Stefano Bollani - Que Bom (2018) [Hi-Res]

Italian piano genius Stefano Bollani's album 'Que Bom' is a genuine hymn to life marked by sparkling liveliness and contagious joy.

It mainly consists of Bollani's own original tunes and distinctive melodies strongly influenced and informed by Brazilian music culture, which Bollani has always cherished since the very beginning of his rich, multifaceted crackerjack music making and dexterous playing.

On 'Que Bom' Bollani is joined by the same outstanding Brazilian rhythm section as in his earlier, extremely successful Carioca project (EmArcy Records, 2008) - Jorge Helder (double bass), Jurim Moreira (drums) and Armando Marçal (percussion) - plus Thiago da Serrinha (percussion), but here he is also joined by the guest stars Caetano Veloso, João Bosco, Jaques Morelenbaum and Hamilton de Holanda.

'Que Bom', entirely produced by Bollani, is the first album to be released by his own label Alobar. He has previously recorded for labels such as ECM, Decca, EmArcy and Act.

At 45 years old, Stefano Bollani is not just Italy’s most admired jazz pianist. His fame is spread throughout Europe and the United States, especially from the partnership he established with eminent trumpeter Enrico Rava, recorded on four ECM albums between 2003 and 2008.

Bollani belongs to a generation of young European musicians who feel equally identified with American jazz, European music and folk traditions, leaving his personal mark on everything he plays. Instead of being attracted by virtuous effects, Bollani applies a polished technique without putting aside his versatility and good sense of humor. In his compositions, he strikes a comfortable balance between clearly delineated melodies and open structures, which makes him an essential musician for contemporary jazz.

As for classical music, he performs as a solo pianist with symphony orchestras (Liepzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Orchestre de Paris, Filarmonica della Scala di Milano, Santa Cecilia di Roma, Toronto Symphony Orchestra), conducted by Zubin Mehta, Kristjan Järvi, Daniel Harding, Antonio Pappano and above all by Riccardo Chailly, with whom he records Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in Fa by Gershwin in a cd (2010) that is awarded with the Platinum Disc, with more than 70.000 sold copies.

Stefano Bollani, piano
Jorge Helder, bass
Jurim Moreira, drums
Armando Marçal, percussion
Thiago da Serrrinha, percussion