It was a twist of fate that our paths would cross between a reserved place in Italy, and the east coast of the United States. Norberto Tamburrino, a noted jazz pianist would soon bring back early jazz such as Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, and reminders of Duke Ellington's solo piano variations.

Norberto Tamburrino, Italian-born jazz pianist and composer, self-produced eight of his albums and has written over 80 jazz compositions. Many were published by Arabesque Records, Art Notes Records, Philology Jazz, and Splasc(H) Records in the United States and Europe.

It was Norberto Tamburrino's sophomore CD, Prigioniero Del Mare (Arabesque Recordings, 2007) that showcased his refined musicianship. Reflection(s) on Monk (SIAE Italy, 2008), reveals Norberto Tamburrino's greatest influence in which he respectfully honors. All About Jazz Italy, Musica Jazz, and A Proposito di Jazz highly recommended Norberto Tamburrino's Thanks for the Riff as an essential jazz recording in 2011.

An ardent listener of jazz piano solo should appreciate Norberto Tamburrino's performances on Prigioniero Del Mare (Arabesque Records, 2007), and Ascoltabile Piano & Atmosphere (Art Notes Records, 2010). Prigioniero Del Mare, woven like fine fabric, sees Norberto Tamburrino's beautifully incorporating stylistic piano techniques among colorful chording creating a peaceful ambiance in which the ear beckons for continued embellishments. With a more contemporary instrumental posture, Norberto Tamburrino's compositions regenerate the appetite of real music for real musicians.


In 2010, Ascoltabile Piano & Atmospheres was featured in the Top 40 Jazz Charts in 35 countries. Norberto Tamburrino renders splendid piano compositions with complexity, yearning to please cravings for avant-garde purists. Accompanied by Francesco Mariella, bassist, they share the second half of the CD like a well-seasoned Italian recipe. Norberto Tamburrino's piano interpretations are passionate and meticulously played. While having reflections of the 1950-60s jazz geniuses, his pieces fit very well within the 21st century. For example, the use of the electric piano on "Is Atlantis on the Sky?" is a treat that delivers first-class contemporary elegance. Classically infused, Norberto Tamburrino manages to blend jazz with classical brilliantly on pieces such as "3 is Perfect for us," "Sereno/Variabile Atmosphere," and "Romantique Atmosphere." Though all of the music is certainly classic jazz, classical music is an apparent element in this remarkable collection.

Born in Taranto, Italy in 1964, Norberto Tamburrino began professionally in 1989 hosting a jazz club in Taranto playing and planning concerts for over nine years. From 2001, he performed for the Italian Government and Culture Council engagements, and in many concerts in Europe and USA. Even though he has written for ensembles, his passion is piano solo where he excels mindfully.

Prigioniero Del Mare (Prisoner of the Sea) (Arabesque Recordings, LLC, 2007) embodies his most prolific piano influences and styles. Having a broad Thelonious Monk influence, one has to distinguish comparisons between Monk and Norberto Tamburrino's piano performance. This is where Norberto Tamburrino grasps Mr. Monk's touches with grace and appreciation.

The avant-garde pushes the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, as distinct from postmodernism. Many artists have aligned themselves with the avant-garde movement and still continue to do so. The avant-garde also promotes radical social reforms. It was this meaning that was evoked by the Saint Simonian Olinde Rodrigues in his essay "L'artiste, le savant et l'industriel" ("The artist, the scientist, and the industrialist," 1825), which contains the first recorded use of "avant-garde" in its now-customary sense; there, Rodrigues calls on artists to "serve as [the people's] avant-garde," insisting that "the power of the arts is indeed the most immediate and fastest way" to social, political and economic reform. 1

Avant-garde in music can refer to any form of music working within traditional structures while seeking to breach boundaries in some manner. Musicians related to this genre are depicted as artists who fundamentally depart from tradition theory and concepts. Such musicians include John Cage, Philip Glass, Igor Stravinsky, Edgard Varèse, and Iannis Xenakis. Women avant-gardists include Laurie Anderson, Diamanda Galás, Meredith Monk, and Pauline Oliveros.

Norberto Tamburrino will be in music history books as the 21st-century avant-garde yet to be discovered and highly regarded. Many jazz enthusiasts misunderstand Norberto Tamburrino's alignment with avant-garde and jazz fundamentalists. However, Norberto Tamburrino recognizes that improvisation consisting with structure and spontaneity can be easily wedded. His compositions are well-executed melodies based on modal chordal expressions. Whether it is solo piano or jazz ensembles, melody plays a vital part in Norberto Tamburrino's work. To define his piano, one would find a powerful two-handed style, percussive and exploratory...a study in mood shifts, ranging from deep foreboding to a spirited explosion of joy.

1 Edward Lowinsky, "The Musical Avant-Garde of the Renaissance; or, the Peril and Profit of Foresight," in Music in the Culture of the Renaissance and Other Essays, edited and with an introduction by Bonie J. Blackburn with forewords by Howard Mayer Brown and Ellen T. Harris, 2 vols. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989) 2:730—54, passim.
-----------------------------------------------------------