Aldo Romano

Although born in Italy, Aldo Romano moved to France with his family at a young age. He was already playing guitar and drums professionally in Paris in the '50s when he heard <a href="spotify:artist:3ZUZYvTkSr7kJQyAXVpqaL">Donald Byrd</a>'s group with drummer <a href="spotify:artist:3CsHGnB9qK3KYH7xmyGAGX">Arthur Taylor</a>. Since then, he has dedicated himself to the drums and contemporary jazz. In Paris jazz clubs like le Chat Qui Pêche and the Caméléon, Romano has accompanied visiting Americans like <a href="spotify:artist:1lB7KbOr9xdPK1CuasxmeA">Jackie McLean</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:570vCzcespB48HIQyTbDO6">Bud Powell</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6cvs1RggkRFSyKPVCBT3cx">Lucky Thompson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3hZ5sdhYTvgrmXIwtVwqmS">J.J. Johnson</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0yvEf1tqWWPiZu4ZbjyKGs">Woody Shaw</a> while also exploring free music with <a href="spotify:artist:3uPWecBPNXAChysw1uOJwI">Don Cherry</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7dXBi98p0mN5JCpBnU0XEm">Gato Barbieri</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:18OT2u9o13SbjrD8Xxhk4V">Frank Wright</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3z8GoOHFhWZDf7CrAXBGn2">Bobby Few</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3zz4BITBs6xvnzw2vtQi2D">Michel Portal</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6F1cedVdHidNeIeUgP4Ud5">François Tusques</a>, Jean-Louis Chautemps, and <a href="spotify:artist:1BEsuwAkTQMG50TeHB5qny">Steve Lacy</a>. Romano's boundless curiosity for any living music brought him in contact with electric jazz in the '70s, playing at the Riverbop with longtime associate/bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5QUK81XDOagSPqOWMZoJJs">Jean-François Jenny-Clark</a>, in addition to <a href="spotify:artist:2MS3RTKyiwEQAWUlRg8zBN">François Jeanneau</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7nFb95Ufz3MkdXP4bnlSES">Henri Texier</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6cKTYu4WjPM4YjYdgZhfEr">Charlie Mariano</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3MK08earaAAPhouY2WTvqn">Philip Catherine</a>. In 1978, he released his first album as a leader with <a href="spotify:artist:2EPKmc8vz1RBkgO5x9Nmc3">Claude Barthélémy</a> (Il Piacere, OWL), followed by 1980's Night Diary with <a href="spotify:artist:2AMQef1KyMP3l0egtvSyR2">Didier Lockwood</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:590RjSz5IgrU8FVSRCIL01">Jasper Van't Hof</a>, and 1983's Alma Latina with <a href="spotify:artist:3MK08earaAAPhouY2WTvqn">Philip Catherine</a>. In 1980, Romano brought pianist <a href="spotify:artist:13kHQ586h4Lm9iwVyS2b3K">Michel Petrucciani</a> to the world's attention, introducing him to the producer of Owl Records. His Italian roots were lovingly remembered with the foundation of his Italian Quartet with <a href="spotify:artist:2qW0CNnmvdEQwiabdareHi">Paolo Fresu</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7d3yjuXATtfpkDIk1bUp4M">Franco D'Andrea</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3OC734JRP0jfGNAaJlXycI">Furio Di Castri</a>. The quartet recorded To Be Ornette to Be and Water Dreams (Owl) and Non Dimenticar, a collection of Italian songs (Verve). Palatino -- named for the Rome-Paris night train -- also includes <a href="spotify:artist:2qW0CNnmvdEQwiabdareHi">Fresu</a>, with <a href="spotify:artist:7pIlcNF3IEc4dA4O5YcClI">Glen Ferris</a> on trombone. Intervista (Verve, 2001) -- with bassist <a href="spotify:artist:7CyW7K2UrpjUNLVV698wvJ">Palle Danielsson</a>, saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:3VPgBrIwuucYkLoZ2yHMjK">Stefano di Battista</a>, and Brazilian guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:20I1zVgMyTzt7Pappc6czv">Nelson Veras</a> -- is a magnificently played overview of his musical career, with <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman-ish</a> tunes, Latin-American compositions, and operatic arias; a bonus CD contains a charming interview. ~ Francesco Martinelli, Rovi