Bulgarelli, Yuri Goloubev, Benjamin Henocq, Nicolas Folmer, Jerome Regard, Manhu Roche, Andy Gravish, Eric Prost, Marco Tamburini, Jean-Luc Rimey Meille are only some of the artist he has worked with.
Fornarelli’s first album, Circular Thought, released by the record label Wide Sound in 2005, was critically acclaimed as one of the best Italian jazz projects of the year. He moved to France in the same year, where he spent three years pursuing his studies towards his personal idea of music. The collaborations with different artists, such as Manhu Roche, Flavio Boltro and Rosario Giuliani, led him to publish the second album in 2008, A French Man in New York, also released by Wide Sound and distributed by Egea. The album is an innovative project taking inspiration from French pianist Michel Petrucciani.
His last album, Room of mirrors, was released by AUAND records and distributed by Egea in 2011.
Fornarelli is a skilful instrumentalist with classical roots and a subtle improviser’s mind (John Fordham, The Guardian)
A near-perfect balance of tension and freedom. Fornarelli’s music has a pared-down yet catchy style that draws on his classical roots, with influences from pop to trip-hop to gospel (Alison Gunn, Financial Times)
Kekko’s intimacy is made of rich melodies and chord progressions which evoke some delicate forms of modern jazz, but are translated by that particular touch which makes him one of the most interesting young pianists of the moment (Paolo Fresu)
http://www.kekkofornarelli.com
