# Franco D'Andrea

Francesco "Franco" D'Andrea (born 8 March 1941 in Merano, Italy) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer.

## Life

D'Andrea is considered one of the most famous jazz musicians from Italy and has recorded some 200 albums. He developed his style in the 1960s and won several awards in his home country. He has worked with Gato Barbieri, Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Phil Woods, Ernst Reijseger, Slide Hampton, Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli, Max Roach, Lee Konitz, Johnny Griffin, Tony Scott, Han Bennink, Dave Douglas and also with numerous Italian musicians.
His career began in 1963 with Nunzio Rotondo, playing for the Italian broadcast RAI and in Gato Barbieri's band in 1964 until 1965. D'Andrea continued then with the Italian vanguard ensemble Modern Art Trio (1968–72) and Perigeo (1972-77). Since 1978, he has been playing with his own bands (Trio, Quartet, Eleven) and as a solo performer. He has been a teacher at the Conservatorio "F.A. Bonporti" in Trento 1994-2006 and currently at Mitteleuorpean Jazz Academy in Merano and at Siena Jazz.
In 2010, he received for his life's work the Award "Musicien Européen de l'année" (Académie du Jazz de France) and 2011 the Honorary Award at the Italian Jazz Awards - Luca Flores.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 1970? | Modern Art Trio | | with Bruno Tommaso and Franco Tonani |
| 1973 | Conversations | RCA | with Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli |
| 1978? | Nuvolao | Carosello | |
| 1980 | Dialogues with Superego | Red | Solo piano |
| 1980 | Es | Red | Solo piano |
| 1982 | Made in Italy | Red | Quartet, with Tino Tracanna (soprano sax, tenor sax), Attilo Zanchi (bass), Gianni Cazzola (drums) |
| 1983? | My One and Only Love | Red | Trio, with Mark Helias (bass), Barry Altschul (drums) |
| 1983 | No Idea of Time | Red | Quartet, with Tino Tracanna (soprano sax, tenor sax), Mark Helias (bass), Barry Altschul (drums) |
| 1982 | Live | Red | Quartet, with Tino Tracanna (soprano sax, tenor sax), Attilo Zanchi (bass), Gianni Cazzola (drums); in concert |
| 1982 | My Shuffle | Red | Quartet, with Tino Tracanna (soprano sax, tenor sax), Attilo Zanchi (bass), Gianni Cazzola (drums) |
| 1988 | Kick Off | Red | Trio, with Giovanni Tomasso (bass), Roberto Gatto (drums) |
| 1989 | Chromatic Phrygian | YVP | Trio, with Stephen Schertler (bass), Billy Elgart (drums) |
| 1989 | Volte | Owl | Trio, with Hein Van De Geyn (bass), Aldo Romano (drums) |
| 1991 | Earthcake | Label Bleu | Quartet, with Enrico Rava (trumpet, bugle), Miroslav Vitous (bass), Daniel Humair (drums) |
| 1991 | Airegin | Red | Trio, with Giovanni Tomasso (bass), Roberto Gatto (drums) |
| 1991 | Enrosadira | Red | Duo, with Luis Agudo (percussion) |
| 1996 | 3 Lines | Philology | Solo piano, overdubbed |
| 1996 | Inside Cole Porter | NEL | Duo, with Lee Konitz (alto sax) |
| 1996 | Inside Rodgers | Philology | Duo, with Lee Konitz (alto sax) |
| 1997 | Jobim | Philology | Quartet, with Andrea Ayace Ayassot (alto sax), Aldo Mella (bass), Alex Rolle (drums) |
| 1997 | Ballads and Rituals | Philology | Quartet, with Andrea Ayace Ayassot (alto sax), Aldo Mella (bass), Alex Rolle (drums) |
| 2000? | Eleven | Via Veneto Jazz | with Steven Bernstein |
| 2001 | Solo 1: Standards | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 2: Abstractions | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 3: Woods | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 4: Gato | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 5: Duke | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 6: Valzer Opera Natale | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 7: Napoli | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2001 | Solo 8: Classic Jazz | Philology | Solo piano |
| 2002 | Magicians at Work | Philology | Duo, with Renato Sellani (piano) |
| 2002 | I Love You So Much It Hurts | Winter & Winter | Duo, with Ernst Reijseger (cello) |
| 2002 | Round Riff & More | Philology | Trio, with Massimo Morriconi and Ares Tavolazzi (bass) |
| 2003? | Plays Monk: Live at Metastasio Jazz | Philology | |
| 2005? | Creole Rhapsody: D.Ellington | Philology | |
| 2006 | The Siena Concert | Blue Note | Quartet, with Andrea Ayace Ayassot (alto sax, soprano sax), Aldo Mella (bass), Zeno De Rossi (drums); in concert |
| 2011 | Sorapis | El Gallo Rojo | |
| 2012 | Traditions and Clusters | El Gallo Rojo | |
| 2013? | Today | El Gallo Rojo | |
| 2014 | Monk and The Time Machine | El Gallo Rojo | |
| 2018 | Intervals I | Parco della Musica Records | Franco D'Andrea Octet |
| 2022 | Franco D’Andrea meets Dj Rocca | Parco della Musica Records | |
| 2023 | Sketches of the 20th Century | Parco della Musica Records | with Parco della musica contemporanea Ensemble |
| 2024 | Something Bluesy and More | Parco della Musica Records | with Roberto Gatto (drums), Gabriele Evangelisti (bass) |

### As sideman

With Gato Barbieri
* Last Tango in Paris (United Artists, 1972)
With Lee Konitz
* Stereokonitz (RCA, 1968)
With Phil Woods
* Ornithology (Philology, 1994)

#### With Perigeo

* 1972 Azimut
* 1973 Abbiamo tutti un blues da piangere
* 1974 Genealogia
* 1975 La valle dei templi
* 1975 Live at Montreaux (Live)
* 1976 Non è poi così lontano
* 1976 Live in Italy 1976 (Live)
* 1977 Attraverso il Perigeo (Raccolta)
* 1977 Fata Morgana (LP, Album) (RCA Victor)

#### With Perigeo Special

* 1980 Alice