ABOUT DAVE
Dave Solazzo has been a mainstay of Central New York's music scene for over two decades. Much in demand as a soloist and sideman, Dave has worked with artists from a wide mix of genres - jazz, fusion, R&B and beyond. He has performed and recorded with major jazz figures like Eric Alexander, Chuck Mangione, Larry Coryell, Joel Frahm, Dick Oatts, Jerry Weldon and Joe Magnarelli at venues like The Flatiron Room (NYC), Troy Music Hall, the Savannah Jazz Festival and the Syracuse Jazz Fest.
In addition to his work as a sideman, Dave leads his own trio, playing modern interpretations of jazz standards and original compositions in the spirit of Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau.
Dave was educated at Berklee College of Music and SUNY Purchase College. He has taught Jazz History at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York and Jazz Piano at Colgate University. He currently teaches Jazz Piano at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Dave Solazzo & The Bridge
Birth of The Bridge... The Backstory
The idea for The Bridge, a collaboration between me and bassist Matt Vacanti, came from a late-night conversation over cocktails at a downtown Syracuse bar.
I was feeling burned out, in a creative rut. I'd had the good fortune of being in excellent bands over the years, and I'd had the opportunity to play with some jazz heavyweights. But I never had my own project.
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Always a sideman, never a bandleader. I had a vision for the music, certain concepts I wanted to explore that couldn't be done as a sideman.
Mid-life angst was creeping up on me. I felt like the walls were closing in. Matt proposed a remedy - making a record together. And thus the project was born.
We both had original compositions we wanted to develop. After polishing the material, we booked a studio and recorded the album in five hours on a Sunday afternoon. Our friend, Boston drummer Bill D'Agostino joined us. The three of us had never played together as a unit before recording. But the resulting album represents a loose, spontaneous collaboration that really captures the spirit of the project.
I come from a traditional background. I was raised on Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. But I also love progressive jazz. Musicians like Ben Wendel, Brad Mehldau and David Binney have been huge influences on me in terms of their playing, writing and approach to their groups. I wanted to put some of those elements into the music - the elasticity of time, the unconventional harmonies, the group interplay.
We really went for it in the studio, stretching, taking chances. The resulting music on Locrian Skye, our debut record, is raw, real and in the moment.
"A post-bop soundscape of striking melodies, inventive grooves, experimental arrangements and compelling harmonies." -- DownBeat Magazine
"One of the best jazz releases of this year." -- Frank Malfitano, Syracuse Jazz Fest Executive Director
"One of the best jazz releases of this year." -- Frank Malfitano, Syracuse Jazz Fest Executive Director "A post-bop soundscape of striking melodies, inventive grooves, experimental arrangements and compelling harmonies." -- DownBeat Magazine
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