Paolo Adamo is a Bristol-based jazz drummer and session musician Paolo grew up in a tiny village in the southern Italian region of Molise. Raised in a musical environment and exposed to jazz from an early age, his parents bought him a drum kit at age four. He first taught himself by playing along with recordings of Phil Collins, and later attended the Thelonious Monk Jazz Academy of Campobasso for nine years, where he learned under acclaimed tutors Donato Cimaglia, Antonio Conte, Alberto Romano, Nicola Cordisco, Nicola Corso, and Luciano Carrieri. For six years, he participated in Jazz Puzzle, an annual seminar in Belgium where he played with musicians from all over Europe, and which helped inform his decision at age 19 to relocate to Bristol in pursuit of being a musician. In the ensuing decade, he has collaborated and performed with master musicians including Andy Sheppard, Jake McMurchie, John Law, John-Paul Gard, Ben Thomas, Lee Godhall, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, and John Dalton. Paolo's biggest influences are jazz, funk, electronic, and rock; his favourite drummers as Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Brian Blade, Mark Guiliana, Nate Wood, and Phil Collins. His fellow musicians describe his playing as musical, energetic, and colourful. He is highly sought after and enjoys playing a diversity of music. Paolo teaches locally and tutors at LMFL, a yearly summer music camp held in LLandovery, Wales and Florence, Italy. He’s a band member of Mankala (pan-African), Arketta (alternative rock), WhailTale (funk), and contemporary jazz projects Tuktuk, John Law's Re-Creations, Ibou Tall & Jazzmates and BEJE. Check out the Music page to hear Paolo play. |