WHO I AM
Upright-bass player, bassist, composer and arranger.
I am an upright-bass player, bassist, composer, bandleader, and educator. My musical experience began at age 12 bass-guitar. Playing bass led me to explore a wide range of musical genres — jazz, rock, pop, fusion, funk, reggae, and world music — and all of them still shape my artistic identity today
Training
I've been attending Il Pentagramma for many years, recognized by the magazine JAZZIT as one of Italy’s most prestigious music institutions, and today I collaborate with the same institution as a teaching assistant. This experience set in motion an intensive educational path across Italy, Europe, and the United States.
Upright-bass, influences, and mentors
Inspired by jazz legends such as Charlie Haden, Scott LaFaro, Percy Heath, Paul Chambers, and Ray Brown, I took up upright-bass, an instrument that profoundly shaped my musical aesthetic. My training continued with Giuseppe Lillo, Furio Di Castri, Paolo Benedettini, and Tobias Nijboer.
Academic path
My academic path includes studies at the Conservatorio E.R. Duni in Matera, the HKU Jazz & Pop Conservatorium in Utrecht, Siena Jazz University SJU, and the Conservatorio Niccolò Piccinni in Bari, where I am currently pursuing a Master Program degree in Jazz Composition under Vito Andrea Morra. I currently undertake a period of study and performance in New York, where I recently recorded a new album forthcoming. I have worked with Damien Cabaud, Luigi Giannatempo, Joe Sanders, Jeff Ballard, Cettina Donato, Ralph Alessi, Seamus Blake, and Logan Richardson, developing both a solid technical foundation and a versatile artistic vision.
Masterclasses
I have deepened my knowledge through masterclasses and courses with Barry Harris, Gilad Hekselman, John Clayton, Rodney Jones, Ben Wolfe, Jerry Bergonzi, Carl Allen, Jim Rotondi, Dena DeRose, and Hans Mantel. This eclectic formation underpins my entire approach as a musician and composer, in a constant search for balance between the jazz tradition and contemporary innovation.
Teaching
My commitment to education runs alongside my artistic work. In addition to my role as teaching assistant at Il Pentagramma I teach upright and electric bass both independently and through two established institutions: Area 7 music school in Bari (in partnership with Napolitano s.r.l.) and the Accademia Musicale Inclusiva Brillar in Altamura. In these contexts I share with my students the method and vision developed through years of training in Italy and abroad.
Artistic leadership
As a bandleader I lead a quartet with Riccardo Marchese, Attilio Sepe, and Jacopo Fagioli, I also perform as a sideman with pianist Antonio Simone’s trio, currently promoting his album To Giants, with recent appearances at Teano Jazz Festival and Italian Jazz Club Festival in Ascoli.
Collaborations
My recent work as a composer spans several directions. I rearranged The Fool by Aaron Parks for jazz trio and string quartet, with direct input from Parks himself, in collaboration with pianist Emanuele Filippi and drummer Martina Barakoska and a brand new string quartet based in Bari. I also reworked a composition by pianist Danilo Tarso in collaboration with flamenco guitarist Manuel Montero. For INMICS (Lyon) I wrote and produced the score for the short film Myosis: the main track Don’t Wait for Me is forthcoming on digital platforms. I composed the original music for the short movie Hotel Roma, with the title track also set for release. Most recently, I recorded some new recordings — with Addison Frei on piano and Diego Joaquin Ramirez on drums, at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn — forthcoming as a new album.
Research
I am completing my Master Program’s thesis in Jazz Composition at the Conservatorio Niccolò Piccinni in Bari. The research examines variation as a connecting element between the contemporary jazz repertoire and the classical tradition of the early twentieth century, with particular focus on the musical languages of Debussy, Ravel, and Milhaud.
The core concept of this composition is counterpoint and the layering of melodic lines, in a continuous dialogue of imitation and contrast. This approach pays homage to the early twentieth-century classical masters — Erik Satie and Maurice Ravel — whose influence can be felt in the form and development of the work. Within this framework, creativity and improvisation flourish freely, allowing both the string quartet and the jazz quartet to explore expressive territories while maintaining an underlying coherence with the score. Ruhe exemplifies the integration of classical tradition and contemporary innovation.