Stefano Bollani’s Fresh Take on “Jesus Christ Superstar”

One of the world’s elite jazz pianists Stefano Bollani joins Tim to talk about music innovation, artistry, and his most recent project, “Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar.” Get inside the mind of a creative improvisationist through a very relaxed and fun conversation.

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Stefano Bollani started learning to play the piano when he was just six years old. By the time he turned 15, he made his professional debut. He would later graduate from a conservatory in Florence in 1993, and would begin his journey to become one of the leading music artists in the world.

He’s played before audiences from Rome and London, to New York and Paris.

He’s collaborated with the likes of Richard Galliano, Bill Frisell, Phil Woods, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea.

While Stefano is a leading jazz pianist, he’s not limited to jazz. He’s performed as a soloist and with symphony orchestras in Amsterdam, Toronto and other cities.

In this episode, we have a relaxed conversation on what it’s like to perform and create at the highest of  levels. In the process, we talk about why he was so captivated with the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and his admiration for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Our Gratitude

To Stefano Bollani for allowing us to use tracks in this episode from his album, "Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar."
Don Lucoff of DL Media Music for arranging this interview.

Links

Stefano Bollani (Website)
Review of Stefano Bollani's Jesus Christ Superstar Album, London Jazz News
CD Review: Stefano Bollani - Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar, Jazz Blues News
Stefano Bollani's Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar Review, The Guardian

About this Episode’s Guest Stefano Bollani
Stefano Bollani began studying piano at the age of 6 and made his professional debut at 15. After graduating from a conservatory in Florence in 1993 – and a brief experience as a session musician in the pop world with Raf and Jovanotti among others – he established himself in jazz, playing on stages such as the Town Hall in New York, the Barbican in London, the La Scala in Milan, the Salle Pleyel in Paris. The collaboration, which began in 1996 and never stopped, with Enrico Rava,is fundamental, alongside which he holds hundreds of concerts and records 13 records. The most recent: Tati (2005), The Third Man (2007) and New York Days (2008). Throughout his career he collaborated with musicians such as Richard Galliano, Bill Frisell, Gato Barbieri, Sol Gabetta, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea,with whom he released the live album Orvieto (2011).

In 1998 he led the group L'Orchestra del Titanic and pays homage to the Italian music of the 30s and 40s with Lower your radio,disco-show to which collaborate among others Elio, Peppe Servillo, Marco Parente, Barbara Casini, Roberto Gatto. Particularly out of the canons are works such as La gnosi dei fanfole, together with the singer-songwriter Massimo Altomare on lyrics by Fosco Maraini (1998), Cantata dei Pastori Immobili, Musical Oratory for four voices, made on lyrics by David Riondino (2004) and the record of Scandinavian songs Gleda (2005). He is the artistic producer and arranger of Bobo Rondelli's Desperate Drunken Intellectuals (2002), for which he won the Ciampi award.

Between 2002 2006 he recorded four albums for the French Label Bleu: Les Fleures Bleues, Smat Smat, Concertone and The Visionaries. 2006 is also the year of Piano Solo (album of the year for "Jazz Music"). In 2007 BollaniCariocawas released in Rio De Janeiro. In December he is the second musician, after Antonio Carlos Jobim,to play a grand piano in a favela and later, in the following years, collaborates assiduously with Brazilian musicians such as Hamilton De Holanda, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Egberto Gismonti.