Richard Galliano was born in Cannes, France in 1950, the son of an accordion teacher and a student of the instrument from the age of four. Galliano was fourteen when he discovered the music of trumpeter Clifford Brown – and later the works of adventurous accordionists from Brazil (Sivuca), Italy (Felice Fugazza), and the US (Art Van Damme). Over time, Galliano developed his patented “new musette” style, breathing new life into a thoroughly French tradition; he has played on countless recordings by French pop artists like Charles Aznavour and Juliette Gréco, as well as with Chet Baker, Toots Thielemanns, and Ron Carter. On such exceptional albums as New York Tango (1996, with George Mraz, Al Foster and Birélli Lagrène), Ricardo Galliano’s technical command, mastery of phrasing, and rainbow palette of tonal colors have allowed him to surmount musical barriers with a sound that cuts across all genres.
