Great Keyboard Parts

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: The advice is to give creativity its best chance. I'm ok with getting directions on what to play, but sometimes saying nothing and letting the musician figure it out can really create and bring some magic out of the situation. Unforeseeable directions are taken that create new and exciting outcomes, because of a totally free approach, guided by instinct and experience.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Hammond B3, Acoustic and electric pianos, accordion. I create keyboard parts that best fit the client's vision for his/her songs.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like the challenge of staying true to a style/genre and still trying to be creative within that language. I listen to the lyrics. I imagine the song as the client's child that's been left to my care, so I apply my best skills in the little time I have to spend with it, in the hopes that child has learned something, had fun and has grown a bit before going home.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Gospel influenced americana with roots in classical.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I try to be careful in leaving a performance as intact as I can. Even in the recording studio, a performance is still a performance. Be careful with quantizing, fixing, patching, punching in and out too much. The human element and natural flow should be left as intact as possible. Use technology without abusing it.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Americana and all its ramifications. You can usually taste flavors of funk, soul, r 'n b, gospel in my parts.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Intuition. Focused instinct.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I write an accurate chart of the song, paying attention to details and therefore already learning and internalizing the song. I then play along reading the chart and checking for accuracy and let my fingers fall wherever they do naturally, usually on hammond or acoustic piano, depending on the song. I hit "record" as soon as I have a basic knowledge of the song. Do a few takes. I usually get a good one within the first 3. Sometimes I edit the best parts of each take together and let my instinct take quick decisions in this process. I take a break, maybe go for a walk and come back and listen/review.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Chick Corea, Esbjorn Svensson, Bugge Wesseltoft. Production wise, I compare my sound to the one of Benmont Tench, David Paich, Steve Porcaro, Michael Omartian.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: "Peace Town" by Jimmy LaFave. I played piano, organ and accordion on it. Jimmy was terminally ill and he knew he did not have much time left on this earth at the time we recorded. It was a tremendous honor and responsibility to be in that room with him and my other bandmates. I obviously have a bittersweet memory of that experience. I think everyone really played like it was the last time and these performances were kept mostly intact. Lots of first takes, almost no editing.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. It really depends on the production and on each individual's perception. I greatly respect anyone's artistic taste and vision, so I have my personal takes on what sounds best and will always push towards that direction first. I'm a hired professional that's making his skills available to fulfill the client's vision, so I'll always try my best to accomodate that.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: My promise is to give all that I have in doing the best possible job. Always.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the feeling of a well crafted and great sounding track. The warmth and the human element captured in that moment, on that day, at that time. It's a fragment of life and human experience that gets framed virtually forever. I like when friendships are born out of artistic collaborations. I like when at the end of a good day of recording everyone feels great about the work. The client, the producer, the musicians, the studio engineer. I like when good coffee is brewing in the other room while we listen to a track.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: I'm aways surprised that at times other musician think I'm too busy or unavailable to work or even give some lessons, just because I've collaborated with some "bigger" names in the past, or because I'm a touring musician with a steady schedule. They often think I'm too busy. Listen here: NEVER TOO BUSY. I'm available, I love to work and connect and I care about the artistic side of a project, whoever it is.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I don't always do this, but if the vibe is right I'd like to know a bit about what they do, why they play music, whatever they want to share about their lives. I like to create a human connection.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Since there would be no electric power, I'd say a grand piano, accordion, a harmonium, acoustic guitar, and the duduk (armenian flute).

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I was born and raised in Italy. Got classical music education there. Used to play the pipe organ at the church in my little town by the time I was 15. As I got to the US about 20 years ago, I was living and working full time in a pretty successful home based recording studio, not only recording keyboards on a weekly basis, but also witnessing all that happened around the music work. The conversations, the interactions between producers, sound engineers and clients, the laughter and sometimes the drama. It was a 360 degrees learning experience.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Jonatha Brooke. I like the combination of warmth and sophistication of her productions, her sound palette and creative sense.