Michel Petrucciani
Encyclopedia
Michel PetruccianiMichel Petrucciani (28 December 1962, Orange, Vaucluse
, France
– 6 January 1999, New York City
, USA) was a French
jazz
pianist.
, which is a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and in his case short stature. It is also often linked to pulmonary
ailments. In his early career his father and brother occasionally carried him, literally, because he could not walk far on his own unaided. In certain respects though he considered it an advantage as he got rid of distractions, like sports, that other boys tended to become involved in.
At an early age he became an enthusiast of Duke Ellington
and wished to become a pianist like him. Although he trained for years as a classical pianist, jazz remained his main interest. He gave his first professional concert at the age of 13. At this point of his life he was still quite fragile and had to be carried to and from the piano. His size meant that he required aids to reach the piano's pedals, but his hands were average in length. This had its advantages, however: at the beginning of his career Petrucciani's manager would often smuggle him into hotel rooms in a suitcase in a bid to save money. By the age of 18 he was part of a successful trio. He moved to the US in 1982, where he successfully encouraged Charles Lloyd to resume playing actively. On 22 February 1985, with Petrucciani cradled in his arms, Lloyd walked onto the stage at Town Hall in New York City
and sat him on his piano stool for what would be an historic evening in jazz history: the filming of One Night with Blue Note
. The film's director
John Charles Jopson
would later recall in the reissued liner notes that the moment moved him to tears. In 1986 Petrucciani recorded a live album with Wayne Shorter
and Jim Hall
. He also played with diverse figures in the US jazz scene including Dizzy Gillespie
.
In 1994 he was granted a Légion d'honneur
in Paris.
His own style was initially influenced by Bill Evans
although some compare him to Keith Jarrett
.
On the personal side he had three significant relationships. One of them was to the Italian pianist Gilda Buttà
that ended in divorce. He fathered two children, one of whom inherited his condition. He also had a stepson named Rachid Roperch.
Michel Petrucciani died just after his 36th birthday from a pulmonary infection. He was interred in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
On 12 February 2009 the French music channel Mezzo
broadcast a special event paying homage to Petrucciani ten years after his death.
The first two American albums featuring Michel Petrucciani were produced by Gabreal Franklin. The first, 100 Hearts, a solo album, was produced at the famous RCA Studio A, on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. The second was a trio album, recorded live at Max Gordon's old Village Vanguard
club in New York City. These were among the first albums to use newly developed digital recording technology, on Mitsubishi X80 recorders, so early on that the only manuals available were in Japanese; but Franklin and Tom Arrison managed to get them to function by trial and error, and produced excellent results.
Orange, Vaucluse
Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– 6 January 1999, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist.
Biography
Michel Petrucciani came from an Italo-French family with a musical background. His father Tony played guitar, his brother Louis played bass and his last brother Philippe plays guitar too. Michel was born with osteogenesis imperfectaOsteogenesis imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic bone disorder. People with OI are born with defective connective tissue, or without the ability to make it, usually because of a deficiency of Type-I collagen...
, which is a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and in his case short stature. It is also often linked to pulmonary
Human lung
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in humans. Humans have two lungs, with the left being divided into two lobes and the right into three lobes. Together, the lungs contain approximately of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about in...
ailments. In his early career his father and brother occasionally carried him, literally, because he could not walk far on his own unaided. In certain respects though he considered it an advantage as he got rid of distractions, like sports, that other boys tended to become involved in.
At an early age he became an enthusiast of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and wished to become a pianist like him. Although he trained for years as a classical pianist, jazz remained his main interest. He gave his first professional concert at the age of 13. At this point of his life he was still quite fragile and had to be carried to and from the piano. His size meant that he required aids to reach the piano's pedals, but his hands were average in length. This had its advantages, however: at the beginning of his career Petrucciani's manager would often smuggle him into hotel rooms in a suitcase in a bid to save money. By the age of 18 he was part of a successful trio. He moved to the US in 1982, where he successfully encouraged Charles Lloyd to resume playing actively. On 22 February 1985, with Petrucciani cradled in his arms, Lloyd walked onto the stage at Town Hall in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and sat him on his piano stool for what would be an historic evening in jazz history: the filming of One Night with Blue Note
One Night with Blue Note
One Night with Blue Note is a 1985 jazz film directed by John Charles Jopson .Record executive Bruce Lundvall relaunched the defunct Blue Note Records label in 1985 under the parent label EMI Manhattan Records...
. The film's director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
John Charles Jopson
John Jopson
John Charles Jopson is a film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer best known for the jazz film “One Night with Blue Note” and his music videos from the 1980s.- Biography :...
would later recall in the reissued liner notes that the moment moved him to tears. In 1986 Petrucciani recorded a live album with Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
and Jim Hall
Jim Hall (musician)
James Stanley Hall is an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Hall moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s...
. He also played with diverse figures in the US jazz scene including Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
.
In 1994 he was granted a Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in Paris.
His own style was initially influenced by Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
although some compare him to Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
.
On the personal side he had three significant relationships. One of them was to the Italian pianist Gilda Buttà
Gilda Buttà
Gilda Buttà is an Italian pianist.After studying piano at "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory in Milan, she won the Franz Liszt Prize in 1976, and started a concert pianist career...
that ended in divorce. He fathered two children, one of whom inherited his condition. He also had a stepson named Rachid Roperch.
Michel Petrucciani died just after his 36th birthday from a pulmonary infection. He was interred in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
On 12 February 2009 the French music channel Mezzo
Mezzo TV
Mezzo is a French television channel devoted to classical music , jazz and world music. It was formed in 1992 and was called France Supervision until 1998.Its slogan is 'Écouter, Voir, Oser' ....
broadcast a special event paying homage to Petrucciani ten years after his death.
The first two American albums featuring Michel Petrucciani were produced by Gabreal Franklin. The first, 100 Hearts, a solo album, was produced at the famous RCA Studio A, on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. The second was a trio album, recorded live at Max Gordon's old Village Vanguard
Village Vanguard
The Village Vanguard is a jazz club located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. At first, it also featured other forms of music such as folk music and beat poetry, but it switched to an all-jazz format in 1957.-History:Over 100 jazz...
club in New York City. These were among the first albums to use newly developed digital recording technology, on Mitsubishi X80 recorders, so early on that the only manuals available were in Japanese; but Franklin and Tom Arrison managed to get them to function by trial and error, and produced excellent results.
Discography
- Flash (1980)
- Michel Petrucciani Trio (1981)
- Date with Time (1981)
- Michel Petrucciani (1981)
- EstateEstate (album)Estate is a jazz album by Michel Petrucciani.The album was recorded in the Forum Recording Studio, Rome during the spring of 1982. The title is the Italian word for "summer", pronounced .-Track listing:# "Pasolini" – 5:26...
(1982) - Oracle's Destiny (1982)
- Toot Sweet (1982)
- 100 Hearts (1983)
- Live at the Village VanguardLive at the Village Vanguard (Michel Petrucciani album)Live At The Village Vanguard is a jazz album by Michel Petrucciani.The album was recorded live at the Village Vanguard club in Greenwich Village, New York City using the Fedco Audio Labs remote truck. The engineers were Tom Arrison and Gabreal Franklin, editing and assembly by Phil Edwards, Gabreal...
(1984) - Note'n Notes (1984)
- Cold Blues (1985)
- PianismPianismPianism is a jazz album by Michel Petrucciani.The album was recorded at RCA Studio "C", and was produced by Mike Berniker, engineer Mike Moran...
(1985) - Power of ThreePower of Three (Michel Petrucciani album)Power Of Three is a jazz album by Michel Petrucciani, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986. It features Petrucciani playing several duets with guitarist Jim Hall, as well as three performances with Wayne Shorter joining the pair.-Side A:...
(1986) with Wayne ShorterWayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
and Jim HallJim Hall (musician)James Stanley Hall is an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Hall moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s... - Michel plays PetruccianiMichel plays PetruccianiMichel Plays Petrucciani is a jazz album by Michel Petrucciani, Blue Note catalogue number CDP 7 48679 2.The album was recorded during two sets of sessions, with tracks 1-5 recorded on 24th September 1987 with Gary Peacock and Roy Haynes, and the remaining tracks over 9th and 10th December of the...
(1987) - Music (1989)
- The Manhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project (album)The Manhattan Project is a jazz fusion album, the only recording to be made by a band of the same name comprising Wayne Shorter, Michel Petrucciani, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Gil Goldstein and Pete Levin. The arrangements were written by Lenny White and Gil Goldstein, and the album was recorded...
(1990) with Wayne ShorterWayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
, Stanley ClarkeStanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, Lenny WhiteLenny WhiteLeonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an American jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:...
, Gil GoldsteinGil GoldsteinGil Goldstein is American jazz pianist and synthesizer player who started on the accordion.He began studying accordion at age 5, but later moved on to cello and piano. He studied at the Berklee College of Music and by 1973 was working with Pat Martino, Lee Konitz, and others. He started with the...
and Pete Levin - Playground (1991)
- Live (1991)
- From the SoulFrom the SoulFrom the Soul is a 1992 jazz album by saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano, generally regarded as being his masterpiece so far. It was recorded with a studio band rather than Lovano's working group; it is notable for his only encounter with Michel Petrucciani , and for being one of Ed Blackwell's...
(1991) on Dec 28, 1991 with Joe LovanoJoe LovanoJoseph Salvatore "Joe" Lovano is a post bop jazz saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer. Since the late 1980s, Lovano has been one of the world's premiere tenor saxophone players, earning a Grammy award and several nods on Down Beat magazine's critics' and readers' polls... - Promenade with Duke (1993)
- The Blue Note Years (1993)
- Marvelous (1994)
- Conference De Presse (with Eddy LouissEddy LouissEddy Louiss is a French jazz musician.His primary instrument is the Hammond organ. As a vocalist, he was a member of Les Double Six of Paris from 1961 through 1963.He has worked with Kenny Clarke, René Thomas, and Jean-Luc Ponty...
) (1994) - Au Theatre Des Champs-Élysées (1994)
- Darn that Dream (1996)
- Flamingo (with Stéphane GrappelliStéphane GrappelliStéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
) (1996) - Both Worlds (1998)
- Live in Germany (1998) and Trio in Tokyo (1999) (with Steve GaddSteve GaddSteve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...
and Anthony Jackson, recorded in 1997) - Solo LiveSolo Live (Michel Petrucciani album)Solo Live is a 1999 album by Michel Petrucciani, recorded in 1998 at a live performance in Frankfurt, Germany....
(1999) - Bob Malach & Michel Petrucciani (2000)
- Concerts Inedits/Live (2000)
- Conversation (2001) with Tony Petrucciani
Biography
First biography : "Michel Petrucciani" (2011) by pianist and musicologist Benjamin Halay by Editions Didier Carpentier (prefaced by Didier Lockwood and Alexandre Petrucciani).Tributes
- A mosaic by Édouard Detmer in honor of Michel Petrucciani has been in the 18th district of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
since July 2003.
- "Waltz For Michel Petrucciani", a song on the Finnish jazz Trio TöykeätTrio TöykeätTrio Töykeät was a Finnish jazz trio. Their music ranges from humorous ragtimes to sentimental waltzes. Their playing style is often rhythmic, energetic and virtuosic. The group disbanded in 2008...
's album KudosKudos (album)Kudos is a Trio Töykeät album. It was released in 2000. The word kudos means Tissue in Finnish.-Track listing:# "Étude" dedicated to W.A...
, is dedicated to him.
- Christian JacobChristian JacobChristian Jacob is a lyrical jazz pianist who ranks among the top piano improvisers and accompanists working today. He has gained widespread exposure as musical director and performer with vocalist Tierney Sutton, although he has also maintained a substantial career as a solo artist and...
's album Contradictions does his interpretation of eleven of Petrucciani's compositions as a kind of tribute.