Biography
Danilo Rea is a jazz pianist and composer among the most recognized voices on the Italian and international scene. Born in Vicenza on 9 August 1957 but raised in Rome, he studied piano at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, where he later taught in the jazz department until 2017.
He made his debut in 1975 with the "Trio di Roma" alongside Roberto Gatto and Enzo Pietropaoli, a historic Italian jazz ensemble. After the trio dissolved in 1989, he embarked on an intense solo career, collaborating with some of the greatest names in world jazz: Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Wheeler, Steve Grossman, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, John Scofield, Tony Oxley, Joe Lovano, Aldo Romano, Brad Mehldau, Danilo Pérez, Michel Camilo and Luis Bacalov.
In 1997 he founded "Doctor 3" with Enzo Pietropaoli and Fabrizio Sferra, a trio that won the award for best jazz group in the referendum of Musica Jazz magazine in 1999, 2001 and 2003. From 2000 onwards he found in the Piano Solo dimension the ideal space for his expressive universe, releasing albums such as "Lost in Europe" (2000), "Lirico" (2003), "Solo" (2006), "Introverso" (2008), "A Tribute to Fabrizio De André" (2010) and "Something in our way" (2015).
Alongside his jazz career he accompanies on piano the most important voices of the Italian songbook: Mina, Gino Paoli, Claudio Baglioni, Pino Daniele, Domenico Modugno, Fiorella Mannoia, Riccardo Cocciante, Renato Zero, Gianni Morandi and Adriano Celentano. Among the awards he has received are the Premio Vittorio De Sica, the Premio Giovanni Paolo II and the Prix Django d'Or.
