[1][2] He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4,[3] influenced by his father Luciano, an accordionist originally from Italy, living in Nice.

[1] After a long and intense period of study (he took up lessons on the trombone, harmony, and counterpoint at the Academy of Music in Nice), at 14, in a search to expand his ideas on the accordion, he began listening to jazz and heard records by the trumpet player Clifford Brown.

"I copied all the choruses of Clifford Brown, impressed by his tone and his drive, his way of phrasing over the thunderous playing of Max Roach".

In this period, Galliano won twice the first prize in the "world accordion cap competition" which took place in Spain (1966) and France (1967).

[4] Some later collaborations include Astor Piazolla, George Mraz, Brigitte Fontaine, Al Foster, Juliette Gréco, Charles Aznavour, Ron Carter, Chet Baker, Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Martial Solal, Miroslav Vitouš, Trilok Gurtu, Jan Garbarek, Michel Petrucciani, Michel Portal, Eddy Louiss, Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Ivan Paduart, Anouar Brahem, Wynton Marsalis, and Toots Thielemans.