Drummer and conductor Gilberto Cuppini (1924 – 1996) in the 1940s joined the historic orchestras conducted by, among others, Armando Trovajoli and Pippo Barzizza. In the same period he was among the contributors to the magazine “Musica Jazz,” founded by journalist and lyricist Gian Carlo Testoni together with music critic Arrigo Polillo
During the 1950s he recorded with the Basso-Valdambrini sextet and with Nunzio Rotondo. Among hundreds of European musicians, he was chosen in 1958 to participate in the Newport Jazz Festival, an event founded by American producer and impresario George Wein
In the 1960s with the quintet under his name, with Eraldo Volontè and Sergio Fanni, he won the first edition of the radio competition broadcast by Rai,“The Jazz Cup”
During his career he collaborated in recordings and concerts with, among others, Giorgio Gaslini, Eraldo Volontè, Oscar Valdambrini, Piero Umiliani, Romano Mussolini, Carlo Loffredo, Henghel Gualdi, Giancarlo Barigozzi, Enrico Intra, Giorgio Azzolini, Franco D’Andrea
Essential discography: What’s new? (1961 – Right Tempo), A New Day (1980 – Red Records)
Cover image source: “The Italy of Jazz” by Adriano Mazzoletti
