Born in Cassano delle Murge (Bari) on October 2nd 1974, Gaetano Partipilo took up with his career at the early age of eight years old, playing in the band of his hometown. At the age of fifteen he enrolled at the Conservatory of Music “N.Piccinni” in Bari where he studied classical music and attended some lessons with Roberto Ottavino.
After his graduation, he started an intense live activity, playing for instance with Mark Murphy, Tony Scott, Enrico Rava and Rossana Casale. From 1996 to 1999 he attended some courses for high professional qualification in Siena where he performed and studied with Mario Raja, Furio Di Castri, Ettore Fioravanti, Gianluigi Trovesi and Paolo Fresu. During this period, Gaetano Partipilo played in the Dolmen Orchestra for the co-operations with John Surman, Louis Sclavis and Michel Godard and represented the Siena Jazz Association during “1999 International Jazz meeting” of the I.A.S.J. (International Association of School of Jazz). This was a great chance to relate with young musician from different artistic and cultural traditions among the others: Dave Liebman, Randall Conners, Ronan Guilfoyle, Greg Badolato.
Between October and December 1999, Gaetano moved to New York City, where he met some important musicians of the local scene such as Jason Moran, Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits and Greg Osby. Once back to Italy he established the “Urban Society” project. With the “Urban Society” he recorded his first album as a leader, with two special guests: the Japanese bassist Az’shi Osada and one of the most representative drummers of the New York area, Nasheet Waits. This recording has been released by the famous Soul Note in 2002. On August 2000 in Bari, he became co-director of the big jam-session “All that jazz”, which exhibited about forty Italian musicians, Jesse Davis, Mike Melillo and Billy Cobham. Between 2001 and 2003 he collaborated with Dave Liebman, and “Berlin Experience”, with Giacomo Aula, John Schroder, Peter Klinke. The second album “Gaetano Partipilo and Urban Society BASIC” was released on September 2004 for Soul Note label.
In 2006, in NYC he recorded “The Right Place”, featuring Mike Moreno on guitar, Matt Brewer on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. This album was released on September 2007 by Emarcy/Universal. In 2009, he released a new album entitled “I like Too Much” for the Auand records, a live concert with Dan Weiss and Miles Okazaki.
On January 2011, a new cd “Upgrading”, recorded live with his own band “Urban Society”, was released by Jazz Engine records. On November 2011 he made several concerts in NYC for the 10 years birthday of the Auand Records.
On February 2013 he released the “Besides: Songs from the Sixties” with the Schema Records. With this new project, dedicated to the amazing sounds of the sixties re-elaborated in a modern perspective, Gaetano showed the other side of his artistic personality. The “Besides” project was performed live for the first time at the famous Dubai Jazz Festival 2012 and was acclaimed by jazz.fm and WDR as one of ten best album on the year.
On October 2014 he made a long tour in Africa with the Puglia Jazz Factory ensemble. With the PJF he recorded two albums, both released by Auditorium Parco della Musica Records. The year after he started working with the Mission Formosa band. With MF he released two albums and toured Hong Kong and Taiwan several times.
In 2016 he released a new album called “Daylight”, produced by Paolo Fresu for Tuk Music Records and recorded with Francesco Diodati, Luca Alemanno, Alessandro Lanzoni and Dario Congedo. “Daylight” has been presented live in NYC for four gigs during the December of the same year.
In 2017 he performed a promotional tour in Italy with the guitarist Mike Moreno in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary since the release of the above mentioned album “The Right Place”.
On 2018 made with English pianist Jonathan Gee three European Tour with a special project dedicated to the music of the Beatles. The band named OHISASHIBURI and his debut album was released in 2020 with MOTONOKAI
On 2019 Gaetano leads a new band with Apulian musicians (Boom Collective) to explore new sounds and new musical horizons in jazz. Boom Collective made a 9 days tour in Brasil
On Nivember 2021 was released the second chapter of Boom Collective. The album entitled “Leave&Meet” boasts the presence of American vocalist Joanna Teters
From 2013 he is Jazz Saxophon teacher at the Conservatory of music in Foggia and from 2019 is saxophone teacher at the Siena Jazz University
Other co-operations with Dave Liebman, Robin Eubanks, Dave Binney, Nicola Conte, Till Broenner, Magnus Lindgren, Timo Lassy, Teppo Makynen, Stefano Bollani, Fabrizio Bosso, Gianluca Petrella, Roberto Menescal, Nguyên Lê, Ralph Alessi, Paolo Fresu, Francesco Bearzatti, Giovanni Falzone, Roberto Cecchetto, Domenico Caliri, John Escreet, Pippo Matino, Greg Burk, John Arnold, Jonathan Robinson, Salvatore Bonafede, Dado Moroni, Bruno Tommaso, Nicola Stilo, Roberto Ottaviano, Maurizio Giammarco, Nico Morelli, Daniele Scannapieco, Pietro Lussu, Pietro Ciancaglini, Lorenzo Tucci, Max Ionata, Battista Lena, The Jazz Convention, Quartetto Moderno, Rosalia De Souza and many others.
Gaetano Partipilo has played in several jazz festivals in Japan, USA, Brasil, Taiwan, Hong Kong, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Finland, Norway, France, Macedonia, Greece, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Mozambique, Gabon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, UAE and Croatia.