Romano Mussolini

b. 26 September 1927, Carpena, Forlì, Italy, d. 3 February 2006, Rome, Italy. The third and youngest son of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who was executed by partisans at the end of World War II, he played piano under a pseudonym (Romano Full) in his early years. By the early 50s he was becoming known outside Italy thanks to festival appearances and his work as an accompanist to visiting jazzmen. Among the visitors were Lars Gullin and Chet Baker (reportedly, Baker, worried over how to handle his first meeting with Mussolini, stuck out his hand and blurted out, ‘Sorry to hear about your Dad!’). Mussolini regularly led his own small groups, usually playing in a boppish mode; he also developed a technically accomplished solo style. The most famous of these was the Romano Mussolini All Stars, which toured internationally with artists including Baker, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. At the time of his death in February 2006, he was the last surviving child of Benito Mussolini.

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