Drummer, composer, and arranger Marcello Carelli has played with Grammy award-winning musicians such as John Daversa and Brian Lynch in both small group and large ensemble settings. He has also played with Eric Reed, Russell Ferrante, Dave Liebman, Ira Sullivan, Martin Bejerano, John Beasley, Andy Fusco, Wycliffe Gordon, Shelly Berg, and Remy Le Boeuf. Marcello has performed to sold-out crowds in Italy, Suriname, and the Netherlands while teaching masterclasses in those countries.
Carelli received his bachelor’s degree in Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He then earned his master’s in jazz studies at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. At Frost, Carelli played in the Frost Concert Jazz Band directed by John Daversa. At Thornton, he was the teaching assistant for 2-time Grammy award-winning drummer and composer, Peter Erskine, and he played in the Thornton Jazz Orchestra directed by Bob Mintzer for two years.
Marcello is a product of many great teachers, including Peter Erskine, Dafnis Prieto, Roy McCurdy, and Will Kennedy. “His music is profound, it’s present, and it’s real,” said John Daversa, who worked closely with Carelli during his time at the Frost School of Music. Marcello is also a Downbeat Student Music award-winning composer and arranger, as he released his very first album in February of this year entitled “The Era” comprised of almost all his original music. In the words of Peter Erskine, “This album is a compass…wait better yet, it is a sextant by which we can see and hear this young star’s ascent.” His second album as a leader will be released later this year.
