Accordionist Richard Galliano did for the early 20th century French ballroom dance form known as musette what his mentor Astor Piazzolla did for the Argentinian tango. Galliano re-imagined and revitalized a musical tradition, expanding its emotional range to reflect modern sensibilities and opening it up to improvisation learned through American jazz. In fact, Galliano was more of a jazz musician than a folk one, although he blurred the lines so much that distinctions were often difficult to make. He worked with numerous jazz luminaries, including Chet Baker, Ron Carter, and others. After meeting Astor Piazzolla, Galliano refocused on his European heritage, and set about reviving and updating musette. ~ Steve Huey
Hometown
Cannes, France
Genre
Jazz
Richard Galliano: Member of
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