Franco Cerri (1926-2021)

Franco Cerri, one of the world's finest jazz guitarists whose records and reputation escaped most American jazz aficionados due to his desire to spend his career in Italy, died on October 18. He was 95. [Photo above of Franco Cerri]

Ruggedly handsome with a joyous sense of swing and impeccable taste, Cerri (pronounced "Cherry") was one of Italy's best kept jazz secrets, making nearly all of his recordings in Milan starting in 1945. Touring American jazz stars knew him and that he could play bass as proficiently as the guitar. He often accompanied them on Italian TV and in clubs. Over his long career, Cerri gigged with Chet Baker, Buddy Collette, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, Stéphane Grappelli, Lars Gullin, Billie Holiday, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Bennett, Bud Shank, Tony Scott, Django Reinhardt, Phil Woods and the Modern Jazz Quartet. [Photo above of Franco Cerri and Chet Baker]

Prepare yourself, because once you hear my favorite tracks and albums, you're going to want to own everything Cerri ever recorded...

Here's Cerri live in 1967 on Italian television. Move the space bar to 3:29...

Here's Cerri's eighth album from 1964...

Here's Cerri playing Brazil. How impossibly gorgeous...

Here's Omaggio a Bill Evans from 1981...

Here's In Punta di Cerri from 2017...

And here's the full album of Cerrimedioatutto from 2011...

A special thanks to Edo Olivari in Italy.