“Eklektik” is the 2017 album in which Antonio Faraò presented a turning point in his career, which had previously focused on acoustic jazz. This album was a crossover project featuring electric sounds, rap, and music influences outside the modern jazz mainstream. This “eclectic” project showed other aspects of his artistic identity.
“Eklektik” is now presented with appropriate evolutions, a completely different lineup, but with the same desire to explore.
Faraò is one of the most renowned and esteemed Italian pianists abroad. According to JazzTimes, he is “one of Europe’s most respected young players”.
Winner of the “New Talents” category at the 1991 referendum organized by the magazine Musica Jazz, the Roman musician won the most prestigious of the competitions seven years later, the “Martial Solal” International Jazz Piano Competition, which takes place in Paris every ten years.
During his career, Faraò has recorded for German label Enja, French label Cristal Records, and Universal-Verve Italia. He has performed worldwide and collaborated with leading figures in jazz music, including Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Jimmy Owens, Charles Tolliver, Jack DeJohnette, Chris Potter, Miroslav Vitous, Joe Lovano, and Franco Ambrosetti. The latter performed in duo with Faraò at Umbria Jazz. Another outstanding performance, always at Umbria Jazz Winter, was the one with Chico Freeman.
Herbie Hancock has invited him multiple times to International Jazz Day, a global jazz event organized by UNESCO and the United Nations, alongside artists such as Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau, and many others.