Who Are Those Composers ~ Nando De Luca

Fernando De Luca was born in Milan, Lombardy, Italy on January 26, 1940. After his studies at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, Nando became a member of "I Cavalieri" a musical group in 1959, composed of artists who have become famous: Enzo Jannacci, Paolo Tomelleri, Gianfranco Reverberi and Luigi Tenco who also participating in some recordings by Dischi Remember, including a Tenco EP .

In 1961 he began collaborations as a pianist and arranger for various artists including I Ribelli, the group that accompanies Adriano Celentano where he plays Gino Santercole and joins the Celian Clan working for him as an arranger and pianist both in the studio and live concerts.

His first important work is the arrangement of the very famous song Azzurro (1968) written by Paolo Conte and Michele Virano and sung by Celentano;  he also wrote with Gino Santercole the music of Una caress in a fist that became an evergreen. The following year he wrote the music of Extraordinarily, and Love Story, both interpreted by Adriano Celentano: the latter becomes a standard of the Milanese singer, who will sing it in all its television programs, and will also be covered by Avion Travel.

In 1970 he participated as an author at the 1970 Sanremo Festival with Hello Green Years, performed by Rosanna Fratello;  in the same year he wrote Viola for Celentano, which became a great success, and Cosa fai questa sera, again for Celentano, which is contained in the album Il forestiero.  Also in 1970 he collaborated with Enzo Jannacci writing the music of Il dritto , contained in the album La mia gente, which became one of the best-known songs of the singer-songwriter, who will re-create it in the album Ci vuole Ear, which will also be reinterpreted by Milva in the La Rossa LP, also in 1980.

Nando directs the orchestra at the Sanremo Festival in 1971 for the performance of Celentano in Sotto le lenzuola and at the Sanremo Festival in 1972.

In 1973 he joined the group of the great jazz guitarist Franco Cerri, with Pino Presti on the electric bass, Giorgio Baiocco on sax and flute, and Tullio De Piscopo on drums;  with this training he performs in many Italian cities and is flanked by jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli for a series of concerts at Jazz Power in Milan (April 1973).

The collaboration with Celentano continues, and he arranges and directs the orchestra in the albums:  Adriano rock (1968), Le robe che ha detto Adriano (1969), Er più - Storia d'amore e di coltello (1971), I mali del secolo (1972), Nostalrock (1973).

In the 1970s he wrote several film score, like “Un tipo con una faccia strana ti cerca per ucciderti” directed by Tulio Demicheli in 1973, “L'assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora” by Luigi Cozzi in 1975, “Passi furtivi in una notte boia” by Vincenzo Rigo in 1976, “Fatto di sangue fra due uomini per causa di una vedova”.  “Si sospettano moventi politici”, by Lina Wertmüller in 1978;  in the following decade he wrote the music for “Se lo scopre Gargiulo” by Elvio Porta , from 1988 .

He also collaborates with Mina in what will be his last live appearance, thus also playing on the album that is released, Mina Live '78.

De LUCA, Nando (Ferdinando De Luca) [1/26/1940, Milan, Lombardy Italy -     ] – composer, arranger, musician (piano, keyboards), a member of "I Cavalieri".

For a Book of Dollars - 1973