BCA-011: Berklee Oral History Project

Bass player and professor in Berklee College of Music’s Ensemble department Lello Molinari compares his experiences studying at Berklee and the New England Conservatory and the impact of his instructors’ teaching philosophies. He describes growing up in Naples, Italy, becoming a self-taught bass player as a teenager, and his early performance and recording experiences in Milan. He discusses studying under Berklee professors Hal Crook and Tony Lada and NEC professor Ran Blake; musical influences, including the Fringe and Thelonious Monk; and past and current music projects, including 3Play+, The Unit, Either/Orchestra, and the Dave Holland Ensemble. He describes his approach to ensemble playing and shares about playing with Bob Moses, Bobby Ward. Molinari also comments on the Boston jazz scene, particularly the city’s limitations that deincentivize today’s audiences to attend performances.