Richard Galliano (born 12 December 1950, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French accordionist of Italian heritage.[1][2]

Richard Galliano
Galliano performing in Stockholm, July 2009
Galliano performing in Stockholm, July 2009
Background information
Born (1950-12-12) 12 December 1950 (age 73)
Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France
GenresJazz, tango, Classical
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Accordion
Years active1964–present
LabelsDeutsche Grammophon, Resonance, Dreyfus, CAM Jazz, Milan
WebsiteOfficial site

Biography edit

 
Photo by Andrea Colombara

He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4,[3] influenced by his father Luciano, an accordionist originally from Italy, living in Nice.[1]

After a long and intense period of study (he took up lessons on the trombone, harmony, and counterpoint at the Academy of Music in Nice), at 14, in a search to expand his ideas on the accordion, he began listening to jazz and heard records by the trumpet player Clifford Brown. "I copied all the choruses of Clifford Brown, impressed by his tone and his drive, his way of phrasing over the thunderous playing of Max Roach". Fascinated by this new world, Richard was amazed that the accordion had never been part of this musical adventure. In this period, Galliano won twice the first prize in the "world accordion cap competition" which took place in Spain (1966) and France (1967). In the Spanish competition, the participants' duty work was "Chaconne" by the Israeli accordionist Yehuda Oppenheimer. Galliano and Oppenheimer kept up their musical collaboration and personal friendship until Oppenheimer's death in 2012.[4]

Some later collaborations include Astor Piazolla, George Mraz, Brigitte Fontaine, Al Foster, Juliette Gréco, Charles Aznavour, Ron Carter, Chet Baker, Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Martial Solal, Miroslav Vitouš, Trilok Gurtu, Jan Garbarek, Michel Petrucciani, Michel Portal, Eddy Louiss, Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Ivan Paduart, Anouar Brahem, Wynton Marsalis, and Toots Thielemans. He was a key member of Claude Nougaro's band for several years as a pianist and accordionist.[1][4]

Awards and honors edit

Discography edit

As leader edit

  • Spleen (CY, 1985)
  • Panamanhattan with Ron Carter (Dreyfus, 1991)
  • Flyin the Coop with Jimmy Gourley (52 Rue Est, 1991)
  • New Musette (Label Bleu, 1991)
  • Ballet Tango with Astor Piazzolla (Milan, 1992)
  • Leprest-Galliano Voce a Mano (Saravah, 1992)
  • Solo in Finland (Siesta Solo, 1992)
  • Blues Sur Seine (La Lichere, 1992)
  • Coloriage (Egea, 1992)
  • Viaggio (Dreyfus, 1993)
  • Laurita (Dreyfus, 1995)
  • New York Tango (Dreyfus, 1996)
  • Blow Up (Dreyfus, 1997)
  • French Touch (Dreyfus, 1998)
  • Concerts Inedits (Dreyfus, 1999)
  • Passatori (Dreyfus, 1999)
  • Face to Face with Eddy Louiss (Dreyfus, 2001)
  • Piazzolla Forever (Dreyfus, 2003)
  • Ruby My Dear (Dreyfus, 2005)
  • Luz Nega (Milan, 2006)
  • Solo (Dreyfus, 2007)
  • If You Love Me (CAM Jazz, 2007)
  • Live in Marciac 2006 (Milan, 2007)
  • Love Day: Los Angeles Sessions (Milan, 2008)
  • Ten Years Ago (Milan, 2008)
  • Paris Concert (CAM Jazz, 2009)
  • Bach (Deutsche Grammophon, 2010)
  • Nino Rota (DeutscheGrammophon, 2011)
  • Tango Live Forever (Milan, 2012)
  • Vivaldi (Deutsche Grammophon, 2013)
  • Sentimentale (Resonance, 2014)
  • Tangaria (Milan, 2014)
  • Au Bresil (Milan, 2014)
  • La Vie en Rose (Milan, 2015)
  • New Jazz Musette (Ponderosa, 2016)
  • Mozart (Universal, 2016)
  • Aria (Jade/Universal, 2017)
  • An Evening with Ron Carter, Richard Galliano (In+Out, 2017)

As sideman edit

With Andre Ceccarelli

  • Andre Ceccarelli (JMS, 1981)
  • Carte Blanche (Dreyfus, 2004)
  • West Side Story (BMG, 1997)

With Paolo Fresu

  • Mare Nostrum (ACT, 2007)
  • Mare Nostrum II (ACT, 2016)
  • Mare Nostrum III (ACT, 2019)

With Claude Nougaro

  • Plume D'Ange (Barclay, 1977)
  • Nougaro 77 Enregistrement Public (Barclay, 1977)
  • Nougaro 79 Enregistrement Public (Barclay, 1979)
  • Assez! (Barclay, 1980)
  • Chansons Nettes (Barclay, 1981)
  • Au New Morning (Barclay, 1982)
  • Ami Chemin (Barclay, 1983)

With Michel Portal

  • Turbulence (Harmonia Mundi, 1987)
  • Musiques De Cinemas (Label Bleu, 1995)
  • Concerts (Dreyfus, 2004)

With Enrico Rava

  • Rava L'Opera Va (Label Bleu, 1993)
  • Italian Ballads (Venus, 1996)
  • Chanson (Platinum, 2002)

With others

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Bessières, Vincent. "Richard Galliano". Biography. Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  2. ^ Allmusic biography
  3. ^ Aboucaya, Jacques; Kennedy, Gary (2002). "Galliano, Richard". In Barry Kernfeld (ed.). The new Grove dictionary of jazz, vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. pp. 6–7. ISBN 1561592846.
  4. ^ a b c "Richard Galliano". Bioography. Sunnyside Records. Retrieved 2014-11-08.

External links edit