Rio de Gregori

Rio de Gregori (22 September 1919, in Zürich – 22 May 1987, in Munich) was a Swiss jazz pianist.[1]

De Gregori first started to play the piano at the age of 7. His parents had aspirations that he would become a classical pianist, but he performed professionally as a jazz musician. He worked with of Willy Mac Allen (1939–1940), James Boucher (1940–1941), Jo Grandjean (1942)[2] and René Weiss (until 1944).[3] During the war he played with Fred Böhler until 1945 when he founded a big band of his own which included Flavio Ambrosetti[4] and Stuff Combe.[5]

When his band broke up, he still worked as both a trio and soloist and he managed a bar in Ascona, Switzerland. He settled, later, in Munich and opened a night club there, Bar Ascona, and called himself Rio Gregory. He composed many songs with the German singer and songwriter Suzanne Doucet and they performed together at festivals, radio stations and on German TV. Their song "Bunter Drachen" was featured in the 2015 Guy Ritchie movie The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[6]

  1. ^ Lotz, Rainer E. (1997). Black People: Entertainers of African Descent in Europe and Germany. Dr Rainer Lotz. ISBN 9783980346184.
  2. ^ Lotz, Rainer E. (2003). De Gregori, Rio. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.j117200.
  3. ^ "RIO GREGORY – HIS PIANO AND HIS RHYTHM, International Piano Medley, 1955". Berlin Beatet Bestes. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Radio Swiss Jazz – Music database – Musician". Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. ^ "RIO GREGORY – HIS PIANO AND HIS RHYTHM, International Piano Medley, 1955". Berlin Beatet Bestes. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Suzanne Doucet". IMDb.