Paolo Radoni
Paolo was born in Italy but moved very early in Belgium. His first contact with jazz is via 78 RPM records that his family owns, and expose them to Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, Lena Horne, George Gershwin…
Paolo Radoni was a cultured man, and his knowledge of jazz tradition as Brazilian music (among others) was valuable for those who were lucky enough to play or work with him. Involved in all kinds of dialogues, mind of a great vision and possessed of a keen sense of analysis and synthesis, he had many heart friends in the world of music (It was one of the presidents of the LDH, the Belgian association of jazz musicians).
He played in Europe, Canada, Japan, Africa and performed with renowned soloists like Lee Konitz, Joe Lee Wilson, Johnny Dyani, Joe Lovano, Rachel Gould, Perry Robinson, Riccardo Del Fra, Francis Varis, Paolo Fresu, etc ….
Warm personality, he was known for his generosity and his love for the deep values of music, those are her beauty, values that he transmited with the seriousness and enthusiasm to his many students.
He led his own groups: a trio, a quartet. He has been involved in many ensembles, such as Hommage to René Thomas, Paul Dubois Sweet Substitutes, Yvonne Walter, Anca Parghel, Act Big Band, and almost all names rely on the jazz scene in Belgium: Charles Loos, Bruno Castellucci, Ben Sluijs, Ron Van Rossum, Michel Herr, Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, Steve Houben, Bert Joris, Phil Abraham, Felix Simtaine, etc…
He has also written for theater. This is a proof of its openness to other disciplines and other music, for example his collaboration with Majid Bekkas for his album “African Gnawa blues.
He was a gentleman and an artist of great class. He left this world Dec. 21 2007 listening to “Luiza”, the song by Jobim that he considered as a masterpiece of music …
