Biography

Flute, piano, composition. He was born in Italy in 1956. His musical career started in 1974 with the Dodi Moscati’s folk group and in 1975 he joined the “Folk Magic Band”, a Jazz group with whom he gained recognition as a flautist on the Italian Jazz scene. Up until the end of 1979 he worked as a soloist with various groups and was a member of Lilian Terry’s “Jazz Samba Workshop”. In 1980 he met Chet Baker and from 1980 to ‘1985 they performed together worldwide and recorded a number of albums. During this period he was also working with his own group and as side-man with Enrico Rava, Maurizio Giammarco, Rita Marcotulli, Tommaso Vittorini’s “Grande Elenco Musicisti” and many others. From June ’85 to July ’86 he lived and worked in Brazil where he performed with his own band (Teco Cardoso, Guillerme Vergueiro, Sizao Machado, Bobby Wyatt ) both live and on television. He also performed with Helio Delmiro, Mauricio Heinorn, Ricky Pantoja, Zimbo Trio, Mou Brasil, and Nivaldo Ornellas. He was “Special Guest” at the “Festival of Instrumental Music” in Salvador, Bahia where he also held a seminar on “Improvisation” organized by I.C.B.A. (German Cultural Institute ). After leaving Brazil, Nicola Stilo again worked intensely with Chet Baker until Baker’s death in May 1988. Since 1989 Stilo has been working mostly on his own musical projects :Duos with pianist Luca Flores and with pianist Guillerme Vergueiro, a Trio with Manù Roche (drums) and Francesco Puglisi (el., ac. bass)and a quintet with the guitarist Fabio Zeppetella. In 1994 he recorded “Flute Connection” together with the flautist Stefano Benini and toured in Holland with his band. In 1995 he recorded “Errata Corrige” ,his first album as leader. Since January 1997 Nicola Stilo is leading a new band :”The Golden Age Trio” with Pietro Ciancaglini on bass and Michele Rabbia) on drums) Special guests of the “trio” had been : Alessandro Di Puccio, Michele Ascolese. For the last ten years Stilo has been working intensively also as a soloist, mainly in Italy, playing alongside many of Italy’s best musicians such as Paolo Birro, Sandro Gibellini, Flavio Boltro, Roberto Rossi and others. In August 1998 and January 1999 Stilo performed in “duo” with Toninho Horta .Two differents tours and two different cd’s: one just as duo titled “Duets” and another with a large band and mostly original tunes titled “Vira Vida”. Since 1985 Stilo has run various workshops and since 1995 has taught Jazz Harmony and Improvisation at S.P.M.T. (Testaccio’s Popular School of Music) in Rome Nicola Stilo has also performed and/or recorded with the following artists: Musicians: Aldo Romano, Philippe Catharine, George Brown, Michel Graillier, Franco D’Andrea, Riccardo Del Frà, Richie Beirach, Alain Jeanmarie, Karl Ratzer, Roberto Gatto, Danilo Rea, Dennis Luxion, Al Levitt, Enrico Pierannunzi, Furio Di Castri, Massimo Urbani, Larry Porter, Slide Hampton, Buddy De Franco, Bruno Marini, Kirk Lightsey, Sal Nistico, Fulvio Sisti, Stefano Bollani, Dusko Goykovic, Giovanni Tommaso, Stephan Belmondo, Jack Pelzer, Eric Lelan, Claudio Roditi, Barbara Casini. Dancers: Bob Curtis, Roberta Garrison. Poets: Maurizio Guercini, Gianluca Manzi. Stilo has also worked for various musicians from the world of “Pop” such as Mimmo Locasciulli, Jim Porto, Tullio De Piscopo, Gianni Morandi, Nino Bonocore and others.