Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL February 2014 NAMM Issue | Page 33

ambient/electronica as well.
Now, in order to be more specific in
answering your question, I would like to
mention different musicians that grabbed
my attention throughout my musical life.
Amazing innovators like John Coltrane,
my favorite one. Miles Davis (especially
his ‘Kind of Blue’ album), Pink Floyd,
Peter Gabriel, Stewart Levine records,
Mahler, Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota,
John Lennon, Satie and Keith Jarrett,
everything from the German ECM Label,
such as the Pat Metheny Trio album with
Jaco and Bob Moses, Weather Report
(the best band ever), Wayne Shorter,
Sting, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Bowie, The
Stones, Pino Daniele, Lucio Battisti,
De Andre’, Finardi, Radiohead, Milton
Nascimento, Born In The USA, EW&F, Bill
Frisell, Sakamoto, Airto Moreira, M-Base.
Later in life I was really inspired by
the Bristol Sound such as Massive attack
and Portishead, Bjork, Howie B. Then…
Me’shell and Squarepusher, as well.
Beside all these well known names, there
are such incredible “less-known” talents
out there. The most influential people in
my life are friends and young musicians
that supported me throughout the years.
We learn from each other and we keep
growing together, such as Mario Lo
Cascio, Ciccio Santoro, Enzo Baldessarro,
Mimi’, Buitoni, Dalmazio, Musicantica,
Valentina, Maata Haari and Sunny
Levine, Alessandroni Sr. & Alessandroni
Jr., Shawn Rivera, Nicolas Farmakalidis,
Walter Donatiello e Gigi Meroni, Samuel
Cereghini, Donato Serrao, Damiano, Andy
Crosby (he never calls me back!), Eamon
Ryland, Renzo Mantovani, Sello e Arnone,
Noisi, Sage Principini, Marco Marinangeli,
Warren Cuccurullo, Belardinelli, Damian,
Marco Piali, Boi, PeteyP, Engle & Cheah,
Photo, Karin Lindberg Freda

Heitor Pereira, Adolfo Bringas, Crostar,
Surface10, Robbie, Lobbe, Gota Yashiki,
Otto De Togni, El Fatom, Thanasi
Moustogiannis, Justin Isao Woolsey,
Satoru Sakamoto, Masayoshi Furukawa,
Takatoshi Shindo, Junya Terui. Going back
to big names…impossible not to mention
Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Michael
Jackson and Prince…right??? I could
really go on…forever. And…Forgive me if I
forget someone….PLEASE!!!
Who would you consider a mentor? Any
important lessons he taught you?
Strangely, I never had anyone in
my musical life that I would consider a
mentor, however the closest thing to a
mentor I had was my immediate family –
my father, mother and my two brothers
Domenico & Daniele. As a musician I
never had any idols; no posters and
stickers on my walls.
So, Andreas, in order for me to answer
your question I will mention people I
worked with that had an essential impact
in my career and helped me grow.
Mostly I’d like to mention Stewart
Levine, who is another amazing record
producer, arranger and a super-warm
reeds player. After years of arranging and
sessions in the early ‘60…we are talkin’
about Coltrane, Monk; Miles & Bill Evans
times…you know. He started a record
company with African legendary trumpet
player Hugh Masakela and after they did
pretty much everything…watching crazy
cross fades from the end of Bebop and
cool Jazz to the birth of Rock’n roll….from
Motown to whatever. He is known for his
work with Simply Red, BB king, Dr. John,
Crusaders, Sly and the Family Stone and
many more. For me he represents the
greatest, funniest, serious, warmest and
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