Drummer, composer and producer Nic Cacioppo belongs to a generation that discovered jazz by tracing it backwards – from hip-hop and fusion to the deepest currents of the tradition. Son of contemporary composer Curt Cacioppo, and shaped by the Philadelphia scene as much as by Elvin Jones and Tony Williams, he has built a fiercely independent artistic path that bridges acoustic improvisation and modern production. In this conversation with Musica Jazz, he reflects on collaboration with his brother Charles, the conceptual core of Time in Motion, the challenges of self-producing in a shifting musical landscape, and the restless drive to remain – always – in motion. How did you first connect with the drums, and what led you toward jazz as your primary language? I first connected with the drums in my mom’s belly, kicking out the rhythms while she practiced piano, so she says. Then later, growing up listening […]
Interview with Nic Cacioppo
From hip-hop roots to modern jazz fire – Nic Cacioppo on rhythm, lineage, independence and Time in Motion
