Livio Bartolo
Guitarist/Composer/Improviser/Teacher
About
Guitarist and composer engaged on several fronts of the jazz music and contemporary music scene.
He graduated with honors in Jazz Guitar and Jazz Music at the Conservatory N. Rota of Monopoli with a thesis on the compositional techniques of Henry Threadgill.
His style of playing and composing is rooted in the jazz tradition, going as far as radical improvisation, dodecaphony and serialism.
Over the years he studied with Domenico Caliri, Gianni Lenoci, Francesco Angiuli, Giovanni Tommaso, Walter Donatiello, Marc Ducret, Vinny Golia, Steve Potts and many others.
He took part in the "feral choir" of Phil Minton, British avant garde singer. He performed at the Blue Note in Milan. He collaborated to the music of a multi-awarded film at the Terra di Siena Film Festival, "La strada verso casa" by Samuele Rossi, music by Giuseppe Cassaro.
He performed at the Casa del Jazz in Rome with Gianni Lenoci's Hocus Pocus Explab, together with Eugenio Colombo, Tiziana Felle and Angela Tursi.
For two years he experimented new frontiers of sound with Lenoci's Hocus Pocus. He collaborated with Francesco Cusa in his project "Naked Musicians".
He worked together with Giancarlo Schiaffini, Roberto Ottaviano and Silvia Bolognesi with REC collective (Festival della Conduction).
He is the leader of two ensembles, the Livio Bartolo Soundscapes Trio with Andrea Esperti and Marco Calabretti and the Variable Unit which has four record releases to his credits. He currently collaborates with the trio of drummer Enzo Lanzo.
Winner of the MIDJ artist residency 2020, he played in the festival "Una striscia di terra feconda" at Casa del Jazz in Rome collaborating with the French composer and double bass player Joachim Florent, violinist Anais Drago, guitarist Francesco Fiorenzani and drummer Francesca Remigi.
His release "Start from scratch" has been selected among the best jazz records by Musica Jazz magazine. He also has been nominated among the best musicians of the year.
He has to his credit 13 records to his name.
"Livio Bartolo pensa la sua musica in modo atemporale e in divenire"
Davide Ielmini on Start From Scratch.
"Mi piace molto il suono di questo organico. La particolare unicità sonora di ogni singolo musicista si fonde nel suono di questo gruppo attraverso gli arrangiamenti. Trovo la scrittura di Livio in perfetto equilibrio fra composizione ed improvvisazione, spazio e densità. Il risultato è musica fresca, dinamica, moderna ma rispettosa della tradizione".
Silvia Bolognesi (Art Ensemble Of Chicago) about Variable Unit.
Davide Ielmini on Start From Scratch.
"Mi piace molto il suono di questo organico. La particolare unicità sonora di ogni singolo musicista si fonde nel suono di questo gruppo attraverso gli arrangiamenti. Trovo la scrittura di Livio in perfetto equilibrio fra composizione ed improvvisazione, spazio e densità. Il risultato è musica fresca, dinamica, moderna ma rispettosa della tradizione".
Silvia Bolognesi (Art Ensemble Of Chicago) about Variable Unit.
Discography
Livio Bartolo group - Dall'altra parte del muro, 2010
Livio Bartolo - Rewind, 2014, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo - Appunti di un viaggio, 2016, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo - Altre storie, 2017, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Meanwhile, 2017, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Ugliness is a Beautiful Thing, 2018, Angapp Music.
Livio Bartolo, Andrea Esperti, Marco Calabretti - South Iceland, 2019, Angapp Music.
Andrea Musci/ Livio Bartolo - 34:43 (For Two guitars, SaltElio and electronics)
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Don't Beat a Dead Horse, 2020, Dodicilune.
Livio Bartolo - Homesongs, 2021, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Start From Scratch , 2022, Dodicilune
Livio Bartolo - Otium, 2023, Angapp Music
as sideman:
Andrea Musci - Succede qualcosa, 2017, Angapp Music.
Pietro Corbascio - Pytakor, Angapp 2022
Agnese Contini - Dinamiche di volo (upcoming)
Francesca Remigi - The Human Web , 2022, Habitable Records
Livio Bartolo - Rewind, 2014, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo - Appunti di un viaggio, 2016, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo - Altre storie, 2017, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Meanwhile, 2017, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Ugliness is a Beautiful Thing, 2018, Angapp Music.
Livio Bartolo, Andrea Esperti, Marco Calabretti - South Iceland, 2019, Angapp Music.
Andrea Musci/ Livio Bartolo - 34:43 (For Two guitars, SaltElio and electronics)
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Don't Beat a Dead Horse, 2020, Dodicilune.
Livio Bartolo - Homesongs, 2021, Angapp Music
Livio Bartolo Variable Unit - Start From Scratch , 2022, Dodicilune
Livio Bartolo - Otium, 2023, Angapp Music
as sideman:
Andrea Musci - Succede qualcosa, 2017, Angapp Music.
Pietro Corbascio - Pytakor, Angapp 2022
Agnese Contini - Dinamiche di volo (upcoming)
Francesca Remigi - The Human Web , 2022, Habitable Records
PRIZES
Winner of the MIDJ artist residency 2020 in "Una striscia di terra feconda Festival"
Winner of the MIDJ artist residency 2020 in "Una striscia di terra feconda Festival"
