Gianluca Petrella

Who is Gianluca Petrella?

Gianluca Petrella is an Italian jazz trombonist. He is internationally considered one of the best young jazz trombonists. In 2001 he won Italy’s Django d’Or Award as well as Musica Jazz’s annual critics poll as Best Young Talent. In 2006 and 2007 he was featured in Down Beat magazine, winning their award for "Best Emerging Artist" in the category for Best Trombonist.

He started his career with Roberto Ottaviano in 1993. He has worked with many international musicians including Joey Calderazzo, Jimmy Owens, Greg Osby, Carla Bley, Pat Metheny, Marc Ducret, Manu Dibango, Nicola Conte, Bobby Previte and Enrico Rava. His group Indigo 4, with Paolino Dalla Porta, Francesco Bearzatti and Fabio Accardi, has recorded the albums Indigo 4 and Kaleido. The recordings were released on Blue Note and were well accepted by critics. While noted influences include Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra, Petrella also uses loops and sound effects.