Luca Flores (Palermo 1956 – Montevarchi 1995), Italian composer and pianist. Born in Palermo, he started playing the piano when he was five years old. After his father’s work, Luca traveled the globe and lost Jolanda, his mother. This tragic event profoundly impacted his life. Luca was a great musician of his era, including Chet Baker and Dave Holland, Tullio De Piscopo (Lee Konitz), Bruno Tommaso. He received a diploma in piano at Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence. Although he was well-prepared for classical music, Luca also enjoyed jazz music. He attended many jazz clubs in Florence, including La rosa and Salt Penuts. Flores was a classical pianist, but he learned the jazz language and was able to show his technical abilities. His style, however, was melancholic, and shady. Although his dark side led him to prefer ballads over standards, Flores was a great performer of bebop songs and had amazing improvisational skills. Flores loved the influence of Bill Evans and Powell in his pianism, as well as McCoy Tyner. Luca Flores was a close friend to Massimo Urbani, an Italian “cursed” musician. Massimo was one the most prominent exponents of Italian jazz music. Luca Flores recorded “Easy to Love” with Massimo.
