BACHARACH, BURT
Kansas City, 1928

He is a pianist and American composer born in Kansas City in 1928. His very lucky career started as author of successful songs. His sodality with the singer Dionne Warwick, was particularly brilliant but his songs were sang by the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Tom Johns and many others notable performers

BAKER, CHET
United States, 1929

Chesney Henry Baker Jr., was born in 1929 and he is better known as "Chet".
He was an American white man trumpeter who will become one of the most authoritative exponents of the "cool jazz" (relaxed jazz), which is a musical movement born as reaction to bebop, characterized by more soffused delicate tones and considered as “white” answer to the music of Dizzy Gillespie, even if one of the its greatest characters will be the “black” Miles Davies.
The authors who go back to this musical style, are inclined toward rarefied atmospheres, lacking in spectacle (a style defined somewhat “cold” by detractors) proposing serious, cultured and committed music. The melodies tend to weave an insubstantial substrate where to leave the soloists to converse almost in academic and placid discussion between them.

BENNETT, TONY
New York, 1926

It is the stage name of Anthony Dominick Benedetto, the "King of crooner" (whisperers), world-famous American crooner, who was born in New York although he was of Calabrian origins, in 1926.
Second in popularity only to Frank Sinatra, he sung with the best orchestras in circulation often crossing in jazz music during his artistic route.
In 1996 he was guest of Umbria Jazz in more than one occasion, when he sang in a big band in pure swing style directed by Phil Collins on drums and when he sung in pairs with Joao Gilberto in 1998.
Class, elegance, discretion including his generosity, are the qualities that have made him famous. After the earthquake that struck Umbria, he wanted to contribute money for the rebuilding of the St. Cecilia Oratory.

BENSON, GEORGE
Pittsburgh , 1943

Born in Pittsburgh in 1943, Gorge Benson is a jazz guitarist among the most appreciated, even though more famous to the public thanks to his incursions into pop and rhythm & blues.

BROWN, JAMES
South Carolina, 1933

The singer and dancer James Joseph Brown, was born in conditions of extreme poverty in a dispersed region of South Carolina in 1933. After a series of youth stunts linked to the uneasiness of his environment and living conditions, he become keen on gospel, music achieving success with the piece entitled Please, please, please, a smash hit which boasts of a collection of 40 golden discs since the 1956 until now. The "Padrino del Soul" (“godfather of the Soul”), which was one of his most famous nickname earned during his many years of activity, dominated the list of best-selling and approved discs during all 70s years leading to the success many rhythm & blues, In the successive decade, his popularity increased to excess thanks to his participation in some successful films like The Blues Brothers and Rocky IV.
In 2003 and 2006 he participated in Umbria Jazz edition giving extraordinary performances, even though he was not longer a little boy.

COLE, NATALIE
Los Angeles, 1950

Stephanie Natalie Maria Cole, daughter of the most illustrious "Nat King Cole" (passed away '65), was born in Los Angeles, in 1950. His extraordinary vocalism which has nothing to envy to that of his father, allowed her to move freely from the gospel to rhythm & blues, from jazz to soul repertoires.

COLEMAN, GEORGE
Memphis, 1935

Was born in Memphis in 1935, Gorge Coleman He asserted himself as jazz saxophonist above all thanks to his collaborations with artists of the calibre of Miles Davies, Herbie Hancock and Chet Baker. His soloist albums have never had the luck that would have deserved for a musician defined by Miles Davies " even too perfect ".
In 1976 he participated in one of the earliest edition of Umbria Jazz

COLEMAN ORNETTE
Texas, 1930

Ornette Coleman who was one of the greatest players of the free jazz trend of very in vogue 60s years, was born in Texas in 1930. He was saxophonist and composer studying music theory and committing himself so much to create a personal and very complicated musical system, the armolodia, still now not very clear even for the experts.
In 2000, 2003 and 2007 he participated in many editions of Umbria jazz playing in the Santa Giuliana Arena, where he offered wonderful concerts to the public.

COREA, CHICK
Massachusetts, 1940

Armando Anthony Corea, was born in Massachusetts in 1940. He is a well-known pianist and keyboardist much appreciated for his developments in the order of jazz fusion of 70s.
He began his career in the 60s, while a decade later come into contact with the group of Miles Davies, taking part in important partnerships.

EVANS, BILL
New Jersey, 1929

He was born in New Jersey in 1929. This very famous pianist will be at the head of a radical revolution of the taste for jazz music. With him the jazz was free of any visual impression leaving space to the pure musicality of instruments. During the Umbria Jazz, edition of 1978, he played in his preferred formation, the trio, accompanied by the drummer Philly Joe Jones.

GILLESPIE, DIZZY
South Carolina, 1917

John Birks Gillespie, the real name of "Dizzy", was born in South Carolina in 1917. He was a renowned jazz trumpeter, Afro – American singer, pianist, percussionist and composer, and one of the key figures regarding the birth of bebop and the modern jazz.
His predilection for the big bands allowed him to play as leader, as soloist and as histrionic character of enormous charisma. .
The characteristics that made him very recognizable by the public, were the peculiar angulation of the trumpet’s bell that used to play and the funny way of inflating the cheeks during executions.
He was one of the indisputable characters during the turbulent Umbria Jazz Edition of 1976.

EVANS, GIL
Toronto, 1912

Ian Ernest Gilmore Green, renowned composer, conductor, arranger and pianist, was born in Toronto in 1912. He was an important innovator in the cool jazz and mondial jazz.
About the year 1950 he was in New York, where his apartment had become a meeting point for all the major artists of the moment who were revolving around Miles Davies, just to avoid any misunderstanding. He made several changes to the sounds of bands and classic orchestras, introducing new instruments even when returning in great style, showed an electrical orchestra for an unforgettable concert in 1969.

GALLIANO, RICHARD
Francia, 1950

He was born in Francia in 1950, ma di chiare origine italiane, eredita dal padre la passione per la fisarmonica, strumento decisamente insolito nel panorama jazzistico.
, but since of clear Italian origins, inherited from his father the passion for a decidedly unusual instrument in the jazz scene: the accordion. In his brilliant career he worked with the greatest contemporary artists such as Chet Baker, Enrico Rava, Michel Petrucciani, taking part in many Umbria Jazz edition.

HANCOCK, HERBIE
Chicago, 1940

Herbert Jeffrey Hancockthe very famous pianist jazz fusion and funkymusic keyboardist, was born in Chicago in 1940.
A little more than twenty he was called by Miles Davies for recording the "Seven Steps to Heaven", album, after which will be part of the historic quintet.
In addition to jazz, he was interested in funky, music, but his eclectic quality led him to carry out numerous soundtracks, among them one for Blow-up, the film by Michelangelo Antonioni Blow-Up, even achieving the Nobel prize with the music for Round Midnight film, in 1987.
He participated in many Umbria Jazzeditions, the last of which in 2002, when presented his last project doing homage to the seventy fifth year after the birth of Miles Davies and John Coltrane.

HARGROVE, ROY
Texas, 1969

He was born in Texas in 1969, he drew attention to himself in the eyes of Wynton Marsalis, who wanted him in his band and he saw open up endless possibilities. He certainly is one of the artists who had the highest number of attendances at Umbria Jazz.

LEWIS, JOHN
Chicago, 1920

Aaron John Lewis, was born in Chicago in 1920.He was an excellent pianist and gave an enormous contribution to the jazz, world even without needing to experiment momentary trends or tastes. His long-lived formation of Modern Jazz Quartet remained united for about forty years firmly hold by the free expression which every singular member of the band, enjoyed. That one created with Milt Jackson was described as "the biggest, the smallest band in the word", where, the calm intellectualism of Jackson, replied to the unbridled fantasy and artistry of Lewis. He participated in Umbria Jazz edition of 2000 .

JARRETT, KEITH
Allentown - Pennsylvania, 1945

He was born in Pennsylvania, at Allentown, in United States on the 8th of May in 1945.
He is considered as the most important pianist in the jazz scene. Composer and musician, harpsichord and piano virtuoso, he asserted himself as one of the most creative and original authors. After some basic soloist discs, in the early 80s created the Standards trio, which is a miracle of artistic equilibrium with DeJohnette and the contrabassist Gary Peacock; an extraordinary collection of sublime discs arose from it. Soon they asserted themselves as the piano trio par excellence. Famous also his excursions in the classical music, from Bach to Mozart, through Haendel, which were revisited and reinterpreted in his own way, with personality and class out of the ordinary, hardly attributable to usual cliché of jazz music.
He participated in seven Umbria Jazz, editions, which perhaps represented singular experience, because of recent disagreements with the public and all the city of Perugia due to too many photo shots.

METHENY, PAT
Stati Uniti, 1954

He was an American guitarist and according to the register of births was born with the name of Patrick Bruce Metheny in 1954. Since the beginning, he received growing approvals by the audience and the critics.
In the second half of the 70s, he founded the Pat Metheny Group, with the keyboardist Lyle Mays, which was a duo able to merge in the best possible way musical experimentation and popularity

PETERSON, OSCAR
Montreal, 1925

This extraordinary Canadian Jazz pianist was born in Montreal in 1925. He was one of the most prolific artist in the history of Afro-American music.
His amazing piano technique clearly distinguished him from his colleagues making his style unmistakable and recognizable, a majestic skill at the service of a robust swing. swing. His long and successful career reached its apex between the 50s and 60s when played alongside Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

PETRUCCIANI, MICHEL
Orange, 1962

Probably he is the most appreciated French pianist of jazz music of all time. He was born in Orange in 1962. Since he was a child, has been suffering from a serious genetic disease known as “ Syndrome Crystal Bones”, which forced him to spend many hours at home, where availed himself first of studying classic music, then devoting himself exclusively tojazz music.
He was known as composer and musician and mainly for his technical mastery and the ability to dominate the keyboard with his extraordinary touch.

ROLLINS, SONNY
Harlem - New York, 1930

Stage name of Theodore Walter Rollins, was born in 1930 in Harlem, New York. He was certainly one of the greatest composers and saxophonists often for originality and creativity compared to the divine “Bird” Charlie Parker who is the greatest jazz genius of all time.
The talent of Sonny Rollins eexploded early and at the end of 40s began playing alongside some of his idols such as Miles Davies, whit whom he often collaborated.
A sign of his distinctive music was his creative vein and the ability to liberate his own fantasy into endless and fascinating improvisations.