Bruno Martino

Italian composer, pianist, singer (Rome, November 11, 1925 - † June 12, 2000). His debut as a jazz piano player was already in 1940, when he was only fifteen, playing, in secret, in a student jazz little orchestra. In 1944 he joined RAI, as a piano player for [a=Piero Piccioni]'s Orchestra. Then he gained great success abroad, particularly in Northern Europe, experimenting with a mix of jazz, Neapolitan songs and his own pieces. Fortified by gained consents, when he came back to Italy in 1958, composed songs for [a=Caterina Valente], [a=Renato Rascel] e [a=Wilma De Angelis]. A fortuitous event launched him also as an interpreter, when he replaced his orchestra's singer. Among his pieces they became famous: [i]Estate, E la Chiamano Estate, Sono Stanco, Sabato Sera, Che Sarà di Noi, Kiss Me Kiss Me, Nel Duemila, Prova a Darmi un Bacio, Quando un Giorno, Cos'hai Trovato in Lui, Baciami per Domani, Ma Tu Chi Sei[/i] and many others; several are the pearls written but still unknown. There isn't a player of jazz in the world who has not executed once in his life [i]Estate[/i], a longing piece carried to international fame by Brazilian guitar player [a=João Gilberto], who discovered it during an Italian tour, re-arranged it in a "bossa" version and made it a standard, today one of the most executed. Its most famous versions are by [a=Chet Baker], [a=Toots Thielemans], [a=Michel Petrucciani], [a=Mike Stern]; among the Italians who interpreted [i]Estate[/i] there are [a=Mina (3)], [a=Mia Martini], [a=Ornella Vanoni], [a=Vinicio Capossela], [a=La Crus], [a=Irene Grandi] and [a=Sergio Cammariere]. He took part to one only [i]Festival di Sanremo[/i], in 1961, with the song è João Gilberto [i]A.A.A. Adorabile Cercasi[/i], together with [a=Jula De Palma], not reaching however the final. His repertoire was also interpreted by [a=Fred Bongusto], [a=Peppino Di Capri] and [a=Franco Califano]. On November 1993, since 9th until 28th, at Teatro Flaiano in Rome he gave 20 piano concert nights together with [a=Umberto Bindi]. Never forgotten by the audience either after the end of his golden age, he died at the age of 74. Bruno Martino had two sons, Walter and Gloria. [a=Walter Martino] is a famous composer, arranger, drummer and percussionist, well known to be one of the composers of the piece [i]Profondo Rosso[/i] and to have played drums for some Italian historical rock bands like [a=Goblin], [a=Libra (6)], [a=Banco del Mutuo Soccorso], [a=Carnascialia]. He collaborated with Mina, Zero, Baglioni, Bertè, Venditti, Gaetano, Mannoia, Sorrenti, Gazzelloni and many others. Bruno's second wife, [a=Fiorelisa Calcagno], is lyrics author for many songs of his; Calcagno's son is Adriano Martino (alias Adriano Pratesi), esteemed guitarist.