Luigi Grasso, NDR Big Band & Geir Lysne
Biography Luigi Grasso, NDR Big Band & Geir Lysne
Luigi Grasso
Multi-instrumentalist, arranger and composer, Luigi Grasso discovered jazz and classical music at a very early age. He began saxophone studies at age 5 as a cure for asthma, and at the age of 11 when he started to attend clinics held by the Berklee College of Music at the Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia, Italy). He was , subsequently offered a full tuition scholarship to travel to Boston for the Berklee Summer Program.
In 1997, he won the international young talent competition “Bravo Bravissimo”, which launched his professional jazz career, resulting in performances at the most prestigious festivals, clubs, theaters and TV shows throughout Europe.
In 1999, at the age of 13, his debut recording “A Love Supremé” (Java records), was released.
He continued his studies in Italy with the American guitarist Agostino Di Giorgio, in addition to his close apprenticeship with NEA Jazz Master Barry Harris as a participant and educational assistant in Dr. Harris’ European master classes from 2001-2009. In 2004, Luigi began studies in classical composition, harmony and counterpoint at the “Giovanni Martini Conservatory” in Bologna
In 2013, he formed the “Luigi Grasso Quartet”, featuring his brother Pasquale Grasso on guitar, bassist Mathias Allamane, and American drummer Keith Balla. The Quartet released “Ça Marche” and toured extensively throughout Europe, receiving widespread critical acclaim. In the same yoar, he was a featured soloist on “Crazy Blues” (Universal), an important release by China Moses and Raphael Lemmonier.
Afterwords, he worked as Musical Director for China Moses’s new project ” Nightintales“.
In 2018 his ensemble “The Greenwich Session” releases the album “Invitation au Voyage” (Camile Production) with a repertoire of original compositions and with an unique orchestration: french horn, english horn, basset horn and bass carnet mets trumpets, saxophones, guitar, double bass and drums.
From 2010 to 2019, he lived in Paris where besides his soloist career, he also was professor at the Conservatoire de Paris.In 2019, Lug Grasso joined as soloist the prestigious NDR Big Band in Hamburg, Germany. An opportunity that rewards a carsor that has soon him establish himself as one of the most prominent musicians in the current jazz scene.
In 2020, the saxophonist funded the new Jazz Label “LP3 45” along with Laurent Courthallac, Yaron Herman and Peter Schnur
In 2023, he releases “Dantesca” a new record (LP3 45) with original music written for symphonic orchestra and jazz soloist.
