Margherita Fava Quartet

"Jazz today is full of whiz kids with plenty of virtuosity at their disposal but with little to say musically. The Italian-born Margherita Fava is something altogether different. The evidence is all over her debut recording, TATATU. At 27, Fava is not only a fluent pianist but also a compelling composer and bandleader - creative, communicative, and less interested in surface flash than forging an emotional connection with listeners and expressing an individual concept through a band built in her image. Fava has a sharp mind for savvy musical forms but also a sensitive ear for expressive storytelling. She is not just interested in the what of music but the why." - Mark Stryker
Pianist, composer and arranger Margherita Fava grew up in a family of classical musicians in the small village of Follina in northeast Italy. Her parents are baroque specialists, her father a violinist and her mother a cellist and singer.
Fava started piano lessons at 10, picked up the electric bass as a teenager, and at 17 enrolled in a summer jazz program in nearby Venice sponsored by The New School from New York. One day she learned by ear Miles Davis’ solo on “So What” from Kind of Blue. It changed her life. “It was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me!” she says.
A scholarship to Michigan State brought Fava to East Lansing, where she studied piano with Xavier Davis and came into the orbit of the charismatic bassist Rodney Whitaker. After graduating with a degree in jazz studies, she earned a master’s degree in music at the University of Tennessee, studying piano with Eric Reed and composition with Greg Tardy. She currently collaborates with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra on various projects like the concert series “NXT GEN” and the Knoxville Jazz Workshop.
In August 2022 she released her first EP of original music entitled “Okra/Search of the Unknown”, available on bandcamp. On March 10th 2023 her debut album “TATATU” was released, featuring Gregory Tardy, Michael Reed and Javier Enrique. The record received numerous positive reviews, including 4 stars on Downbeat and AllAboutJazz.
Margherita Fava - piano
David Williford - saxophone
Rob Linton - bass
Kirk Woodard - drums

This show is 21 and over only. All sales are final and we unfortunately cannot offer any refunds. Additional tickets may be available at the door on the day of the show even if it is sold out online.

Please try to arrive 15 minutes prior to the show start time. If you do not arrive within 45 minutes after the show start time on your ticket your seat may be resold to other patrons at the door. If you arrive after 45 minutes from the start time of the show and your ticket has been resold, although we cannot guarantee it, we will try our best to make space for you to attend the show.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Rudy's Jazz Room, 809 Gleaves Street, Nashville, United States