Bio

Since 2012, Jazzit magazine has recognized Matteo Addabbo as one of Italy’s leading Hammond organists.

Throughout his career, Addabbo has collaborated with numerous renowned Italian and international artists. His international collaborations include Avishai Cohen, Glenn Ferris, Shana Morrison, Dee Alexander, Joyce Elaine Yuille, Tia Carroll, Andy Just, Volker Strifler, Cristal White, Herbie Goins, and Michael Gassmann.

Among the many distinguished Italian musicians he has performed and recorded with are Marco Tamburini, Gianni Cazzola, Stefano “Cocco” Cantini, Nico Gori, Francesco Petreni, Alessandro Lanzoni, Ares Tavolazzi, Walter Paoli, Andrea Melani, Domenico Caliri, Andrea Mucciarelli, Andrea Beninati, Simone Brilli, Stefano Tamborrino, Riccardo Onori, Bernardo Guerra, Cosimo Boni, Stefano Negri, Samuele Martinelli, Alberto Mommi, Giovanni Falzone, Massimo Faraò, Mirco Mariottini, Paolo Corsi, Piero Borri, Piero Frassi, Massimo Manzi, Luca Necciari, Franco Fabbrini, Mirco Rubegni, Simone Bruschi, Klaus Lessmann, Davide Pannozzo, Titta Nesti, Franco Santarnecchi, Giulia Galliani, Giulia Millanta, Marialaura Bigliazzi, Andrea Scognamillo, Elisa Mini, Irene Jalenti, Juri Pecci, Maurizio Sammicheli, Giacomo Rossi, Romina Capitani.

Addabbo began studying music at the age of ten. His formal education started at the Rinaldo Franci Conservatory in Siena, where he studied trumpet and French horn. He later turned his attention to keyboards as a self-taught musician before refining his piano skills through the study of jazz, blues, and Latin music at Siena Jazz – The Italian National Jazz Academy, where he had the opportunity to study with many of the world’s leading jazz musicians.

Throughout his musical development, he cultivated a deep passion for the Hammond organ and vintage electromechanical keyboards, particularly those associated with Soul Jazz and African American musical traditions. He further specialized in the Hammond organ by attending masterclasses with internationally acclaimed artists Joey DeFrancesco and Alberto Marsico.

Addabbo began performing professionally at a very young age with several Tuscan bands, initially playing rock and blues before gradually moving toward rhythm & blues and, eventually, jazz.

In the early 2000s, he toured extensively throughout Italy with the blues band Lou and the Blues, performing at festivals and major blues clubs across the country.

Career Development (2002–2006)

Between 2002 and 2004, Addabbo composed the soundtracks for several short films focusing on Italian cinema of the 1940s and 1950s, produced by the University for Foreigners of Siena.

In 2004, together with guitarist Andrea Scognamillo and drummer Massimo Cantini, he recorded the album It’s About Time (Splash Records), marking one of his earliest recording projects as a leader and sideman within the Italian jazz scene.

The following year proved to be a turning point in his career. In 2005, he was invited to record the Hammond organ parts for Piero Pelù’s album Soggetti Smarriti (WEA Records). That same year, he represented Italian jazz at the Italian Culture Festival in Cuba, performing in Havana alongside trumpeter Marco Tamburini, drummer Francesco Petreni, and bassist Silvia Bolognesi.

Also in 2005, Addabbo joined drummer Francesco Petreni and bassist Luca Necciari to record the album Progetto Standard (Le Carrozze Records), further establishing himself as one of the emerging Hammond organists on the Italian jazz scene.

From 2004 to 2007, together with legendary Italian drummer Gianni Cazzola and bassist Luca Necciari, he co-founded the Microcosmo Trio, an ensemble that performed extensively at jazz clubs and festivals throughout Italy. The trio became one of the most significant projects of this period of his career.

In 2006, Addabbo joined the Almost Blues Band, one of Italy’s best-known blues bands, led by guitarist Davide Pannozzo. With the group, he toured extensively, performing at major blues festivals and clubs throughout Italy and abroad. During this period, he recorded the album Soul and Notes (VideoRadio Records, 2006), further expanding his artistic experience beyond the jazz world and deepening his roots in traditional blues and rhythm & blues.

Artistic Growth and International Recognition (2007–2012)

In 2007, Addabbo recorded Progetto Italiano (Philology Records) with the Microcosmo Trio, featuring bassist Luca Necciari and legendary drummer Gianni Cazzola. Dedicated entirely to the music of Italy’s greatest singer-songwriters, the album also features acclaimed saxophonist Stefano “Cocco” Cantini as a special guest.

The following year, he joined Ragiamagna, an experimental collective of Tuscan improvisers devoted to contemporary music and free improvisation. Developed in collaboration with Aramis Company and Sintesi 19, the project combined live improvisation with vintage synthesizers, samplers, acoustic instruments, and large-scale visual projections, creating a multidisciplinary performance experience. With this ensemble, Addabbo performed in both Italy and Poland.

In 2009, he appeared live on Italy’s national television network RAI 3 during the renowned Concerto del Primo Maggio in Rome as a member of singer-songwriter Peppe Voltarelli’s band. During the same year, he also toured with Voltarelli as a sideman.

In 2011, Addabbo recorded Progetto Original (Abeat Records) with drummer Francesco Petreni and bassist Luca Necciari. The album features internationally acclaimed trumpeter Avishai Cohen as a special guest and includes several original compositions by Addabbo, highlighting his growing voice as both a composer and performer.

In 2012, he joined the theatrical and musical production Zio B. Perché i Mostri non Tornino, created by acclaimed Italian actor, playwright, and director Alessandro Benvenuti. Besides performing in several productions throughout Italy, Addabbo also recorded on the soundtrack album released under the same title (SAM Records).
By the end of this period, Addabbo had established himself as one of the leading Hammond organists of his generation in Italy, combining a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition with blues, soul, and contemporary musical influences while developing an increasingly distinctive artistic identity.

The Matteo Addabbo Organ Trio and Artistic Maturity (2013–2026)

Since 2013, Matteo Addabbo has led the Matteo Addabbo Organ Trio, his primary artistic project and the ensemble through which he has developed his most personal musical vision. Featuring guitarist Andrea Mucciarelli and drummer Andrea Beninati, the trio blends the classic language of the Hammond organ tradition with contemporary jazz, blues, soul, and original compositions, establishing itself as one of the most distinctive Hammond organ groups on the Italian jazz scene.

In 2016, the trio released its debut album, Bugiardi Nati (Abeat Records). The recording introduced Addabbo’s original compositional voice while paying tribute to the great organ trio tradition established by masters such as Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Larry Young, and Joey DeFrancesco, interpreted through a contemporary European perspective.

In 2017, Addabbo contributed several arrangements to Song for Joni, the debut album by Mag Collective, a project dedicated to the music of Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. In addition to writing the arrangements, he performed all keyboard parts on the album, released by Dodicilune records.

The following year, the Matteo Addabbo Organ Trio was invited to perform at the International Jazz Festival of the Canary Islands, where the group presented concerts and conducted Hammond organ workshops, further strengthening Addabbo’s international profile as both performer and educator.

In 2021, he composed Write Your Name in the Sand for Giulia Galliani and Mag Collective’s album Birth, Death and Birth (Dodicilune records). Addabbo also co-wrote the song’s lyrics with singer Giulia Galliani, further expanding his work as a composer and songwriter.

In 2023, the Matteo Addabbo Organ Trio released its second album, L’Asino che Vola (Dodicilune records). The recording represents a significant milestone in Addabbo’s artistic journey, combining original compositions with a mature and highly personal approach to the Hammond organ. The album further established the trio’s identity through a distinctive blend of jazz improvisation, blues feeling, melodic lyricism, and contemporary harmonic language.

In 2026, the trio completed its third studio album, La Danza dei Cervelli Rotti (Dodicilune Records). The project reflects Addabbo’s continued artistic evolution as a composer, bandleader, and Hammond organist, reaffirming his commitment to original music while remaining deeply connected to the African American musical tradition that has inspired his work throughout his career.
Today, Matteo Addabbo is recognized as one of Italy’s leading Hammond organists. His musical language is deeply rooted in the traditions of Soul Jazz, Hard Bop, Blues, and Gospel while embracing contemporary influences through a highly personal artistic vision. As both a performer and composer, he continues to explore the expressive possibilities of the Hammond organ, combining tradition, originality, and a distinctive artistic voice.

Over the course of his career, Addabbo has performed throughout Europe and the United States, collaborating with internationally acclaimed musicians while developing a body of original work that reflects his unique musical identity. Through his activity as a performer, composer, recording artist, and educator, he continues to contribute to the ongoing evolution of the Hammond organ tradition, building a career that bridges the heritage of classic jazz with a contemporary artistic perspective.