Andy Gravish

Born August 4, 1961 in Pennsylvania (U.S.A.), Andy was exposed to music at a very young age while listening to his older brother and sister take classical piano lessons. At age five, his mother taught him some simple tunes on the piano, when his passion for music was quickly ignited. He started private piano lessons at age seven and began trumpet lessons two years later at his elementary school. By age twelve, Andy was already playing professionally in bars and clubs in Pennsylvania. It was at this time when he pursued private trumpet lessons with Bobby Price, a local trumpet hero. Mr. Price taught him the disciplines of trumpet playing as well as music - jazz music in particular. After being exposed to Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis (thanks to Mr. Price), Andy's musical path was clear.

After graduating from St. Clair High School (Pennsylvania), he received a scholarship to Berklee College Of Music in Boston, where he quickly absorbed music from wonderful teachers such as Louis Mucci, Jeff Stout, Mike Metheny, Herb Pomeroy, John LaPorta and other fellow students alike. Before graduating, he won the school's Art Farmer and Lennie Johnson Jazz Award as well as Downbeat Magazines "outstanding jazz soloist (college level) for 1983". Andy graduated "Summa Cum Laude" in 1983.

Almost immediately following his graduation from Berklee, he was contacted to join the big band of the great drummer Buddy Rich, where he played the jazz trumpet chair. During that time, Andy was featured on Buddy's album, "The Magic of Buddy Rich". This band also went on tours playing for Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn.

Andy maintained a residence in Boston and soon following his tenure with Buddy's band, he toured with Artie Shaw's orchestra, playing and recording with also some well established jazz groups such as the Jay Brandford Septet and Orange Then Blue.

In 1989, Andy re-located to New York City and started freelancing. He began performing with various jazz groups such as Bill Kirchner's Nonette, The Rob Scheps Coretet, Paquito D'Rivera's Big Band, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and a four year stint with Toshiko Akiyoshi's New York Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. He is present on many recordings in various formats from big band to small group jazz, as well as commercial recordings and jingles.

In the summer of 1989, Andy toured Italy (in particular Sardinia), where he met his wife. Since then, he's continued to expand his performance schedule also throughout Italy and Europe.

He toured extensively throughout the United States as well as Europe, Japan, Korea, Chile, Brasil and the Carribean appearing at important festivals like San Francisco (USA), Monterey (California - USA), Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles - USA), Jacksonville (Florida - USA), JVC (New York - USA) , Boston Globe (USA), Ottawa (CANADA), Toronto (CANADA), Berlin (GERMANY), Vienne (FRANCE), North Sea (HOLAND), Istanbul (TURKY), Sitges (SPAIN), Villach (AUSTRIA), Santiago (CILE), Sao Paolo (BRASIL), Sardegna (IT), Ravenna (IT), Arezzo (IT), Atessa (Abruzzo - IT), Genova (IT), Ravello (Salerno - IT), Iseo (IT), Rimini (IT), Festival AMA (Berbenno di Valtellina, Sondrio - IT), Ospedaletti (Imperia - IT), Gubbio (Perugia - IT), Lanciano (Pescara -(IT), Foggia (IT), Valmontone (Frosinone - IT), Martinafranca (Bari - IT), Bitonto (Bari - IT), Ancona (IT), Tivoli (Roma - IT), Acuto (Frosinone - IT), Villa Celimontana (Roma - IT), Civita Castelllana (Roma - IT), Salerno (IT), Fujitsu Concord (JAPAN and COREA), and many more, and in clubs like Fukuoka and Osaka Blue Note Jazz Clubs (JAPAN), New York Blue Note Jazz Club (USA), Birdland (New York - USA), Knitting Factory (New York - USA), Smalls (N.Y. - USA), Visiones (N.Y. - USA), Village Gate (N.Y. - USA), Village Vanguard (N.Y. - USA), Torrione Jazz Club (Ferrara - IT), Hotel Lauren Jazz Club (Bolzano - IT), AlexanderPlatz (Roma - IT), LaPalma (Roma - IT), Big Mama (Roma - IT), The Club (Roma - IT), Gregory’s (Roma - IT), Classico Village (Roma - IT), Round Midnight Jazz Club (Salerno - IT), Don Quixote (Teano, Napoli - IT), Chet Baker Club (Bologna - IT), Caveta Jazz Club (Marburg - GERMANY), Special Guest with the Corvini/Iodice Roma Big Band, various Jazz Clubs in Sardegna, various Summer Events, and many more.

Various collaborations/appearances with Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway, Mel Torme, Makoto Ozone, Paolo Nonnis, Paquito D’Rivera, Danny D’Imperio, Roland Vasquez, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Machito Latin Jazz Orchestra, Jay Brandford Septet, Bill Mobley Jazz Orchestra, Jim Cifelli New York Nonette, Ken Schaphorst Jazz Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi New York Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin, Rob Scheps coretet, Bill Kirchner Nonette, Gary Morgan Pan American Big Band, Wayne Andre Big Band, Nick Levanofsky Big Band, Kenny Werner, Jon Gordon, Donald Brown, Miles Griffith, Harrold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, Billy Pierce, James Williams, Kenny Berger, Joe Cohn, Jim Rotondi, Tom Harrell, Joe Magnarelli, Bud Burridge, Bill Easley, Matthew Fries,Jim Snidero, Frank Wes, Chip Jackson, Marc Copland, Dick Oatts, Claudio Roditti, Art Baron, Greg Gisbert, Carlton Holmes, John Reily, Bob Hurst, Craig Johnson, Bill Morning, Tony Reedus, Loren Schoenberg, Doug Purviance, Ralph Lalama, Danny Walsh, Jeff Tain Watts,Tom Kirkpatrick, John Arnold, Michael Rosen, Marc Abrams, Alex Sipiagin, Ron Vincent, Philippe Aerts, Rosario Bonaccorso, Enrico Pieranunzi, Roberto Gatto, Renato Chicco, Emanuele Cisi, Luca Bulgarelli, Ares Tavolazzi, Enzo Zirilli, Maurizio Gianmarco, Fabrizio Sferra, Rosario Giuliani, Marcello Di Leonardo, Andrea Beneventano, Alessandro Maiorino, Alessandro Minetto, Bibi Rovere, Stefania Tallini, Piero Odorici, Eumir Deodato, Marco Tamburini, Marcello Rosa, Marcello Pillitieri, Luca Mannutza, Marco Loddo, Max Ionata, Nicola Muresu, Nicola Angelucci, Paolo Porta, Hector Costita, Andrea Pozza, Xavier Girotto, Gege Munari, Giorgio Rosciglione, Dario Rosciglione, Riccardo Fassi, Sandro Satta, Beppi D’Amato, Pino Iodice, Pietro Iodice, Pietro Lussu, Pietro Ciancaglini, Lorenzo Tucci, Daniele Tittarelli, Sandro Deidda, Alfonso Deidda, Dario Deidda, Gianluca Renzi, Valter Martino, Vittorio Sicbaldi, Emanuele Basentini, Carlo Atti, Billy Sechi, Piero DiRienzo, Susanna Stivali, etc. and own quintet, quartet and trio jazz.

Freelance work in New York City area and Europe.

It don't support itself!

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