Biography

When describing the unique style by the guitarist and composer Simone Gubbiotti, two words come to mind: “sophisticated musician” . All About Jazz presented Simone like an artist who doesn't play and compose like someone that needs to make his way in the world but like an artist that has made it reflecting on the world through his music

Simone Gubbiotti is an international Jazz musician from Umbria, Italy with a unique story. He has worked with some of the finest musicians in the Jazz environment (Peter Erskine, Ari Hoenig, Jay Anderson, Enrico Pieranunzi, Adam Nussbaum, Paul Wertico Quartet to name a few).

Simone has performed worldwide in recent tours in Europe, USA and South America hitting the stage in some of the most important international Jazz Festivals such as "Neuma Jazz Festival" (Mexico), "Rab Jazz Festival" (Croatia), "Komeda Jazz Festival" (Poland) and many prestigious ones in Italy such as "Valdarno Jazz Festival", "Ancona Jazz Festival", "Garda Jazz Festival", "Suoni Controvento" and many others.

His unique story inspired the documentary "Looking at a liquid Sky" actually in production for the American company "The Real Jazz Ambassadors" filmed between Italy and Los Angeles.

As a teenager, Simone showed promise as a professional football player. At the age of 16 he was selected by the A.C. Milan as a central midfielder to pursue a career in professional sports. Unfortunately his career ended with a serious knee injury which prevented him from becoming a first team player. While he continued to play football as an amateur, he had to refocus his career goals.

Back in his native Umbria, Simone started to work at different jobs in the tourist field. At the age of 21 he made ends meet by working in a frame factory. After few months he had fallen into a deep depression which led to extreme weight loss and eventually he was unable to walk. Simone’s depression continued for another three years. At one point he remembered he had a guitar that his father gave him as a gift when he was 12 years old. He never used the instrument being involved in football but decided at the age of 25 to pick it up and try using it as therapy, teaching himself the basics of the instrument. After a few months,

Simone made the decision register and attend the Berklee College of Music Clinics at the Umbria Jazz Festival. As a rank beginner he felt out of place with the other students in the clinics and did not understand a single word that was being taught at the workshops. Rather than give up, he moved forward using his discipline as a professional sports figure to develop a serious practice routine. This was the beginning of Simone’s Jazz journey. Several years later Simone visited Boston to reestablish his connection with Berklee and later visited Los Angeles where he had the chance learn from and to challenge himself with important West Coast musicians such as Joe La Barbera, Joe Diorio, Sid Jacobs, Al Jarreau, Darek Oles and Peter Erskine.

During this period, living between Italy and USA, Simone recorded several albums as a leader. But his challenges were not finished. In 2010 Simone lost his best friend Paolo to cancer. Paolo was influential in providing life saving help to Simone throughout his years of depression. Paolo’s death was a major setback for Simone and while he was not having a great success despite all the collaborations in the U.S. he was contemplating quitting music. Before Paolo died he made Simone promise to continue his career in music. This inspired Simone to record the album “Promise to my Friend” which featured Peter Erskine and Darek Oles. The following years Simone lost his family and house and ended up living in the car with his dog Wayne where he wrote his most successful album “Resilience” which featured Adam Nussbaum and Jay Anderson.

He never gave up his passion for music and continued to perform in a variety of projects and toured with his Trio “Underdogs” in the UK, Holland, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Mexico and of course Italy. He created an educational workshop “Developing the Mindset” which has been presented in the EU and Mexico. Simone is also a Journalist for the international Magazine Jazz in Europe, a publicist and a writer. His book “The Art to be an Underdog” was published in 2018 by Art in Life Company.

He’s founder of the international label Double Dimension Records.

Press Quotes:

"The former A.C. Milan footballer deftly extends the lyrical Jim Hall tradition." - Jazz Journal (UK)

"Gubbiotti's melodies reflect a profound comprehension of the Jazz tradition while always maintaining an open path toward contemporary sound research" - Doppio Jazz (IT)

"Resilience is a delicate album played with participation and ownership of language" - Jazzconvention (IT)

"Simone is an interesting and refined musician. His expressive style echoes the impressionistic movements of Bill Evans and Jim Hall's Blue Notes, as well as the chromatic openness and expressive vigor of Wes Montgomery." - Roma in Jazz (IT)

"Simone doesn't play and compose like an artist that needs to make his way in the world but like one that has made it reflecting on the world through his music." - All About Jazz (USA)

"Simone's story is one of those that leaves you speechless" - News Umbria (IT)

"Italian guitarist, Simone Gubbiotti’s story is one of strength, resilience, passion and Jazz." - Jazz in Europe Magazine

Simone Gubbiotti makes every song so personally his own that it‘s easy to forget anyone else ever played them.“ - BBC Radio (UK)

“A different voice in the Jazz guitar scene.“ Jazz in Europe Magazine