About Leo
Born into a musical family and grew up in a small town of southern Italy, Leo Pianoforte began to play music at six. His father was accordion and keyboards player who started by teaching him to play the piano. Few years later his father inspired Leo to pick up the clarinet and continued his musical education with a local teacher. When Leo was just 14, he began gigging throughout Southern Italy with local Street Band as a soloist clarinet player. Just after seven years of studies, in September 1988 he graduated with honors at a Music College “ Gesualdo da Venosa” in Potenza (Italy). In 1985 after listening a record of tenorist Michael Brecker and been fascinated by his sound and virtuosity, decided to switch to tenor saxophone and so start to play Jazz. Leonardo moved to London in September 1996 and lived there for about 7 years. Throughout the seven years lived in London he has performed and recorded with a jazz-soul singer Jenny Lockwood, pianist Stuart Brown and his trio, Frank Rotter e Mark Dartford. In September 1997 with a female band, called "The Eulipians" from New Castle and wrote all the instruments arrangement for their first record. Along his permanence in London, he performed as well in Jazz Café in Camden Town, Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express and in many Italian’s restaurant.
Leo left London in December 2003 and currently lives in south Italy. While back in his country he has studied and participated to important Jazz master class with musicians like: Paolo Fresu, Attilio Zanchi, Ettore Fioravanti, Bob Mintzer e Giovanni Mazzarino. In May 2008 was finalist for the XII Edizione Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani-Camerino-(MC). At present he led his own band and performs in clubs, concert halls and festivals around Italy presenting his first album “MY SOUL” smooth jazz and soul music. His style includes influences from: J. Coltrane, D. Gordon, S. Getz, W. Shorter, B. Berg, B. Mintzer, M. Brecker.