Trombonist Gianluca Petrella is one of the most acclaimed Italian musicians worldwide and winner for two times of the “Down Beat Critics Poll” award as best rising star trombonist.
Born in 1975, he has been a part of the music scene for over 20 years, working with internationally known artists and writing, performing and recording across different styles, from experimental to mainstream.
He is famous for his successes at the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals (including Montreal, Toronto, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Paris, London and New Orleans), his work with high-profile labels (ECM Records, Blue Note, !k7, Ninja Tune), and his collaborations with Enrico Rava, as well as other prominent artists in the realm of jazz and beyond: techno superstar Ricardo Villalobos, German electronica pioneer Moritz von Oswald, Italian hip hop icon Dj Gruff, and legendary dancefloor shaker Dj Ralf.
In 2017 he joined the band that supports Italian popstar Lorenzo Cherubini (known as Jovanotti); he is currently touring with them.
His album Cosmic Renaissance is inspired by the music of Sun Ra, with whom he previously collaborated on three projects.
One of the jazz project of Petrella is Eivind Aarset, Michele Rabbia, Gianluca Petrella Trio.
If you are in the latter group, prepare for a cosmic journey with the quintet shaped by Gianluca Petrella, a trombonist who has always defied labelling.
Having established his reputation and authority on Earth long ago, Petrella once again plays the role of intergalactic skipper for tourists on other planets. Get ready. Hold on tight to the slide of his trombone. Lose and find yourself in the labyrinths of black music. Forget the long-established convictions of jazz, and practice tracing new routes on the afrofuturist map that Sun Ra, Petrella’s inspiration for “Cosmic Renaissance” began to sketch in the past century.