Chico Freeman – Antonio Faraò Quartet “Tribute to Coltrane”
feat. Makar Novikov, Pasquale Fiore
An Italian-American quartet led by Chico Freeman and Antonio Faraò will pay homage to John Coltrane. The partnership between the saxophonist – and clarinetist – from Chicago and the Roman pianist hasn’t started now: in 2015, Faraò took part in an album by Freeman. The latter- whose father was a renowned post-bop musician – is considered one of the most significant contemporary jazzmen. He has collaborated with the AACM, the meeting point of the most “progressive” artists of Chicago and probably the entire American jazz scene, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra, and musicians coming from areas other than orthodox jazz: that’s perhaps because the eclecticism is the main feature of his view of music, with interests ranging from blues and R&B to Brazil and pop. Here is a partial list: Memphis Slim, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, The Four Tops, The Eurythmics, Elvin Jones, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting, Chucho Valdés, Tito Puente, Machito, Celia Cruz.
Freeman has been among the founders of two super bands, The Roots and The Leaders, and has been associated with The Young Lions. Antonio Faraò is among the world’s most renowned and estimated Italian pianists. “One of Europe’s most respected young players”, according to JazzTimes.
Winner of the “New Talents” category of the Musica Jazz Poll in 1991, the Roman musician won the most prestigious of the competitions seven years later, the Competition of jazz piano “Martial Solal,” which takes place in Paris every ten years.
During his career, Faraò has been recorded for German label Enja, French label Cristal Records, and Universal-Verve Italia. He has performed worldwide and collaborated with leading figures of jazz music, such as Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Jimmy Owens, Charles Tolliver, Jack DeJohnette, Chris Potter, Miroslav Vitous and Joe Lovano. On April 15, 2015, Faraò was in Paris to celebrate International Jazz Day, a global jazz event organized by UNESCO and the United Nations, with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau and many others.
