Enrico Rava

Enrico Rava, a prolific jazz trumpeter who was born in Trieste, Italy on 20 August 1939, is undoubtedly one of the most well-known Italian jazz musicians. After hearing Miles Davis, he switched to trumpet from trombone. In the mid-1960s, he was part of Gato Barbieri’s Italian quintet. Later in the 1960s, he was part of Steve Lacy’s band. Rava arrived in New York City in 1967 and joined the Gas Mask group one month later. This group had one LP on Tonsil records in 1970. He has performed with Jeanne Lee and Roswell Rudd, as well as Carla Bley and Jeanne Lee. Enrico Rava is a major proponent of bebop jazz but he has also been successful in avant-garde settings. In its simplicity and light tone, Rava’s style is reminiscent of Kenny Wheeler’s. However, Rava’s harmonics are simpler. He worked with Pat Metheny and Michel Petrucciani, John Abercrombie and Joe Henderson in the 1970s and 1980s. Rava recorded four CDs with Paolo Fresu as a trumpeter. They were about the influence of Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker and Bix Beiderbecke (Bix, Pop. Shades of Chet. Play Miles Davis). His recordings Rava, L’Opera Va’, and Carmen are also worth mentioning. These CDs feature his interpretations of operatic overtures and arias. He formed a new quintet in 2001 with pianist Stefano Bollani and toured with Aldo Romano and Gato Barbieri. He is currently working in the trio Europeans with Eberhard Weber, a German bass player, and Reto Weber, a Swiss percussionist. Wikipedia

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