Max Gazzè

Biography

Max is a bass player and songwriter from Rome, Italy. His music can be described as cerebral pop. His songs, though deceptively easy listening, have a sophisticated construction. His lyrics, often written by or in collaboration with his brother (a published poet), are also remarkable for their irony and complexity. He sings mainly in Italian. Before his recording career, Max gained an extensive experience as a bass player, playing for years in different venues across Italy and Europe (Belgium,...

Max is a bass player and songwriter from Rome, Italy. His music can be described as cerebral pop. His songs, though deceptively easy listening, have a sophisticated construction. His lyrics, often written by or in collaboration with his brother (a published poet), are also remarkable for their irony and complexity. He sings mainly in Italian.

Before his recording career, Max gained an extensive experience as a bass player, playing for years in different venues across Italy and Europe (Belgium, etc.). His first record Contro un'onda del mare (1996) was not particularly successful, but afterward he reached fame with a string of singles in which he collaborated with other well-known musicians in Italy. The song Vento d'estate in collaboration with Niccolò Fabi, was a summer success in 1998. Other successful singles were Colloquium vitae with the participation of singer Mao, L'amore pensato with the participation of Daniele Silvestri, Cara Valentina and La favola di Adamo ed Eva. Eventually, he received greater fame by participating to the Italian Pop Contest "Festival di San Remo" where he performed his single Una musica può fare. All these singles eventually appeared in his album La favola di Adamo ed Eva published first in 1998 and probably his greatest success.

His third album, Gadzilla, is released in March 2000, followed by extremely successful, non-stop tour of Italy. Between 2001 and 2003 Max is constantly on the road, except for a few weeks in order to record a new album: Ognuno fa quello che gli pare, released in late 2001. Further collaborations with established Italian artists such as Paola Turci, Carmen Consoli and with international performers such as Stephan Eicher and Herbert Grönemeyer establish Max as one of the most eclectic musicians and performers of his generation in Italy.
His fifth album, Un Giorno (2004), marks his collaboration with PENG, a group of incredible session men and musicians who will then become his official live band. The following year Virgin releases Raduni 1995-2005, a collection of 26 of his most popular songs and 4 unreleased ones, and Max completes another hugely successful national tour.

After 2 years of well deserved vacation, Max is back on stage in 2007 with Paola Turci and Marina Rei for a series of shows (entitled “Di Comune Accordo”) who will soon develop into a proper national tour. Following the enormous success of this initiative he performs once again at the Sanremo Festival and releases his first studio album in 4 years, Tra L’Aratro e La Radio, featuring the massive hit Il Solito Sesso. The album wins the prestigeous Premio Lunezia in 2008.
In 2010 actor and film producer Rocco Papaleo invites Max to act and perform in his new movie, “Basilicata Coast To Coast”. His surprising acting skills and the overwhelming appreciation of the film contribute to the success of its musical score, composed by Max himself. The film’s main theme, Mentre Dormi, scores a double n.1 in the national radio and singles sales charts and wins the Ciak D’Oro for Best Soundtrack in 2010.
In the fall of 2010 Max releases a new album Quindi? and is enrolled to act in the Italian version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” musical, starting at the Teatro Sistina in Rome. It is, once again, a remarkable success. A national tour of Italy follows right after.
Max is currently working on his new album, set to be released in late 2012/early 2013. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.