PIANIST AND COMPOSER: .. A graduate of the Bologna Conservatory with a degree in Contemporary Music, Antonio Ciacca was born in Wuppertal, Germany on March 14, 1969. After a Wynton Marsalis concert in 1989, Antonio decided that he would become a jazz musician. ..Soon after, he met ..Steve Grossman.. who was living in Bologna, Italy which is where Antonio calls home these days. Grossman introduced Antonio to the music of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and the other giants of the genre. Soon he decided, with Grossman’s encouragement, to go to the US and follow his new passion. This decision led him to Detroit, MI where he was accepted with open arms by the musicians he met there. He soon found himself in the company of a young James Carter, Rodney Whitaker, Dwight Adams and Detroit Jazz Masters like Marcus Belgrave, Larry Smith and Roy Brooks. These individuals would shape his future in the world of jazz and prepare him for the road ahead. That road has led Antonio to stages all over the world performing in the bands of jazz legends. From the start, Antonio realized that in order to work as a jazz musician he not only needed to hone his chops on the piano, he also needed to create performance situations that would allow him to gain access to the best performers in the world. This strategy proved invaluable and has given him the chance to play in the bands of ..Lee Konitz, Art Farmer, Mark Murphy, Steve Grossman, Johnny Griffin, James Moody and Dave Liebman... Antonio was the pianist for ..Steve Lacy.. for 7 years until his untimely death at the age of 70. Currently, Antonio tours extensively throughout the world with Jazz Legend ..Benny Golson...
