www.paololattanzi.com

Biography

This Page was Last Updated on:

07.26.2007

Born on September 11th 1977 in Macerata, Italy, Paolo started soon to discover his love for music thanks to his brother’s assortment of the greatest 60’s and 70’s bands' albums and her mother’s collection of Opera and Operettas. He grew up listening to a variety of styles, going from Rock to Classical.

His relationship with music changed thanks to one of the greatest rock bands: Led Zeppelin. The notes of their first four albums made him realize he really wanted to play and make music and at the age of 16 he bought his first drum kit. He began to learn the basics of the instrument with a local drummer but eager to improve, he quickly opted to take private lessons with Massimo Manzi. He studied with him for years learning the technique but also trying to grasp what dwell beyond the exercises.
Right from the beginning he started to play with local groups and to perform in small town festivals and “battle of the bands” in one of which he won the “Award for Best Drummer” (1998).
He kept expanding his repertoire of styles by being part of Hard Rock, Blues and Latin bands and accumulated experiences by playing extensively in central Italy.

A landmark in his musical growth was his “discovery” of jazz and fusion; he found a link to those worlds in Pat Metheny. After listening to the first Pat Metheny Group album Paolo started to explore more and more, finding out a growing interest in a “freer”, more expressive approach to the music.
In the year 2000 he decided that in order to keep moving ahead musically he had to leave the comforts of his current life and go where he could learn more and try himself.
On January 2002 he joined the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He majored in Performance and after four years of studies, on May 2005, he graduated with the honor of “Magna Cum Laude”.

While studying the drums Paolo didn’t miss the chance to learn about composition and arranging. On the contrary, he became conscious of the fact that writing music for him was an important source of satisfaction and another channel to express himself through music; consequently he studied advanced harmony programs dividing himself between the drums and the “staff”.

In the year 2005 he finally managed to join those two sides and formed his group with which he  recorded the first album that sees him as leader, composer and drummer.

Over the four years at Berklee, Paolo has played in many ensembles such as the Dave Holland Ensemble, the Electric Miles Davis Ensemble, the Music of Cedar Walton Ensemble, Tiger Okoshi’s Contemporary Fusion Ensemble, the Steve Coleman Ensemble and many other jazz bebop ones.

He participated in various projects and played extensively with the Andres Wilson Band performing in many Boston and New York clubs including the Skybar, the Paradise Club, the Middle East, the Samba, the C-Note and CBGB’s.

He studied drums with: Massimo Manzi (George Garzone, Mick Goodrick, Pat Metheny), Casey Scheuerell (Chaka Khan, Gino Vanelli, Jean-Luke Ponty, Robben Ford), Kenwood Dennard (Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Sting), Ian Froman (Dave Liebman), Skip Hadden (Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano), Jon Hazilla (studies with Joe Morello and Max Roach), Robert Kaufman (George Garzone, Bill Frisell, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mike Stern), Mike Mangini (Steve Vai, Extreme), Ralph Peterson (Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis), John Ramsay (Wynton Marsalis, James Moody), Bob Tamagni (Sled Dogs, Mike Metheny Quartet) Steve Wilkes (Glen Velez, Dave Samuels) and Marcello Pellitteri (Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Gomez, Dave Liebman).

Drum Clinics with: Dave Weckl, Bill Stewart, Steve Smith and Steve Gadd.
Other Jazz Clinics: Dave Holland, Pat Metheny.

Paolo also broadened his musical spectrum by studying introductory courses of: Music Technology, Music Business, Piano, Vibraphone, Timpani, Afrocuban percussions, Brazilian percussions and World percussions.

Influences count drummers like: Roy Haynes, Jack deJohnette, Tony Williams, Bill Stewart, Billy Kilson, Brian Blade, Elvin Jones, Peter Erskine, Jeff “Tain” Watts, John “Bonzo” Bonham and many others.

Other musical influences: Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Led Zeppelin, Avishai Cohen, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and many others.

Mr. Lattanzi lives in Boston, MA, where he keeps working on the development of his career and skills as a musician.

Since July 2007 Paolo Lattanzi endorses UFIP Cymbals.

Discography:

• Andres Wilson Band: "Ink and Sound" (2006)

• Paolo Lattanzi Group: "Night Dancers" (Silta Records 2006)

More info about the Paolo Lattanzi Group