Roberto Dani - drummer and percussionist

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Roberto Dani was born in Vicenza, Italy in 1969. He started playing drums at age 7. In his early twenties, he performed and recorded with the progressive rock group, Devil Doll, before entering Berklee College of Music in 1994. His Berklee period included collaboration with trombonist Hal Crook, Mick Goodrick and Mika Pohjola, with whom he recorded Myths and Beliefs for GM Recordings. Subsequently, Dani toured with Pohjola for seven years in Europe, the United States and Japan, and recorded follow-up albums, The Secret of the Castle, Announcement, English Breakfast, Jazz Capital of the World, Still Alive and Landmark. Other musicians in Pohjola's ensembles include Ben Monder, Chris Cheek, Bruno Råberg, Eerik Siikasaari, Matt Penman, Salvatore Maiore, Miguel Zenón and Fernando Huergo. In addition to many jazz festival performances in Scandinavia, Dani and Pohjola recorded for the Finnish YLE Broadcasting Company, The Swedish Radio SR and BBC Wales. In 1997 Dani collaborated with Canadian trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler and fellow Italian pianist Glauco Venier, with whom he recorded his debut album Images two years later. This remarkable album also features vocalist Norma Winstone and cellist Henning Sieverts. Dani also recorded ballet music for Teatro La Scala in Milan, Italy, with composer Carlo Boccadoro. In 2000, Roberto Dani founded his permanent avant garde trio, Interférences, with French tuba player Michel Godard and trumpet free improvisation virtuoso Kyle Gregory. They released a self-titled album during their first performance season. Dani also collaborates in Instants, which includes clarinetist Louis Sclavis, cellist Vincent Courtois and trumpeter Gregory, and in theater projects such as Luce Nera and Non ricominciamo la guerra di Troia for an ensemble of six drummers and actress Patricia Zanco; Stefano Benni's Baldanders, Oscillazioni by Vitaliano Trevisan and composed original music for Trevisan's theater works Quattro Stanze con bagno among other works. In 2003, Roberto Dani started his life-long primary project, namely an act as a solo drummer and percussionist. The music contains ingredients from avant garde and European classical composition as well as intelligent free improvisation. Dani has been recently featured with RAM with Michele Tadini on live sampling, and in a duet with pianist and singer Annette Peacock. In his native Italy, he regularly performs and records with Giorgio Gaslini Chamber Trio, Stefano Battaglia Ensemble, Alberto Pinton, various ensemble with bassist Roberto Bonati, Luciano Biondini Trio, Duo Klang. He has also played with Ralph Alessi, Ben Monder, Drew Gress, Mick Goodrick, Erik Friedlander, Dave Liebman, Al Di Meola, Roberto Fabbriciani, Enea Salmeggia Chamber Orchestra and many others. Roberto Dani has visited most European countries, Ethiopia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, The United States and several South American countries.

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