Armando Bertozzi

Armando Bertozzi, a drummer and percussionist originally from Ravenna, has built an extraordinary career moving between avant-garde jazz, educational research on polyrhythm, and prestigious pop and jazz collaborations, both in Italy and the United States.

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Education and Academic Studies

Armando’s artistic journey is rooted in a world-class academic and international education.

• 1970 - 1974: He attended the percussion course at the Bologna Conservatory.

• He later specialized at the Parma Jazz School and in Paris at the famous Dante Agostini School (founded with Kenny Clarke).

• He completed the advanced course with the prestigious Les Percussions de Strasbourg.

• He further perfected his skills by studying and attending courses in New York with absolute legends of global jazz drumming: Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Kenny Clarke.

 

 

The 1980s: Polyrhythmic Research and Success in the US

Bertozzi’s deep passion for polyrhythm came to fruition in 1981 with the writing of an innovative polyrhythmic method. The textbook was immediately recognized for its educational value and adopted by the Drummers Collective in New York City, where Armando settled for a long period, teaching within the same institution.

His connection with the giants of American jazz became exceptionally close:

• Max Roach personally wrote the introduction to “More Expressions” (one of Armando’s research texts) and included the Bertozzi method in the syllabus of his teaching course at the University of Massachusetts.

• In 1986, the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston invited Bertozzi to hold a special seminar on polyrhythm.

• Celebrated drummer Ralph Humphrey also adopted Armando’s polyrhythmic method within the courses at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

 

During this fertile period, Armando also recorded three major albums: “Tibet”, “Skyline”, and “Fantastic World”, while participating in various Italian radio and television broadcasts.

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Contemporary Experimentation, Theater, and Dance

In the mid-1980s, Bertozzi founded Il Labirinto Magico, an experimental contemporary music ensemble whose value was noticed by RAI 3, which recorded and broadcast one of their concerts divided into eight episodes. He later created the Afrosound project, focused on the blend of music and dance in major national events. In the orchestral and classical sphere, he collaborated as a timpanist alongside composers Ferdinando Grillo and Fernando Sulpizi.

In Rome, he founded the school “Mondial Sound New School of the Arts”. This experience led to a five-year artistic partnership in Austria with the international choreographer and dancer Bob Curtis. In this context, Armando had a unique set of lightweight wooden drums custom handcrafted with hourglass-shaped shells, designed to release the powerful and ancestral sound typical of African musical traditions.

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National and International Collaborations

Throughout his career, both in New York clubs and in major productions in Italy, Armando Bertozzi has played, recorded, or collaborated with an extraordinary parterre of artists, most notably the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius.

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International & Historical Icons:

Jaco Pastorius, Michel Petrucciani, John Abercrombie, Astor Piazzolla, Ted Curson, Jean Toussaint, Alex Foster, Joe Locke, Alphonse Mouzon, Louis Bellson, Simon Phillips, Kenwood Dennard, Delmar Brown, Kenny Drew, Mal Waldron, Percy Jones, Mitchel Tyler, Robert Lopez, Frank Malabe, Alex Iani, Tony Scott, Billy Smith, Amii Stewart, Joi Garrison, Amana Melomè.

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Masters of Italian Jazz & Pop:

Lucio Dalla, Mia Martini, Loredana Bertè, Tullio De Piscopo, Tony Esposito, Romano Mussolini, Gianni Basso, Enrico Pieranunzi, Franco D’Andrea, Massimo Urbani, Giovanni Tommaso, Danilo Rea (Giancaglini Pietro), Larry Nocella, Marcello Rosa, Salvatore Bonafede, Giorgio Baiocco.

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Additional Collaborations (in alphabetical order):

Aldo Bassi, Alessandro Gwiss, Alex Britti, Alfredo Mintoti, Andrea Centazzo, Andrea Sabadino, Antonello Salis, Antonello Vannucchi, Antonio Aucello, Antonio Farao, Antonio Iasevoli, Ares Tavolazzi, Arturo Valiante, Badara Ndjaye, Berg Campos, Cinzia Gizzi, Cinzia Spata, Claudio Corvini, Cristian Pepe, Daniel Steuder, Daniela Velli, Daniele Scannapieco, Dino Piana, Eddy Palermo, Fabio Mariani, Fabio Morgera, Federico Pugliesi, Fernando Grillo, Flavio Boltro, Frulio Antongiulio, Gianni Oddi, Gianni Savelli, Gimmy Villotti, Giosè, Giovanni Imparato, Guido Pistocchi, Javier Girotto, Lama, Lello Panico, Lello Pareti, Luca Pirozzi, Marcello Fiorini, Marco Tamburini, Mario Corvini, Massimo Moriconi, Massimo Nunzi, Maurizio Urbani, Mauro di Battisti, Mauro Verrone, Max Bottini, Michael Audisso, Paola Boncompagni, Piero Quarta, Pietro Dall’Oglio, Pietro Tomolo, Pino Iodice, Pippo Matino, Riccardo Biseo, Riccardo Fassi, Rocco Zifarelli, Rossiglione, Sandro Satta, Stefano Cantarano, Stefano Di Battista, Stefano Marciani, Stefano Micarelli, Susanna Stivali, Tony Esposito, Umberto Fiorentino.