Bruno Martino

Italian composer, pianist, singer (Rome, November 11, 1925 - † June 12, 2000). His debut as a jazz piano player was already in 1940, when he was only fifteen, playing, in secret, in a student jazz little orchestra. In 1944 he joined RAI, as a piano player for Piero Piccioni's Orchestra. Then he gained great success abroad, particularly in Northern Europe, experimenting with a mix of jazz, Neapolitan songs and his own pieces. Fortified by gained consents, when he came back to Italy in 1958, composed songs for Caterina Valente, Renato Rascel e Wilma De Angelis. A fortuitous event launched him also as an interpreter, when he replaced his orchestra's singer. Among his pieces they became famous: Estate, E la Chiamano Estate, Sono Stanco, Sabato Sera, Che Sarà di Noi, Kiss Me Kiss Me, Nel Duemila, Prova a Darmi un Bacio, Quando un Giorno, Cos'hai Trovato in Lui, Baciami per Domani, Ma Tu Chi Sei and many others; several are the pearls written but still unknown. There isn't a player of jazz in the world who has not executed once in his life Estate, a longing piece carried to international fame by Brazilian guitar player João Gilberto, who discovered it during an Italian tour, re-arranged it in a "bossa" version and made it a standard, today one of the most executed. Its most famous versions are by Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Michel Petrucciani, Mike Stern; among the Italians who interpreted Estate there are Mina, Mia Martini, Ornella Vanoni, Vinicio Capossela, La Crus, Irene Grandi and Sergio Cammariere. He took part to one only Festival di Sanremo, in 1961, with the song è João Gilberto A.A.A. Adorabile Cercasi, together with Jula De Palma, not reaching however the final. His repertoire was also interpreted by Fred Bongusto, Peppino Di Capri and Franco Califano. On November 1993, since 9th until 28th, at Teatro Flaiano in Rome he gave 20 piano concert nights together with Umberto Bindi. Never forgotten by the audience either after the end of his golden age, he died at the age of 74. Bruno Martino had two sons, Walter and Gloria. Walter Martino is a famous composer, arranger, drummer and percussionist, well known to be one of the composers of the piece Profondo Rosso and to have played drums for some Italian historical rock bands like Goblin, Libra, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Carnascialia. He collaborated with Mina, Zero, Baglioni, Bertè, Venditti, Gaetano, Mannoia, Sorrenti, Gazzelloni and many others. Bruno's second wife, Fiorelisa Calcagno, is lyrics author for many songs of his; Calcagno's son is Adriano Martino (alias Adriano Pratesi), esteemed guitarist.