Saturday, 17th November
The Serbian National Theatre
Kekko Fornarelli, piano,synth,samples
Federico Pecoraro, electricbass
Dario Congedo, drums
THE KEKKO FORNARELLI TRIO
Kekko Fornarelli Trio is currently one of the most widely appreciated jazz band internationally. The tour that has brought their performances to more than 35 countries over the world in the last four years – Europe, Asia, Australia – is a huge success everywhere. An original interpretation of the most classical jazz formations, this ensemble featuring three Italian jazz virtuosos (Kekko Fornarelli, piano & synth// Federico Pecoraro, el.bass, Dario Congedo, drums) embodies Fornarelli’s idea of a music to observe, more than just to listen to.
An intense work beyond schemes. A visionary idea beyond genres, beyond form, beyond music itself, but faithful to Kekko’s intense soul and his innatevocation to express and communicate it.
Meeting Kekko Fornarelli today and letting your emotions dance to hismusic is an experience coloured with truth and beauty. The one offlowing smiles, kind gestures, ofsilent and passionate dialogues that Kekko invites with the audiences at each performance, where his notes are offered to the sensitivity of listening souls. In the story of a life born for music and that today restarts from music – after a year of intimacy –more mature, visionary and determined than ever.
KEKKOFORNARELLI, piano, synth, samples
Kekko Fornarelli (born Francesco Fornarelli – Bari, Italy –1978) isapianist, composer and producer. Withfour released albums and more than 200 concerts in 35 countries around the world over the past five years, Kekko Fornarelli is currently one of the most widely appreciated artists internationally.
He has developed a unique style, characterized by the attemp t to create music to observe, rather than just to listen to. A peculiar and personal way to tell stories, to express emotions and paint situations. His music is a mellow combination of modern northern European ideas and neoclassical lyricism, filtered through his warm and extremely personal Mediterranean background.
Artist’s word:“I love being raptured by music. I am a tool in its hands, but at the same time music lets me express my life with an authentic language made of cells, muscles, emotions, a language able to translate my silence too. My curiosity is an everending journey that takes me beyond any shapes, surprising my breath every time in a different way, always worth living and telling.” (Kekko Fornarelli)
Reviews:“Anear-perfect balance of tension and freedom. Fornarelli’s music has apared – down yet catchy style that draws on his classical roots, with influences from pop to trip-hop to gospel”(Alison Gunn, FinancialTimes)
“An incredibly personal and introspective release that with the brilliance of Kekko’s harmonic movement takes one to places that can touch your heart and set your hair on fire, often at the same time. Italy is avariable gold mine for improvisational music. Kekko Fornarelli is a master but more so, he is an artist”(Brent Black, criticaljazz.com)
“I can’t stop listening to the CD: a fusion of Romantic classical music, modern jazz and 21st century dance rhythms, played with Italian brio from the heart”(Alison Bentley, London Jazz Blog)
“Fornarelli is a skilful instrumentalist with classical roots and a subtle improviser’smind. After 10 minutes, it was evident that this classy threesome had very different stories to tell […] It was resoundingly obvious why this close-knit, thoughtful and viscerally exciting new trio are winning acclaim across Europe”(John Fordham,The Guardian)
FEDERICO PECORARO, electricbass
Federico Pecoraro was born in Schlieren (CH) on the 26th of September 1994 to Italian father and mother. Shortly after they moved to their original place in Lecce, Italy (Apulia), Federico approached music as a drummer. He started performing when he was 5 and he switched to bass when he was 10. He then started studying this instrument and, at the same time, playing with musicians of his region. He’s mostly self-taught and he never went to music schools until September 2015. This date coincides with the beginning of his Conservatorium experience in Brussels, in fact, he is still a student in the jazz department of the Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Federico is currently living/working and studying in Brussels. Among others, he mostly plays, as a side musician, with Oyster Node (BE), Glü (BE), and Soul T (BE).
Since November 2016 he has been part of the Kekko Fornarelli Trio (ITA), together with Dario Congedo (drums), with whom he recorded an album (Abaton) that will be released in autumn 2017, followed by a Tour.
He has also played bass with Carolina Bubbico (between 2015 and 2017), replacing Luca Alemanno.
Federico is not active just as a sideman but also with his own projects. His first project is Mynah, a trio started in 2013 together with guitarist Gabriele di Franco (ITA) and drummer Antonio De Donno (ITA). The trio has already released their first album Intro (available on Spotify and Itunes) in March 2016, followed by two European tours in spring and autumn 2016. They are now working on the following tours and the next album.
In October 2015 he started, together with guitarist Gabriele di Franco, keyboardist Geronimo de Halleaux (BE) and drummer Mathieu Grillo (BE), a “groovish” quartet named Rubikswith a particular attention to what is happening nowadays in the world of music. They have played in several venues in Belgium, such us Cellule133, Brussels Jazz Marathon, Volta Session and so on. Rubiks is planning to record their first Album in 2017.
In November 2016, Andrea Rossetti, a pianist from Lecce, suggested Federico to start an unedited quartet together. They then wrote and arranged all the tunes. The name of this quartet is Switch and currently they are working on their first album together with drummer Giulio Rocca (ITA) and trumpet player Marco Puzzello (ITA).
In January 2017 he, together with his friend guitarist Gábor Ladányi (HU), started a traditional jazz quartet named Selcouth. The group has toured for 2 weeks in Hungary and Austria together with drummer Józsi Baki (HU) and trumpet player Bence Táborsky (HU).
DARIO CONGEDO, drums
Dario Congedo graduated in percussion from the Conservatory of Music “Tito Schipa“, in Lecce, with an undergraduate degree in 2005. He went on to obtain a Master of Music Degree cum laude with a concentration in Chamber Music earning a perfect score of 110/110 in 2009. He has studied drums with: Maurizio dei Lazzaretti, Fabrizio Sferra and Alessio Riccio. He has studied in New York with: John Riley, Matt Wilson, Jonathan Blake, Jim Black, Ernesto Simpson, and Vince Cherico. He also studied jazz at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2009.
As a soloist, he has received many awards: – 1st Prize at the 2008 Naco Memorial Percfest International Competition as a soloist; – 2ndplace in his category at the Percussion Days International Festival in Fermo, 2006; – 1st place as “Best Musician” in the 7th National New Generation Competition in Castelfidardo, April 2005.
He has played and recorded with:Gianluca Petrella, Flavio Boltro, Rob Mazurek, Javer Girotto, Nguyen Le, Fabrizio Bosso, Marco Tamburini, Rosalia de Souza, Gegè Telesforo, Francesco Bearzatti, Nicola Conte, Lindsey Webster, Enrico Zanisi, Claudio Filippini, Tino Tracanna, Paolo Belli, Antonella Ruggiero, Renato D’Aiello, Rosalia De Souza, Rocco Zifarelli, Cheryl Porter, Arnaldo Vacca, Massimo Carrano, Gilson Silveira, Giovanni Imparato, Fabio Zeppetella, Nailah Porter, Jaques Mauger, Gaetano Partipilo, Arthur Miles, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, and many others .
He has collaborated with many conductors, such as: Louis Bacalov; Beppe Vessicchio; Monsignor Marco Frisina Fulvio Creux, Orchestra della fondazione I.C.O Tito Schipa di Lecce.
Dario has participated in a number of festivals in Italy: the Umbria Jazz Winter, Blue Note (Milan), Ravello Festival, Teano Jazz, Bari in Jazz; in Great Britain: Ronnie Scott’s Main Show, Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, Edimburgh Jazz Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival; in Germany: the Wolfsburgh Festival, Aalen Jazz Festival; in Australia: the Melbourne Jazz Festival, Sidney Jazz Festival; in Russia: the Ufa Jazz Club, International Muzenergo Festival;in Ukraine: the Odessa Jazz Festival, Jazz Bez, Vynnitsia Jazz Festival, in Malesia: the Penang Jazz Festival, KotakinabaluJazz Fest and other venues: Porgy & Bess (Vienna), JazzPote (Thionville), Sounds jazz club (Bruxelles), the Brno Jazz Festival, the Bansco Jazz Festival (Bulgaria), Jamboree jazz club (Špain), Kolkata Jazz Festival (India) and the Jarasum International Jazz Festival (South Korea).