Born in Rome in 1970, Simone Prattico starts playing drums at the age of four and soon begins jazz drumming lessons at Mississipi jazz Club Music school with world renowned jazz drummer and master cymbalsmith Roberto Spizzichino, thanks to whom he discovers the great jazz drummers, developing a particular passion for the style of Max Roach and Art Blakey. From 1983 onwards, he continues his training by studying privately for five years with Salvatore Corazza. In his high school years, he plays his first concerts. He is noted already at this young age for his instinctive ability to understand and play different styles, which paves the way for him to become a professional musician early on.
Since the early ’90s, he has been playing regularly with important musicians of the Roman jazz scene Stefano di Battista, Dario Deidda, Stefano Sabatini, Karl Potter and, and at the same time performing live and recording with major Italian pop artists such as Gianni Morandi, Daniele Silvestri, Mike Francis, Marina Rei, to name a few. His recent activity expands across borders and includes participating in a series of artistic projects in Paris, where he performed in some of the main jazz clubs and in various theatres of the French capital (Duc des Lombards, Trianon, Casino de Paris, Bataclan, Sunset-Sunside).
Paris is also where in his earlier years, he attends courses in snare drum technique with Guy Lefèvre and jazz drumming with Emmanuel Bourseault at the École Supérieure de Batterie. In 1993, he obtains the Certificat d’Aptitude au Professorat (certificate of qualification to teach).
Having become a sought-after session musician, within just a few years he is being asked to play with leading pop artists of the moment, all the while being intensely active in the recording studios where he records albums, soundtracks, commercials and television shows.
In 1997, already an established stage musician and recording artist, he furthers his technical studies in Nice, France, with Jean-Paul Ceccarelli at the Conservatoire de Nice Pierre Cochereau where in 2001, he earns his credits in jazz drums.
In 2005, he moves to Paris, where he soon becomes the house drummer of the Brazilian jazz jam sessions of the Blue Note (2005-2007). From that moment on, numerous international engagements and collaborations follow with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Rick Margitza, Ibrahim Maalouf, Marcia Maria, Philippe Baden Powell, Hindi Zahra, Marcia Maria, Fredrika Stahl, Jasser Haj Youssef, Simone Kermes, Piers Faccini, Pierre Boussaguet, and Makoto Kuriya. These collaborations have taken Simone to the stages of the most famous jazz, rock and world music festivals, as well the most well-known clubs in Europe, Japan, the United States and Canada.
Since 2005, the year in which he obtains his first engagement in New York, he has been taking part in numerous tours in the United States, performing in major clubs and theaters including Lincoln Center, Webster Hall – Rockwood Music Hall, Joe’s Pub, Bitter End (NYC), Jazz Cafe’, Troubadour (Los Angeles), The Fillmore (San Francisco) and on several influential live broadcasts including Spinning on Air on New York City’s WNYC, Paiste Magazine (NYC), Quick Hits on San Francisco’s PBS Arts, E-Town (Boulder, Colorado) and Nashville’s Music City Roots, in addition to establishing in these years solid collaborations with musicians from the local scene.
In New York, between 2010 and 2012, he pursues master classes with teachers such as John Riley, Kenny Washington and Adam Cruz.
In 2011, in New York City, Simone formed a new trio with Klaus Mueller on piano and Brandi Disterheft on double bass. Their live studio recordings are collected together in his first album as a leader Brooklyn Sessions, released in 2016 and distributed worldwide (Skip Records GmbH/Soulfood, Zamora Label, Disk Union Japan, Outside Records Canada).
In addition to performing internationally with his jazz trio, Simone currently continues to play and record with intense activity with a remarkable variety of artists. His rhythmic arrangements are also in high demand as well as his recording activity for different recording projects, soundtracks for television (RAI) and film series, but most important of all is the new material he’s been working on over the last two years. A new album recorded in New York with Klaus Mueller, Essiet Okon Essiet and Edward Perez will soon be in the pipeline.
He continues his intense educational activity, teaching in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
Education
2010 – 2011 1998 – 2001 1991 -1993
1988-1989 1983-1988 1979 – 1982 1976 – 1979
Experience
Master Classes : John Riley, Kenny Washington, Adam Cruz – New York
Conservatory of Nice (France) – Jazz Drumming (Prof. Jean Paul Ceccarelli)
Ecole supérieure de Batterie Emmanuel Bourseault –Paris (Prof E.Bourseault and G. Lefevre)
certificate of qualification to teach (Jazz drums and snare drum technique) Berklee college of Music – Umbria Jazz a Perugia (Prof. Steve Wilkes) Drums Lessons with Salvatore Corazza
Jazz drumming Lessons with Roberto Spizzichino
Jazz Drumming Lessons – Mississipi Jazz Club – Rome
Selected discography:
o Daniele Silvestri (Daniele Silvestri, 1994), Ricordi
o Daniele Silvestri (Prima di essere un uomo, 1995) , Ricordi
o Daniele Silvestri (Il Dado, 1997), BMG Ricordi
o Paolo Carta (Paolo Carta, 1997), Sony Music
o Gianni Morandi (30 Volte Morandi, 1998), BMG Ricordi, Mormora Music o Daniele Silvestri (Sig. Dapatas, 1999), Ricordi
o Ragazzi italiani (999, 1999), BMG internazionale
o Mike Francis (All Rooms With a View, 1999), Emi Italia
o Daniele Silvestri (Occhi da Orientale, 2000), Sony BMG
o Ralph M’Bappe’ (Zootology, 2003)
o Riccardo Sinigallia (Riccardo Sinigallia, 2003), Sony BMG
o Marina Rei (Colpisci, 2005), OPM 2000
o Family One (Vivre ensemble, 2008)
o Fredrika Stahl (Tributaries, 2008), Sony Music
o Lameck (Emboscologia, 2009)
o Fredrika Stahl (Sweep Me Away, 2010), Sony Music /Columbia
o Hindi Zahra (Until The Next Journey, 2010)
o Licia Chery (Blue your mind, 2011)
o Piers Faccini (My Wilderness, 2011), Six degrees/Tot ou tard
o Oyvind Nypan (Republique, 2012), Losen Records
o Catia Werneck (Japan release, 2013)
o Piers Faccini (Keep Me 2014), Beating drum
o Il Paradiso delle Signore (RAI TV soundtrack, 2015, 2017), RaiCom
o Tempo instabile, Soundtrack (2015), RaiCom
o Jenny Lysander (Northern Folk, 2015)
o Yelli Yelli (Yelli Yelli, 2015)
o Simone Prattico (Brooklyn Sessions, 2016), Skip Records/Disk Union Jazz o Il coraggio di vincere (RAI Play soundtrack) (2016)
o Daniele Silvestri (Acrobati, brano “Pochi giorni”, 2016), Sony Music
o Piers Faccini (I dreamed an Island, 2016), Beating drum/Six degrees records USA o Piers Faccini & Ibrahim Maalouf (Session Unik, 2016), Radio France/Adami
o Yelli Yelli (Terre de mon poème, 2016)
o Gnut ( Hear my voice Collection, 2018)
o Sparky in the Clouds (Queens and Kings, 2018)
o Roger Robinson & Piers Faccini (Horsedreamer, 2018)
o La Elle (Qui, Tormento, 2019), The beat production
o Marco Graziosi (Marco Graziosi, 2021) VREC Music Label o Piers Faccini (Shapes of the fall, 2021), No Førmat!
o Simone Prattico (Oriundo, 2021), Zamora Label
List of selected engagement and collaborations (from 1993 to 2021):
Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Rick Margitza, Ibrahim Maalouf, Stefano Di Battista, Dario Deidda, Philippe Baden Powell, Fredrika Stahl, Marcia Maria, Daniele Silvestri, Gianni Morandi, Hindi Zahra, Jasser Haj Youssef, Simone Kermes, Gregor Huebner, El Violin Latino, Samuel Torres, Klaus Mueller, Essiet Okon Essiet, Edward
Perez, Tom Mc Clung, Cliff Korman, Francis Lockwood, William Lecomte, Raul Mascarenhas, Brandi Disterheft, Claudia Marss, Jean Christophe Maillard, Pierre Boussaguet, Christian Martinez, Christian Escoudé, Hervé Mechinet, Guy N’sangue, Patrick Watson, Sarah Morrow, Sidney Rodriguez, Mike Francis, Irving Acao, Piers Faccini, Max Gazze’, Gege’ Telesforo, Marina Rei, Ragazzi italiani, Riccardo Sinigallia, Catia Werneck, Manu Le Prince, Francis Lockwood, El Tanbura, Marcello Ferreira, Pierre de Bethmann, Stefano Sabatini, Andrea
Beneventano, Eddy Palermo, Franco Zeppetella, Karl Potter, Makoto Kuriya
Principal Concerts, Festivals and Broadcasts:
France: L’Olympia, Bruno Coquatrix (2011) ; Philharmonie de Paris (2016, 2017); Salle Gaveau “Jazz à Gaveau” (Parigi, 2007); La Cigale (Parigi 2009, 2013, 2014); New Morning Jazz Club (2006); Trianon (Parigi 2012) ; Duc des Lombards (2005); Sunset/Sunside (2016, 2010) ; Le Blue Note (2005- 2006); Les Eurockéennes de Belfort (2010); Le Printemps de Bourges (Chapiteau Phoenix, 2009); Le Casino de Paris (1993); Les Victoires de la Musique 2011 (TV France 2, 2011); Festival de Juan les Pins (Jazz à Juan, 2007 ); Nancy Jazz Pulsations (2013); Annecy Jazz Festival (2015), Jazz en Touraine (2007), Institut du Monde Arabe (Parigi, 2017), Jazz sur la Ville (Marseille Jazz festival 2016), Festival de Chaillol (Château de Tallard, 2016), Radio France Musique (Studio 107, 2016);Tourcoing Jazz Festival (2020), Rhino Jazz Festival (2020)
Japan: Billboard Live Japan (Tokyo-Osaka-Fukuoka, 2008); Tokyo Jazz Festival, Tokyo International Forum (2008), Tokyo Metropolitan Theater (2018)
USA: Lincoln Center New York City (2018); Webster Hall (NYC, 2009); Joe’s Pagina 3/5 Pub (NYC, 2014); City Winery (NYC, 2009, 2012); Zinc Bar (NYC, 2014); Fatcat (NYC); Smalls (NYC); Rockwood Music Hall (NYC); Bitter End (NYC); New York Jazz Winter (2017); E-Town (live radio, Colorado, 2017); Music City Roots (Live Radio – Nashville, 2017); Spinning on Air WNYC (Live radio, 2015) – PBS Art – Quicks hit (2011); Yoshi’s Fillmore (2014); The Independent (San Francisco, ); Paiste Magazine (NYC, 2017); Jazz café (Los Angeles, 2009), Troubadour (Los Angeles, ), Chestertown Jazz Festival (MD, 2019), Mc Cab’s (Los Angeles, 2014)
Canada: Montreal Jazz Festival (2011, 2012, 2014), Théâtre de la ville (Longueil, 2018), Upstairs (Montreal, 2018), Théâtre Petit Champlain (2011, 2018), Grand Théâtre de Québec (Quebec City, 2015), Sorel Tracy (2018), Terrebonne (2018)
Switzerland: Cully Jazz Festival (2017); Bee-Flat (Berne, 2017); Moods (Zurich, 2017), Paleo Festival (Nyon, 2010); Chorus (Lausanne, 2018)
Germany: Berlin Jazz Festival; A-Trane; Aalen Jazz fest (2010); Ingolstadt Jazztage (2010); Jazzhead Bremen; Bayreuth Jazz Festival (2015); Enjoy Jazz (Heidelberg); Stadtgarten (Köln, 2010); Ampere – Jazzclub Unterfahrt (München, 2008); Jazz Fest Rottweil; Palatia Jazz; Jazz Port Festival (Friedrichshafen), Gmunder Art Festival (2013, 2019)
Sweden: Södra Teatern (Stockolm, 2011) Austria : Birdland (Vienna)
Grazie Rodolfo!