From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature.

Petrucciani was born in nearby Orange, Vaucluse having osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature.

The disease caused his bones to fracture over 100 times before he reached adolescence and gave him pain throughout his entire life.

That took a lot of work.From the beginning, Petrucciani had always been musical, reportedly humming Wes Montgomery solos by the time he learned to speak.

[6] The musician who would prove most influential to Petrucciani was Bill Evans, who he started listening to at around age ten.

Petrucciani's layered harmonies, lyrical style, and articulation of melody would always be linked most strongly to his early exposure to Evans.

His hands were average in length, but his size meant that he required aids to reach the piano's pedals.

Petrucciani felt he needed to move to Paris to begin his musical career, but found it difficult to leave home.

[1]He was a dwarf, but he played like a giant.Drugs and encounters with unsavory women made Petrucciani's time in Paris a mixed experience, but musically and personally it was unequivocally transforming.

He was foul-mouthed, wore a yachtsman's cap and frequently acted pushy and tough, referring to people as "baby".

[1] Nevertheless, his work in Kenny Clarke's trio during his time in Paris set him on a clear path to stardom.

In one [story], he scammed his way to New York on bad checks, then had to hide out in Brooklyn with the help of Sicilian family connections.

In another, he played piano for trade in a midtown brothel, where he learned the secrets of love.In 1982, Petrucciani visited saxophonist Charles Lloyd in California.

[8] Petrucciani and Lloyd's tour of the West Coast of the United States was a huge success and they continued internationally.

On 22 February 1985, with Petrucciani cradled in his arms, Lloyd walked onto the stage at Town Hall in New York City and sat him on his piano stool for what would be an historic evening in jazz history: the filming of One Night with Blue Note.

The film's director John Charles Jopson would later recall in the reissued liner notes that the moment moved him to tears.

Petrucciani and Lloyd's performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival was made into an album, and in 1982, they won the 1982 Prix d'Excellence.

In 1986 he was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Wayne Shorter and Jim Hall, producing the trio album Power of Three.

Throughout his career, Petrucciani also made a priority of recording solo piano:I really believe a pianist is not complete until he's capable of playing by himself.

[4] On 12 February 2009, the French music channel Mezzo broadcast a special event paying homage to Petrucciani close to the 10th anniversary of his death.

The first, 100 Hearts, a solo album, was produced at the famous RCA Studio A, on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City.

The second was a trio album, recorded live at Max Gordon's old Village Vanguard club in New York City.

"[8] Though he often exhibited arrogance and even womanizing tendencies in his adolescent years, the defining characteristic of Petrucciani was his confidence.

[11] Stylistically, Petrucciani is most frequently compared to Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett for his lyricism and Oscar Peterson for his virtuosity.

Petrucciani was loose and playful in a rhythm section, and gave attention to a strong articulation of the melody.

Petrucciani distinguished himself most obviously from his primary inspiration in that he lacked Bill Evans's cerebral approach to the piano.

[1] Regarding "mistakes" that occur in improvised jazz, Petrucciani complained that the clarity with which he crafts his solo lines has the disadvantage of also exposing the former more clearly.