Enrico Pieranunzi

Enrico Pieranunzi (born 5 December 1949) is an Italian jazz pianist. He fuses classical technique with jazz.

Pieranunzi was encouraged to study music from a young age. His father, Alvaro Pieranunzi, was a jazz guitarist. He studied classical music until 1973 when he became a Professor of Music, and maintained that post for two years. In 1975 he left his teaching practice and played in trios and small ensembles. He has recorded over 60 albums. He has also been prolific as a session musician.

He has performed with, among others, Frank Rosolino, Sal Nistico, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Joey Baron, Art Farmer, Jim Hall, Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Bill Smith, Charlie Haden, Mads Vinding, and Billy Higgins. He issued his first LP in 1975. He has performed widely with his own group at European and American jazz festivals. He has also composed several film scores.

• 1989: Italian Jazz Musician of the Year, Musica Jazz
• 1992, 1997: Djangodor Award (France) for Best European Jazz Musician
• 2003: Django d'Or (Italy)

As leader

• 1975 Jazz a confronto 24 (Horo)
• 1976 New & Old Jazz Sounds (EdiPan)
• 1976 The Day After the Silence (EdiPan)
• 1978 A Long Way (Carosello)
• 1978 From Always...to Now! (EdiPan)
• 1979, 1980 Soft Journey (EdiPan)
• 1980 Isis (Soul Note)
• 1980 Jazz Roads (CAM Jazz)
• 1982 Inconsequence
• 1984 New Lands (Timeless)
• 1984 Live at the Berlin Jazz Days '84
• 1985 What's What (YVP)
• 1986 Deep Down (Soul Note)
• 1986 Enrico Pieranunzi Trio vol. 1
• 1987 Il pianoforte senza confini (Fonit Cetra)
• 1988 Meridies (Gala)
• 1988 Enrico Pieranunzi Trio vol. 2
• 1989 No Man's Land (Soul Note)
• 1989 Just Friend's
• 1990 Parisian Portraits (IDA)
• 1991 Live in Castelnuovo
• 1991 Triologues (YVP)
• 1991 Elsa (Philology)
• 1993 Untold Story
• 1994 Seaward (Soul Note)
• 1995 Trioscape, vol. 4 (YVP)
• 1995 Live in Germany (YVP)
• 1996 The Night Gone By (AlfaJazz)
• 1997 The Chant of Time (Alpha Jazz)
• 1997 Ma l'amore no (Soul Note)
• 1998 Un'alba dipinta sui muri (Egea)
• 1998 Con infinite voci (Egea)
• 1999 Don't Forget the Poet (Challenge)
• 1999 Perugia Suite (Egea)
• 1999 Daedalus' Wings (Challenge)
• 2000 Alone Together (Challenge)
• 2000 Live in Switzerland (YVP)
• 2000 Racconti mediterranei (Egea)
• 2000 Canto nascosto (Egea)
• 2000 Multiple Choice (YVP)
• 2000 Improvised Forms for Trio
• 2000 Evans Remembered (Via Veneto)
• 2000 Plays the Music of Wayne Shorter (Challenge)
• 2001 Live in Paris (Challenge)
• 2001 Current Conditions (CAM Jazz)
• 2001, 2002 Play Morricone 1 & 2 (CAM Jazz)
• 2002 One Lone Star, vol. 7
• 2002 Les Amants (Egea)
• 2003 Special Encounter
• 2003 Fellini Jazz (CAM Jazz)
• 2004 Live in Japan (CAM Jazz)
• 2004 Ballads
• 2004 As Never Before (CAM Jazz)
• 2004 Dream Dance (CAM Jazz)
• 2005 Danza di una Ninfa
• 2006 Jazz Italiano Live 2006
• 2007 Wandering (CAM Jazz)
• 2008 Plays Domenico Scarlatti (CAM Jazz)
• 2008 New York Reflections
• 2010 Live at Birdland (CAM Jazz)
• 2010 Live at the Village Vanguard (CAM Jazz)
• 2011 Stories (CAM Jazz)
• 2011 Plays Bach, Handel, & Scarlatti (CAM Jazz)
• 2012 Permutation (CAM Jazz)
• 2013 Proximity (CAM Jazz)
• 2014 The Music of Enrico Pieranunzi
• 2014 Autour de Martinu (TCB)
• 2015 Ménage à Trois
• 2015 Tales from the Unexpected (Intuition)
• 2016 My Songbook (Forced Exposure/Via Veneto Jazz)
• 2016 European Trio

As co-leader

• 1988 The Heart of the Ballad (Philology)
• 1988 Solitudes (Philology)
• 1990 Yellow & Blue Suites (Challenge)
• 1992 Flux and Change (Soul Note)
• 1993 Nausicaa (Egea)
• 2002 Doorways
• 2002 Trasnoche
• 2004 Duologues
• 2005 Live Conversations
• 2013 Bluestop
• 2014 Double Circle
• 2014 Home Is Where the Heart Is
• 2015 Americas

As sideman

• 1973 Jazz a confronto 2
• 1975 Jazz a confronto 16
• 1975 Jazz a confronto 20
• 1976 Jazz a confronto 34
• 1977 Sonorities
• 1978 Colours (EdiPan)
• 1978 Duo Bone
• 1979 Hinterland
• 1980 Con Alma
• 1981 Bass in the Sky
• 1984 Il rito della Sibilla
• 1987 Silence (Soul Note)
• 1988 Little Girl Blue (Philology)
• 1988 Phil's Mood (Philology)
• 1988 Blew (Philology)
• 1989 PianaValdambrini Sextet
• 1987 Moon Pie Bllue and Golden (YVP)
• 1990 First Song (Soul Note)
• 1990 Bella (Philology)
• 1991 Live at the Corridonia Jazz Festival (Philology)
• 1997 The Kingdom (Stunt)
• 2000 Plays Rugantino
• 2005 Di mezzo il mare
• 2007 Kind of Blue All Stars

Other projects

• 1980 Il bandito dagli occhi azzurri (Cerberus)
• 1984 Autumn Song (Enja)
• 1986 Space Jazz Trio Vol. 1 (YVP)
• 1988 Space Jazz Trio Vol. 2 (YVP)
• 1990 The Dream Before Us (IDA)
• 1993 In That Dawn of Music (Soul Note)
• 1993 Untold Story (IDA)
• 2000 Improvised Forms for Trio (Challenge)
• 2014 The Day after the Silence (AlfaMusic)