I play double bass but I mostly prefer composing. I was born in Roma (Italy). In 1974 I began to play with Massimo Urbani, In the Autumn '75 I studied the double bass and the basic principles of harmony under the direction of Bruno Tommaso. Then I began to play with the Folk MagicBand (including Nicola Stilo, Giancarlo Maurino among others) that gave me the opportunity to cut, for the first time in my life, a record and a song that I composed, and also to perform in an International Jazz Festival (Pescara Jazz Festival, July 1976). From 1978 to 1981 I have been the bassist of the Roman New Orleans Jazz Band and I played in a trio with Francesco Forti and Michele Ascolese. In the '80s I studied antique musics and harmony as well. I have been part of (and recorded an album with) the group Acustica Medievale from 1980 to 1983. I came back to jazz and began to play with the trio of Mario Donatone. In the '90s I played with the Big Band of the Scuola Popolare di Musica di Testaccio (Rome). I currently live in Paris where I have founded the group Southern Avenue Project, and recorded my firstCD as a leader. On this page you find some excerpts of this CD (SOUTHERN AVENUEPROJECT) and a live recording with the band. Since Autumn 2006 I have restarted studying composition and arrangement techniques with Christophe Dal Sasso. I have played for three years with the trio of the Italian pianist AlbertoPibiri. In 2008 I have began new collaborations with several musicians in Rome.

CURRENTLY

The Italian label Alfa Music will publish soon (december) the CD "Infant Speech" of the U-MAN TRIO with Gaia Possenti (p), Fabrizio Cecca (b) and Massimo Carrano (dr). Stay tuned!

THE QUINTET PROJECT

Positive energy and modern jazz are the starting points of this music that wants to develop colourful feelings and emotions. There are 3 tunes on this page. The musicians are: Julien Alour: trumpet, flugelhorn; SamyThiébault: tenor sax and flute; Nico Morelli: piano; Fabrizio Cecca: double bass, compositions; David Grébil: drums

MY INFLUENCES

Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa, Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Jazz Messengers, Bob Mintzer, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Toninho Horta, MiltonNascimento, Egberto Gismonti, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Steely Dan. These artists (and others) have influenced my compositions. Charles Mingus, Scott La Faro, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Dave Holland, Niels Pedersen,Charlie Haden, MiroslavVitous, John Patitucci, Marco Panascia (and others) are my favorite double-bass players.

Southern Avenue Project ALBUM.

Published on February 2008 by Cristal Records/Abeille Musique is my first album as a composer, arranger and leader. The Southern Avenue is an imaginary road linking Paris to Rome in my mind because all tunes have been composed during my travels between these two towns. The characteristics of the album are the sound of the wind instruments, to which the vibraphone is added in some tunes, the structure of the compositions that departed from the usual 32 bars and the equilibrium between what was written out and what was to be improvised. The album was recorded in June 2007 in the RiffRaff Jazf studio (Trevignano near Rome). The musicians who have participated to this adventure are: Andrea Romani (flute), Julien Alour (trumpet), Fidel Fourneyron (trombone), Giovanni Ceccarelli (piano), Julien Jolly (drums), with Nicola Stilo (flute) and Maurizio Urbani (soprano saxophone) as guest soloists on the title-track. This album has been premiered on the Dutch Public Radioshow called Studio6 hosted by Co de Kloet RADIO6, in France several times byJazzBox, Paris, on Aligre FM, by Mâtin Jazz, Toulouse, on Radio Radio, by Jazz à Part, Rouen, on Radio HDR, by WJAZ RADIO PLURIEL 91.5, Lyon, Jazz Noctamblues. In Italy by Radio Rock (Rome) and Radio Abracadabra (Rome), and Radio Press (Cagliari). In Portugal the tune "Islands in the Ocean" has been aired several times by Notas à Solta and As Noites da Antena 1/Açores on RDP/Antena 1-Açores, because the tune was composed while I was in Sao Miguel island.