Michele Petrucciani

 This outstanding pianist had a very short troubled life but we are lucky that he left behind some great music for our ears which are going to last forever. He has played in trio and quartet formats but his solo efforts are the ones which are truly mind blowing.

You can read about him here and here.


Here are a few of his albums that I like the most. The first one is the one which he recorded at the age of 19.

Michel Petrucciani was a few weeks shy of his 19th birthday when he recorded this solo CD, which was not widely available until it was distributed by Rhino nearly a decade later. The pianist's program is an ambitious one, starting with a dark, richly-textured interpretation of Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue" (incorrectly attributed to John Coltrane, although he did help to make the piece famous with his recording of it). His dramatic take of "'Round Midnight" has an especially haunting quality to it. Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin' on the Sunset" is also in good hands, with Petrucciani delivering a masterful performance.

Michel Petrucciani - Date With Time (1981)

Get it here or here.

Michel Petrucciani - Live at Stadthalle, Erding, 15th November 1991

Get it here.


Michel Petrucciani - Promenade With Duke


Get it here.


Marcus Miller & Michel Petrucciani - Dreyfus Night (1994)


Get it here.


Here is a short performance of Petruciani playing solo piano in a concert.

Michel Petrucciani - Jazzwoche Burghausen, 1993