In 1982, as I always did on Saturdays, I would go into a record store called Allum's Maracaibo Import, it was the time of New Wave, Punk, and the golden age of Heavy Metal was beginning.
In that record store I could discover new artists, and many times I bought the record without caring about the genre, I only bought it for its cover. I had several surprises, very good and very bad, when I listened to the records at home. One of the good ones was coming across a quirky artist named Klaus Nomi.
His image on the album cover was like that of an otherworldly being, wearing a tuxedo suit made of stretchy plastic with huge, exaggerated shoulder pads. His voice at times resembled that of a synthesizer and fused opera, rock and pop. Truly his voice and presence were from another planet.
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He was a German artist who managed to collaborate with Nina Hagen and David Bowie and who in 1981 released his first album entitled Klaus Nomi. Unfortunately his musical career was short and he died in 1983 as a result of AIDS, when his fame began to grow being one of the first celebrities to die from the virus.
In the 60s, he worked as an assistant at the opera, in Berlin, and used to sing Maria Callas and Elvis Presley's music to the maintenance staff. In the 1970s he moved to New York, where he was quickly absorbed by the city's underground art scene.
Michel Petrucciani was born in the south of France, in the heart of a family of musicians of Italian origin. He was born ill, carrier of an osteogenesis imperfecta. This genetic disease is characterized by increased bone fragility which produces spontaneous fractures in case of minor traumatisms.
He grew up listening to jazz being influenced by Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and pianist Bill Evans.
Petrucciani recorded and played the piano at a dizzying pace throughout his short life.
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I first heard this artist in 1987 with the album Michel Plays Petrucciani which was recommended to me by a friend who told me that every time Peztucciani played the piano he broke the bones in his hand. Beyond what my friend told me, I must say that I was amazed by the way this artist played.
Accompanying Wayne Shorter, Dizzie Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Jim Hall, and Tony Williams, and so many others, attest to the importance and gravitas of his playing. His concerts and recordings as a soloist are memorable. He had his own trio of musicians.
He died in New York in 1999 of pneumonia, having just reached the age of 36.
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Gentlemen, this is genius in action, a very fragile but powerful piano player.
These two characters were very creative in life and leave us a very important legacy becoming cult musicians. Unfortunately, life did not allow them to leave us more works to enjoy.
Klaus Nomi dies alone and misunderstood thanks to the stigma of a disease that at the time was associated with homosexuals and for which medicines and treatments were just beginning to be developed.
Michel Petrucciani all his life was accustomed to pain due to his genetic disease, however this did not discourage him in his passion for playing the piano, he was no more than one meter tall but he never cared about his height, he almost always used crutches to walk, and there are even videos where you can see him being carried to his piano.
Personally I think they are two of my favorite musicians, for showing so much talent and courage on stage.
Petrucciani's work is much greater than Nomi's, however I advise you to listen to the music and watch the videos of these great artists, you will not regret it.
This is my participation in the Three Tune Tuesday Week Link Here initiative created by @ablaze. A big hello to all.
