Milano's Nicolosi Family

Bursting onto the Italian Disco scene back in 1984 with the massive European hits "Movin' On" and "The One and Only," the band NOVECENTO was led by brothers Nicola "Lino" (guitarist, songwriter) and Giuseppe "Pino" Nicolosi (keyboards, songwriter) with sister Rossana playing electric bass and Lino's eventual wife, Dora (née Carofiglio) Nicolosi performing vocals and some percussion as well as "cousin" Marco Fadda. A string of seven studio albums over the next 15 years led them into prominence, success, wealth, and through several stylistic shifts, finally settling into the flailing Jazz-Funk and Jazz-Rock Fusion modalities within which they have become known for collaborations with several big name Anglo-American artists in their sincere, hard-working efforts to saving and keeping alive these two much-beloved sub-genres of music. Based in Milano, they have worked their way into respected positions as songwriting/composition, engineers, back-up band, concert promoters, collaborators, studio owners, and full-scale production company (Nicolosi Productions). And what's most impressive is how accomplished the family (plus percussionist extraordinaire, Marco Fadda) are in all of the above-listed categories! Every one of the individuals mentioned that have been associated with Novecento from the start are absolute virtuosi at their respective instruments while Lino and Pino represent state of the art quality in the engineering and production departments.
     In the 21st Century, Team Nicolosi has produced (and backed) song and album collaborations and releases (as well as their recording sessions and follow-up concert appearances) with no less than Billy Preston, Sting, Brian Auger, Gregg Kofi Brown, Frank Gambale, Danny & Beth Gottlieb, Jeff Berlin, John Tropea & Dave Liebman, Eumir Deodato, Gino Vannelli, Stanley Jordan, Dennis Chambers, Scott Henderson, Patti Austin, Alex Acuña, Mike Stern, Narada Michael Walden, and, of course, their long-time Drum 'N' Voice series with Billy Cobham. If anybody deserves a major award for trying to save a "dying" art, it would be Nicolosi Productions and Milan's Nicolosi family. 
    What is perhaps even more remarkable to me about this family's contribution to Jazz-Funk and Jazz-Rock Fusion in terms of their musicianship is their ability (mostly Pino and Lino) to conjure up some of the most infectious jazz-funk grooves of all-time--over and over again! To me they're the equivalent to today's Jazz-Rock Fusion/Jazz-Funk world of what Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were to innovative pop-R&B/dance music in the 1980s and 90s. Essential, masterful, flawless song after song after song.

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