Biography
Bassist and composer Andrea Veneziani performs extensively within the improvised music scene, across a broad spectrum of genres. His instrumental tone, sensitivity and imagination, and melodic approach to a supposedly clumsy instrument brought him to perform and record with many established musicians such as Ralph Alessi, Kenny Werner, Houston Person, Jean-Michel Pilc, Brian Lynch, Jacob Sacks, Kenny Wessel, Tony Moreno, John Stowell, Roberto Gatto, Tom Guarna, Mark Ferber, Ralph Lalama, George Schuller, Jon Davis, Rogerio Boccato, Steve Slagle, John Betsch, Jim Ridl and Ben Monder, to name a few. Based in New York City, his work as an instrumentalist and composer can be regularly heard on the stage of the finest jazz clubs, where he displays a unique mix of grit and grace. He also frequently tours around the globe, particularly throughout Europe and America.
In 2012, Andrea Veneziani released Oltreoceano, which marks his debut as a leader. The album explores the classic formula of the jazz piano trio from a contemporary perspective, combining elements of both European and American music culture. Oltreoceano, which translates from Italian as “overseas”, displays Veneziani’s ability to balance a studied approach to music with a more instinctual understanding of the music language. The result is a recording that exhibits a high degree of interplay, dynamic contrast and lyricism. “Andrea’s music is very melodic, his playing is also from the heart” says Kenny Werner, renowned pianist featured on Oltreoceano. The album has been distributed worldwide and has received international critical acclaim, attaining recognition as one of the best releases of the year by many jazz publications, including the prestigious magazine Jazziz. Radio France and several American radio networks have also internationally broadcast some of the album’s original compositions written by Andrea Veneziani. In 2023 he released his second album as a leader, The Lighthouse. It features eight Veneziani’s original compositions and a great line up with Kirk Knuffke on the cornet, Charlie Sigler on guitar and Allan Mednard on drums. The music is currently available worldwide on all the digital platforms and is receiving many positive reviews from several internationally acclaimed publications.
Andrea Veneziani is a dedicated educator and has taught master classes and workshops at New York University, the National Institute of Music and National University of Costa Rica, Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, Olav Duun Videregående Skole in Namsos, Norway, New York Jazz Workshop, the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and Stony Brook University, where he’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Jazz on a full tuition scholarship and teaching assistantship. He also contributed with an educational article to the May 2024 issue of the prestigious jazz publication DownBeat.
Before arriving to New York in 2009 on a scholarship from the Fulbright Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange between Italy and the United States to obtain a Master of Music Degree in Performance with a Concentration in Jazz at New York University, Andrea Veneziani lived in his native country of Italy. Born in Pescia, a small city in Tuscany, he grew up in Fermo and Pesaro, and finally relocated to Rome with his family in 1992, where he commenced his musical education. Starting with the electric bass and playing every style of music with diverse bands, he gradually developed a further interest in jazz and improvisation and began the study of the double bass, as well as composition and arrangement. During these formative years, he gained valuable experience performing at many prominent jazz festivals in the country like Umbria Jazz, Teano Jazz Festival, Novara Jazz Festival, Festival del Sassofono, Jazz alla Fioreria, Barga Jazz Festival, Terni in Jazz, Ciampino Jazz Festival, Villa Celimontana Jazz & Image Festival and Alatri Jazz. Mentored by some of the finest Italian jazz musicians such as Furio Di Castri, Pietro Leveratto, Paolino Dalla Porta, Enrico Rava, Fabrizio Sferra and Ettore Fioravanti, Andrea received a scholarship from the prestigious Siena Jazz Foundation in 2006. He graduated with full marks from the Conservatory of Music Licinio Refice in Frosinone in 2007, obtaining his Advanced Academic Diploma in Jazz. Additional to his musical skills, Andrea also possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University La Sapienza in Rome.
