Alessandro d’Episcopo-Trio

Alessandro d’Episcopo comes from Naples. And his musical roots are still evident in his music today. Alongside jazz standards and his own compositions, he regularly performs old Neapolitan songs. For example, ‘Meraviglioso’ features the ‘Canto delle Lavandaie del Vomero’, whilst ‘Solare’ includes ‘Fenesta che lucive e mo’ non luce’. Both are songs that originated long before the advent of jazz.

D’Episcopo began by studying classical piano. Even as a teenager, he became increasingly interested in jazz. In the late 1970s, he moved to Milan, and later relocated to Switzerland. For many years, he took lessons from Charlie Banacos in Boston, a renowned teacher of jazz and improvisation.

Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea were among the pianists whose work he studied in depth. Nevertheless, Naples remained a constant presence in his music. He does not treat the old songs with reverence. He alters harmonies, shifts rhythms and translates them into a language that clearly belongs to jazz. The melody, however, usually remains clearly recognisable.