Wednesday, December 24, 2008

34. * Happy Holidays *

画像をクリックすると、拡大して見れます。

All the best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a 2009 much beyond your wildest dreams form Beppe and all Electromantic Music artists.

All the best wishes to your family and your friends as well,

Beppe
********************

Beppeとエレクトロマンティック・ミュージックのアーティストたちは、あなたの最もワイルドな夢を超える素晴らしいクリスマスと2009年を望みます。

そして、あなたの家族と友達の幸運を願います。

Beppe

Monday, November 10, 2008

33. RANDONE IN JAPAN


Dear Japanese friends

I'm happy to announce you that NICOLA RANDONE, leader of the band with the same name, "RANDONE" is comin' to Japan and joining CASTELLO DI ATLANTE to their Japanese tour.

It's Electromantic Music's 4th artist that comes to Japan this year.

Randone is an Italian prog artist that comes from Sicily and in his works for Electromantic Music he shows his passion and musical drama that make his "Sicilian prog" style.

His albums for ELECTROMANTIC MUSIC, in the PRGO ITALIANO Sub-label are "Ricordo", "Nuvole di ieri" and "Hybla". His latest work is "HYBLA BAROCK OPERA" A DVD that's available in some weeks in the new edition.

The first report from Castello's first day is enthusiastic because of
...an enthusiastic audience!!!

Stay Happy,

Beppe

***************************************

日本のみんなへ、

RANDONEというバンドのリーダーであるNicola RandoneがCASTELLO DI ALANTEの日本ツアーに参加することになったよ。

今年、Electromantic Musicレーベルから日本へ行くアーティストは、彼で4番目だ。

Randoneは、シチリア島から来たイタリアのプログ・アーティストで、Electromantic Musicレーベルでの彼の作品は、彼の情熱とシチリア・プログ・スタイル風のミュージカル・ドラマだね。

彼のElectromantic Musicからのアルバムは、サブ・レーベルPRGO ITALIANOからで、「Ricordo」、「Nuvole di Ieri」、「Hybla」がある。彼の最近の作品はDVD「Hybla Barock Opera」が数週間で発売なるよ。

さて、Castelloの初日ライブレポートが届いた。「熱狂的!」だって、熱狂的な観客だからね!!

それでは、ハッピーでね。

Beppe

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

32. I HAD A DREAM: OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!


Dear Japanese friends,

We all know that November 4, 2008, is a very important day, not just for USA, but, in some ways, for the whole world!

---------------------------------

Imagine all the people
Living for today (John Lennon)

Imagine if Martin Luther King hadn't been killed.
Imagine if John F. Kennedy and Bob Kennedy hadn't been killed

...Imagine if John Lennon hadn't been killed!

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace (John Lennon)

Imagine if Al Gore had won the election 8 years ago!
...less wars.. more "future" chances to the planet..

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world (John Lennon)

Imagine if Hendrix was alive
and next yeas, 40 years after Woodstock
..how he would play, there, "God Bless America!"
with Obama as President!

Imagine if Obama would really become USA's President!!!!

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one (John Lennon)

BEPPE

--------------------------------------------
日本のみんなへ、

11月4日は、アメリカだけでななく、ある点で、世界中にとって大切な日であることはみんながわかっている。


想像してごらん、すべての人たちが
今日のために生きているって(ジョン・レノン:イマジン)

想像してごらん、もしマーティン・ルーサー・キングが殺されていなかったら。
想像してごらん、もしジョン・F・ケネディとボブ・ケネディが殺されていなかったら。

想像してごらん、もしジョン・レノンが殺されていなかったなら・・・!

想像してごらん、すべての人たちが
平和の中で暮らしているって(ジョン・レノン:イマジン)

想像してごらん、もしアル・ゴアが8年前に大統領選挙に勝っていたなら!
・・・より少ない戦争、惑星へのより多くの将来性があったことを・・・

想像してごらん、すべての人たちが
全世界を分かち合っていることを(ジョン・レノン:イマジン)

想像してごらん、もしジミー・ヘンドリックスが生きていたら
ウッドストック40年後
彼がそこで「ガッド・ブレス・アメリカ」どう演奏することだろうか!
オバマが大統領になったところで

想像してごらん、もし本当にオバマがアメリカ合衆国の大統領になったときのことを!!!

僕を夢想家だって言うかもしれない
でも、僕だけじゃないんだ
君もいつか僕らに加わってくれるといいな
そしたら世界は1つになるんだ(ジョン・レノン:イマジン)

Beppe

Sunday, November 2, 2008

31. IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE presents THEIR NEW CD for their “JAPAN TOUR 2008”


Dear Japanese friend,

Today my friends Paolo Ferrarotti will introduce Il Castello di Atlante’s new CD that will be presented together with Castello’s most known compositions, during their first Japanese tour, an extraordinary event, as for the first time ... In this century an Italian prog band is doing a 5 days Japan tour and ..it’s an Electromantic Music’s band!!!

NOV 8 - TOKYO / CLUB 251 (WITH BARAKA)
NOV 9 - TOKYO / MISSIONS (WITH KBB)
NOV 10 - TOKYO / MISSIONS (WITH TRUTH AND REALITY)
NOV 11 - NAGOYA / MUJICA (WITH TBC)
NOV 12 - KYOTO / “OH-LA-LA” (with AIN SOPH)

IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE will be recording a live video and audio on 24 tracks for a future DVD on Electromantic Music.

"TRA LE ANTICHE MURA" is our 7th CDs. It's out from "ELECTROMANTIC MUSIC" on the "PROG ITALIANO " sub-label.

We've been approaching the tunes as they were real books, each one with its own world, linked to each other by the reader's intention.
“Our reader” listens and feels the music that’s on the album, while he's reading the books.
He's imagining the music in the same way a reader imagine the scene that's suggesting the book he's reading.
Like "Pictures at an exhibition" we find a main theme that portraits the "Promenade" of the reader, while he's looking for the next book.

The tunes

TRA LE ANTICHE MURA
(into the old walls)

Into our "virtual castle” we get back to our ideal space, ... the kingdom of our serenity and fulfillment, where we can open our hearts and free our minds.

MALEBOLGE

the way we see Dante's Inferno (Dante Alighieri is the main Italian poet, who wrote the immortal "La Divina Commedia" that's considered the central epic poem of Italian literature, and it is seen as a masterpiece of world literature. It's about the poem's imaginative and allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife: Malebolge is the eighth circle of Hell).
Another Electromantic’s band, "Risonanza Magnetica" is out soon with an entire CD dedicated to Dante Alighieri’s literature: "Andante".
(http://www.myspace.com/risonanzamagnetica – web site available soon)

ANCORA SUONARE ANCORA INSIEME
(Playing together, again and again!)

After 10 years, Dino, the original bass player, comes back in the band.
As the band is a group of great, great friends, from the 70's it was a natural thing, to celebrate the event with a new song

LEGGI ED ASCOLTA
(Read and listen)

When you compose a new song, a "new type" of emotion are reaching us and we wanted to share with our audience these fresh new vibrations we get when we put together a new tune!

L’UOMO SOLO
(The lonely man)

The solitude and desperation that's reaching your soul after your "greatest love" has gone. Inspired by another great Italian writer, Pirandello.

PREFAZIONE/EPILOGO
(PREFACE/ENDING)

Portraying the start and the ending of the adventure into a book, or into a new place, in imagination or in reality.

Electromantic Music and Il Castello di Atlante thanks HIROSHI MASUDA for his great help. His great love towards our productions and his unlimited love for progressive music.

http://www.ilcastellodiatlante.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ilcastellodiatlante

On WIKIPEDIA (Italy)
Il Castello di Atlante

All the best,
BEPPE

Friday, October 17, 2008

30. IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE -JAPAN TOUR 2008


My dear Japanese friends,

I've a very interesting surprise for you: in November "Il Castello di Atlante" will play in Japan for their Japan Tour.

It's many years that an Italian group hasn't had this extraordinary opportunity of doing 5 consecutive dates in your country, Wow!

"Il Castello di Atlante" is really "unique" in the sense that the band was formed in 1974 with Paolo Ferrarotti on drums, Aldo Bergamini, on guitars, Massimo Di Lauro, on violin and Dino Fiore on bass. Roberto Giordano on keyboards joined the band in 1982. (Paolo, Aldo, Roberto are lead singers as well)

They will come to Japan with THEIR ORIGINAL LINE-UP!!!

It sounds quite incredible as many 70's bands (including arti & mestieri) normally have 1, 2 original members, but IL CASTELLO has THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP!!!

In recent years Dino left the band for a while but now he's back, Great!!!

Il Castello di Atlante's style is authentic 100% pure Italian prog.

I've produced all their albums, starting in the 90's with their first ones when I was producing prog with my friend Massimo Buffa (Vinyl Magic and later BTF) that shared the same passion for the progressive world that was "returning" and you can find those albums at his site, www.btf.it

And now, in this tour IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE will present their 7th album: "TRA LE ANTICHE MURA" confirming the continuing path of Italian prog

It appears on "Prog Italiano" Electromantic Music's sub label that handles Italian prog.

Electromantic music and the artists thanks deeply HIROSHI MASUDA, who's great passion has helped help and allowed to make this long time dream the band had, to come true!!!

Stay happy and enjoy music everyday, everyone!

Beppe

----------------------------------

日本の皆さんへ、

日本のみんなに、とっても興味のある驚くニュースがあるよ!それはね、11月に「Il Castello di Atlante」が来日することだよ!

日本で、イタリアのグループが、5日間のコンサートをするこの特別な機会があるのは何年ぶりだろう!スゴイ!

Il Castello di Atlanteは、とても「ユニーク」なグループだ。
ドラムにPaolo Ferraotti, ギターにAldo Bergamini, バイオリンにMassimo Di Lauro, ベースにDino Floreを率いて1974年に結成。1982年に、Roberto Giordanoがキーボードとして参加した。Paoloと、Aldo, Robertoは、リード・シンガーでもあるんだ。

彼らは、このオリジナル・ラインナップで日本へ行くよ!

70年代のバンドは、arti&mestieri含めて、普通一人や二人のメンバーが変わるものだけど、Il Castelloは、まさにオリジナルのメンバー!!!

Dinoがバンドをしばらく辞めていたが、彼は戻ってきたんだ。サイコーだね!!

Il Castello di Atranteのスタイルは、100パーセント純粋なイタリア・プログだよ。

僕は、プログ友達のMassimo Buffa(Vinyl MagicレーベルからBTFに移動)と彼らのアルバムをすべてプロデュースしたんだ。そのアルバムは、BTFのウェブサイトに載っているよ。www.btf.it

それから、この日本ツアーにかけて、7枚目のアルバム「TRA LE ANTICHE MURA」をリリースするよ。イタリア・プログの道を歩み続けるという確認の意味でね。

彼らについては、Electromantic Musicのサブ・レーベル、「Prog Italiano」で見つけられるよ。

Electromantic MusicとIl Castello di Atlamteのアーティスト達は、この長年の夢を叶えてくれたマスダ ヒロシさんに深く感謝しています。

それではハッピーで、毎日音楽を楽しんで!

Beppe

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

29. DAVID JACKSON AT ELECTROMANTIC SYNERGY STUDIO


My Dear Japanese friends

I'm happy to talk with you about David Jackson who recorded in my studio a few days ago.

He's the talented musician that all of you know and he's a special person as well.

In Italy he's still quite known since the 70's (Van Der Graaf Generator were quite known in Italy at that time: in 1972's Hit Parade they were the only artist to have 3 albums in top places and I'm talking of "Pawn Hearts", "The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other" and "68/71".

And you know that 1972 was a very rich year, as far as "classic albums" are concerned and they reached top places with 3 albums, in the "beautiful Italian 1972"!

..."those were the days!!!:

In that year Pink Floyd had 2 LPs in Hit Parade, , "Obscured by Clouds" and "Meddle"
- Jethro Tull had "Thick as A Brick" and "Living In The Past!"
- ELP had "Trilogy" and "Pictures at an Exhibition" and it was the year of:

John Lennon's "Imagine", Deep Purple's "Machine Head", Led Zeppelin's "IV", Elton John "Honky Chateau", The Stones' "Exile on Main Street", “Clockwork Orange”, PM's "Storia di un minuto", Orme's "un Uomo di Pezza". "The Godfather" and without talkin' of Italian top artist like Mina, Celentano, De Andre', Battisti... but only Vand Der Graa, in all that rich year had 3 LPs on Hit Parade, great!

So, going "back" to these days David recorded in my Electromantic Synergy Studio for..... I like to leave you ... in a mystery for a while... but I can just tell you that there will be another "big" surprise on the same project.

He's done some very interesting performances that will be ..on an
Electromantic Music Production ... soon!

And at the night of that beautiful ... another special event, which made
"that completed the day": with David we attended at Vittorio De Scalzi's concert in acoustic trio in an old church, in the wood, quite beautiful atmosphere and it was a great gig really by Vittorio and his trio!

It was a tribute to Franco Vassia's wife who died 2 years ago and every year there's a concert (Last year it was Roberto Cacciapaglia), and it's organized by Franco himself. Franco is publishing "Nobody's Land" an appreciated Italian magazine/fanzine and he has written the book "I campi della memoria" with interviews to top progressive musicians, for "Electromantic Music".

In this summer, David has been several times in Italy, performing with "Osanna"!

A great day with David, an unexpected night with David and Vittorio and...more news soon about the "mystery", on this blog, soon!

in the meantime,

Stay happy,

Beppe

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

28. NOCTURNE MUSIC & ELECTROMANTIC NIGHT


My dear Japanese friends,

Today's chapter is dedicated to Nocturne Music and to the nocturne compilation, by Electromantic Music, featuring mostly artists of the Turin Jazz Rock School: "Electromantic Nights".
8trailer on You Tube - http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=ppA3B83ZUoY.

In classical music we find the word "nocturne" and sometimes its Italian equivalent, "notturno", in pieces of music, mostly in a single movement, sometimes evocative of the night, or simply sometimes pieces that had to be performed at night (and this intentions are the same that are behind the CD that I'm introducing to you)

Probably the most famous classical "nocturne" piece is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

In the fifties we had "nocturne D.J:" like the famous Wolfman's Jack that appeared in "American Graffiti" (it was really interpreting...himself
...getting for its participation a "small percentage" that ... gave him financial "certainty", due to the big success the film has had.

In the eighties we had "The Nightfly"

"The Nightfly" is the title track and it is appropriate - This song is about DJ Lester, Jazz and Conversation. The album is about - a combination of jazz oriented music and conversation themes (love, war and the bomb, what the future will be).

"The Nightfly" in a certain way is a concept album. In the CD's liner notes, Fagen says that the songs on this album "represent certain fantasies that might of been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties".
... in the night.

This album, one of the best in... music history, in my opinion, has been a big influence on defining "nocturne" Radio Shows all over the world, and also contributed a lot to the birth of a certain kind of "nocturne" music, relaxed, but full of emotion at the same time, mostly Slow, but intense, calm but often sensual, refined, elegant, sometimes melancholic.

I like to play, perform and compose in the night, and it’s the time, before goin' to bed, while I'm listening to the radio.
I like to listen to that "moody" music, with some talks, stories between songs. In Italy we have RAI, Notturno Italiano (RAI INTERNATIONAL), Radio Montecarlo, Radio capital.

So I have found in Electromantic Music's catalog, what could represent "night feelings and this variety of precise moods) and I've liked to find specifically a right succession between songs, like a concept album ... with a precise path for the listener, like moving ... in the night.

On the album we find mostly artists from the "Turin Jazz Rock Catalog" and other artists from Electromantic productions, like Aldo Tagliapietra's "il mio canto libero" or Slep "Take it as it comes" that are perfect in the mood, as well as Morera, that's been produced by Romeo Ferrero, arti & mestieri's producer in the eighties (Acquario and Children's Blues). At the same time we have the pleasure of listening to special guests like Dave Liebman, Alex Acuna, Steve Gadd and Flavio Boltro.

Track List

1 L'albero del Pane (Venegoni & co)
2 Sun (arti & mestieri)
3 It's 4 you! (Beppe Crovella)
4 Il mIo canto libero (Aldo Tagliapietra's Il Nostro Canto libero)
5 La Corazza e Le rose (Furio Chirico & friends)
(composed by original arti & mestieri's Arturo Vitale)
6 Besasme Mucho (Marco Gallesi)
7 For You (Blue Indigo)
8 A Song For The Viados (Freelance)
9 Emozioni (Beppe Crovella)
10 Maya (Esagono)
11Capiozzo (Chirico Camarca projest)
12 Pastorale (Paolo Ricca)
13 Venus (Cresci - Tattara)
14 Quarto Di Luna (arti & mestieri)
15 Solo PAra Ti (Morera)
16 Bibuscka (Venegoni)
17 Orizzonte (Furio Chirico & Friends)
composed by actual arti & mestieri's Marco Roagna
18 Take It As It Comes (Slep & The Red House)
19 Rain On Chet (Beppe Crovella)

I invite you to see the relative video on YouTube - http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=ppA3B83ZUoY, with extracts form each tune:


Stay happy

Beppe

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

27. PROG FESTIVAL IN SARDINIA



My dear Japanese friends,

Prog Festival in Italy, in the 70's have been a basic "trade-mark" of the fabulous creative state of our country in those years.

We were really a "leading country" in that sense.

I remember an interview with "Gentle Giant" on "Melody Maker" in which they said that ... while in England they played in clubs and small clubs, in Italy they played in what we called "Palazzo Dello Sport" in front of audiences of 5,000 or even 8 or 10 thousands of people.
Every big Prog and Jazz-Rock bands wanted to come to Italy as mush as possible! In fact I still remember a fantastic Sunday afternoon in Novara, at "Palazzetto Dello Sport", totally sold-out, that day, attending (I was in the front line) at a double concert with Jehtro Tull (presenting "Thick as a Brick" and "Gentle Giant"!

And "Gentle Giant" made also an Italian tour with us, "arti & mestieri" that was unbelievable!

Arti & mestieri's debut was at Parco lambro .. in front of 45,000 people, what an emotion!!!!

Yes, 70's have been also the "Season of Great Concerts", in Italy.

And now in Sardinia, at Sestu, near Cagliari we've had the third edition of "in Progress...One", a Prog Festival that's become extremely important in Italy.
As arti & mestieri we've been in Sestu at the first Edition of the Festival (You can see several extracts on "33")

This year the Festival has presented:

NEW TROLLS & ORCHESTRA in CONCERTO GROSSO TRILOGY LIVE

CONCERTO RITMATICA, with seminars and (rare) videos with FURIO CHIRICO (arti & mestieri), PIER LUIGI CALDERONI (BMS), GIGI CAVALLI COCCHI (Mangala Vallis).
On bass ROBY PUGGIONI.
A second seminar with FURIO CHIRICO took place too, in those days.

Il CASTELLO DI ATLANTE

I COLLEGIUM (Genesis' tribute band)

An Exhibition of Records, Photos and instruments for recordings.

Local Folk Group, I "Nuraghi" and typical Sardinian Puppet Shows.

And a very interesting competition for Prog Compositions, called “COMPROGRESS ‘08” for group all over Italy, that has been won by Electromantic music's band, "MALIBRAN", lead by GIUSEPPE SCARAVILLI, whose new album "TRASPARENZE" is goin' out very soon on "Electromantic music", on its "Prog Italiano" catalogue.

Thanks to people like Pierpaolo Meloni, and to an efficient participation of the city of Sestu, with its "Assessorati", of an Association like "Medit Europa" we've had this beautiful festival with Local Sardinian culture coupled with the Italian Progressive.

Ps...If you come to Italy, don’t forget SARDINIA, it's unique!

"Long Live to Sestu's "In Progress...one"!!!

Stay happy,

Beppe

***************************************

日本の皆さんへ、

70年代におけるイタリアのプログフェルティバルは、その当時は我が国の素晴らしい創造的状態の基本的な「トレードマーク」であった。

その意味で、僕たちは本当に「先進国」でした。

「メロディー・メイカー」での「Gentle Giant」のインタビューを覚えている。
イギリスでは、小さなクラブで演奏しているのに、イタリアでは、「パラッツォ・デロ・スポーツ」と呼ばれる、5千いや、8千、1万もの観客を目の前にして演奏した。どのビッグなプログ・バンドやジャズ・ロック・バンドは、できるだけイタリアに行きたかったんだ。実際に、日曜日の午後、Novaraでの「パラッツォ・デロ・スポーツ」で行われたJehtro Tull(今はTrick as a Brick)とGentle Giantbのダブルコンサートが、完売だったのを覚えているよ。僕は、1番前だったね。

それから、Gentle Giantが、僕たちarti&mestieriとイタリア・ツアーをしたのにはまだ信じられない!

arti&mestieriがデビューしたのは、4万5千人の前、Parco Lamboでだよ。なんて感激なことだろう!

そうそう、70年代のイタリアでは「素晴らしいコンサートの季節」とも言われていたんだ。

今では、Cagliari近辺のSestuで僕たちも出演した3度目のプログ・フェスティバルが非常に重要になっている。arti&mestieriとして第1回のSestuでのフェスティバルから僕たちは演奏したんだ。その模様のビデオが、僕たちのMySpaceで見られるよ。

今回のフェスティバルは、
CONCERTO GROSSO TRILOGY LIVEでは、 NEW TROLLS & ORCHESTRAが演奏し、セミナーCONCERTO RITMATICAでは、FURIO CHIRICOや、BMSのPIER LUIGI CALDERONI、Mangala VallisのGIGI、そしてベースのROBY PUGGIONIの珍しいビデオが見られたり、他のセミナーでは、FURIO CHIRICOが行っていた。

IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTEやI COLLUGIUMの演奏もあり、レコード、写真、レコーディング機器などの展示会もあったし、ローカルバンド「Nuraghi」のショーや、Sardinia人による人形劇もあった。

そして、「コンプログレス08」と呼ばれる、大変面白いプログの作曲コンテストがあるんだ。GIUSEPPE SCARAVELLI率いるElectromantic Musicのバンド「MALIBRA」が賞を取ったことがあるんだよ。ニューアルバム「TRASPARENZE」がもうすぐElectromantic Musicの Prog Italianoレーベルから発売されるよ。

Pierpaolo Meloniには感謝したいし、Sestu都市の効率的な参加にも感謝したい。

PS.もしイタリアに来ることがあれば、サルディーニャのことも忘れないで欲しい。とてもユニークなところさ。

それではハッピーでね!

Beppe

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

26. LUCIO BATTISTI


My dear Japanese friends,

10 years ago Lucio Battisti died, exactly it was 10 years ago today,
September 9, 1998.

Lucio Battisti has been extremely important in the Italian music history of last 50 years.

He's been a really great songwriter, writings songs that...everyone in
Italy knows. Almost every single and every LPs he did became huge hits although they weren't typical Italian songs.

His songs were absolutely original in their form, maintaining a deep melodic content, with a lot, lot of passion, drama, intensity of emotion and variety of colours, with unusual arrangements.

Each song had its own personality, they were quite "progressive" several times, for example a song like "Mi Ritorni in Mente" had several different parts, changing tempos, classical music's diminuendos, changin' moods, re-interpreting Italian melodramas as well as American rhythms and blues,

Franz Di Cioccio, PFM's drummer that you certainly know, has written recently a book with the writer Riccardo Bertoncelli, about Lucio, as he played in several Lucio's song, and I've just ordered as it will be surely of great interest, with a lot of "unknown" things about Battisti's art.
(Sulle Corde di Lucio di Franz Di Cioccio e Riccardo Bertoncelli).

I dedicated a CD to Lucio, called "Hammond Homage: Lucio Battisti", with my great love, the Hammond Organ, as main actor, I re-arranged lucio's Songs as they were my tune, givin great importance to the way that Lucio sang the lyrics.

In fact, in front of me, while I was recording it, in my studio I hadn't the original score, but I had the lyrics, written by Mogol (who wrote an incredible quantity of lyrics of Italian songs, including PFM's hit, "impressioni Di Settembre".

In Battisti's music the lyrics are extremely important; Mogol words become "one thing", often "one sound" with Battisti's music creating something unique and beautiful.

As in the title of the song "Mi Ritorni iN mente" (You came back in my mind), Mogol-Battisti's music will come back in many minds for years and years.

I'll be back soon,
in the meantime,

Stay Happy,

Beppe

----------------------------

日本の友達へ、

今日は、ルーチォ・バッティスティが亡くなってからちょうど10年が経つ。
1998年9月9日だった。

ルーチォ・バッティスティは、この50年間、イタリアの音楽において大変重要な存在だった。

彼は、イタリアの誰もが知っている素晴らしい曲を書いてきた。彼の歌は、典型的なイタリアの歌ではなかったけれども、リリースされた殆どのシングルやLPが大ヒットになった。

彼の歌は、深いメロディで、情熱的で、ドラマ的、感情の強度とバラエティに及ぶ色、そして珍しいアレンジで、全くオリジナルのものだった。

各歌には、個性があった。いくつかは「プログレ」であった。例えば、「Mi Ritorni in Mente」のような曲では、いくらか違った部分があり、テンポも変えて、クラシック音楽のディミヌエンドがあり、ムードを変えて、アメリカのリズム&ブルースと同様イタリアのメロドラマを再び解釈した感じ。

PEMのドラマー、フランツ・ディ・チォッチオは、最近、作家リカルド・ベルトンセリと共にルーチォについて本を書いた。フランツは、いくらかのルーチォの曲を弾いたんだ。僕は、この本を注文したばかりだけど、ルーチォの芸術において、「知らされていない」事実が沢山あるかと思うと、とても興味があるね。

僕は、「Hammond Homage」というルーチォに捧げるアルバムを作った。
僕の愛するハモンド・オルガンで、彼の曲をまるで僕の曲のようにアレンジして。

実際、レコーディングをしている時、僕の手元にオリジナルの楽譜がなかったんだ。でも、モゴールによって書かれた歌詞があった。モゴールは、PFMのヒット曲「Impressioni Di Settembre」と含め、多くのイタリアの歌を作詞してきたんだ。

ルーチォの音楽において、歌詞は非常に大切なんだ。モゴールの言葉は「1つ」主に「1つの音」になる。それが、ルーチォの音楽をユニークで美しいものにするんだ。

「Mi Ritorni In Mente」(あなたは私の心に戻る)という歌のタイトルのように、モゴール/バッティスティの音楽は、何年も何年も心に戻ることでしょう。

それでは、また戻るね。それまで、ハッピーで!

Beppe

Saturday, August 23, 2008

25. ART AND OLYMPIC GAMES


My dear Japanese friends,

In these days in every country all over the world everyone is watching and listening to the exciting Olympic games.

"Why Beppe is talking about that?" someone would say.

The answer is easy, as simply I've been thinking that in some ways, athletes and artists are on similar paths and I like to give evidence to this factor.

You know, the incredible dedication that's needed, with working, doing exercises, and so on, every day is very similar to an artist's life, as he's continually exploring, studying, playing to make his art perfect, his music with a precise goal in mind, similar in certain ways to the goals of an athlete.

This energy, this full determination, this high concentration in an artist's life is very very intense in the arts in general, specifically in Music but also in the sports.

So a lot of admiration to the ones who are dedicating their whole life to a positive and/or creative purpose, with in mind an athletic goals or creative goal. Obviously I have my greatest admiration and deeper feelings towards music, towards all the arts, but I admire sports, and I'll tell you, ... the excitement that sport has given me and it's still givin' to me, as in Olympic Games.

And how beautiful has been to see the 2 athletes form Russia and from Georgia celebrating their success with love and serenity, together. Beautiful message!!! We need more of that!

In their own way, both have an inner peace and love, in harmony with their goals, and in their own way each one is contributing in creating a better world, an example of dedication to positive targets, an example of faith in man, his ability, his determination, and in imagination, in their own way, they help man towards reaching a better reality for everyone.

Stay happy,
BEPPE

----------------------------------------------------------------
日本の友達へ、

ここ最近、世界中のどこの国でも興奮させるオリンピックを見ていたり、聞いていたりしてるよね。

何故、ベッペがそんなこと話すの?と言うかもしれないね。

答えは簡単。何だか、競技選手と芸術家って同じ道を歩んでいると思っているんだ。それについて話すよ。

競技者たちは、信じられないほど努力して、練習して、専念している。まるで、芸術家と同じ生活だよ。探究して、勉強して、完璧な芸術を創るため、精密な目標を念頭に演奏しているところが、ゴールドメダルを目指す選手たちと似ているんじゃないかな。

一般的に、芸術家の人生におけるエネルギー、完全な決断、高度な集中力は、非常に真剣であり、音楽だけではなくスポーツにおいても言えることだ。

そのことから、人生で運動競技の目標、創造の目標がある人は、とても感心される。明らかに、僕は、音楽とすべての芸術に対して最も大きい賛美とより深い気持ちを持っているが、スポーツにおいても、賞賛しているんだよ。スポーツがくれる興奮、オリンピックを見ていると興奮するんだ。

そして、ロシアからの選手とジョージアからの選手が共に成功を祝っているのを見るのは、何とも美しいことだろう。美しいメッセージだよね!僕たちには、もっとこういうのが必要なんだよ。

彼らはそれなりに、目標の調和において、お互いが心の安らぎと愛を持っていて、それぞれが来世を創設するのに貢献していることは、ポジティブな目標への専念に関する例、人として信頼する例、能力、決断力、想像において、より現実のものに達するよう人を助けているんだ。

ハッピーでね!
Beppe

Saturday, August 16, 2008

24. BEPPE CROVELLA IN TOKYO AT STB 139 - Photo and video reportage

My dear Japanese friends,

After some weeks, sometimes I'm still in a kind of "Japan state of mind". I've been there for a few days, but it had been rich of excitement, fun, adventure and communication on stage and out of stage.

Here enclosed you'll find what I call ELECTROMANTICOLLAGE, that's a collection of photos (primarily by Naoju Nakamura, with a couple of photos by Esagono's Giorgio Diaferia) that portraits moments from concert and in Tokyo.



At the same time you'll find 2 videos, they have been extracted from the videos of the concert of my first night in Tokyo, at STB 139.

You can find the videos at myspace

and on youtube.
BEPPE CROVELLA SOLO PIANO TOKYO part 1
BEPPE CROVELLA SOLOPIANO TOKYO 2


I like to thank Naoju Nakamura, his passion for music and all staff at STB 139.

I like to thank Yamamoto Kaoru for her Radio interview on "A Taste of Jazz", Anna Cenerini Bova, Italian Ambassador in Japan, for attending at the concert, my great friend Tatsurou Ueda for the 'day after party', in which ... I had the pleasure of dancing tango with a beautiful girl too, and all the fans that attended at the concert.

At I can't forget the beauty I saw with a special accent on the Nijo Castle, in Kyoto, whose echoes of my visit there, are reflecting in my memories every day since then.

... see you back in Japan... with something new... in ....

I'll be back soon on my Blog,

in the meantime,

Stay happy


Beppe

************************

日本の友達へ、

日本から戻って、数週間経つけど、僕の心はまだ、「日本」だね。日本には数日しかいなかったけど、とにかく興奮、楽しみ、冒険に溢れてた。

ここに、「エレクトロマンティコラージュ」と名付けた写真を見せよう。


東京でのコンサート、中村尚樹、そして、エサゴノのジョルジオ・ディアフェリアの撮った写真を集めたものだ。

こちらは、ビデオ・クリップの紹介。
東京 STB 139初日でのライブクリップ。

僕のMySpace

YouTube:
BEPPE CROVELLA SOLO PIANO TOKYO part 1
BEPPE CROVELLA SOLOPIANO TOKYO 2

中村尚樹の音楽に対するパッション、そしてSTB 139 のスタッフには、とても感謝しているよ。

そして、ラジオ番組「A Taste if Jazz」でのインタビューをしてくれたカオル・ヤマモト、コンサートに来てくれた、日本のイタリア大使館のアンナ・セネリニ・ボヴァ、美しい女性とタンゴを踊って楽しかったパーティを企画してくれた、僕の親友タツロウ・ウエダ、そして、コンサートに来てくれたファンのみんなに感謝を言いたい。

京都の二条城で見た美しさは、毎日忘れられない。

また日本で会おう。何か新しくなって。

またブログを書くよ。
それまで、ハッピーで!

Beppe

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

23. ESAGONO AT STB 139 SWEET BASIL - Photo and audio video reportage



My dear Japanese friend,

My new chapter on my Blog is the Photographic Reportage, that I have assembled like a collage, typically in Electromantic Style,
ELECROMANTICOLLAGE using the very interesting and expressive NAOJU NAKAMURA’s photos.

Sometimes images communicate better than words!

At the same time I invite you at 2 videos, two songs from Esagono, extracted from the June 27 show, on YOUTUBE:

“Vicolo”, the title track of their first LP/CD and Ennio Morricone’s
“Metti una sera a cena”


VICOLO

METTI UNA SERA A CENA


I’ll be back soon,
Stay happy,

Beppe
-----------------------------------------------

日本のお友達へ、

今回のブログは、コラージュのように写真を集めた写真ルポルタージュ。
中村尚樹の大変面白く、表現的な写真を使用したエレクトロマンティコラージュ、つまり、エレクトロマンティック・スタイルさ。

時々、イメージの方が言葉より伝わるからね。

それから、6月27日のショーでのESAGONOの曲「VICOLO」と「METTI UNA SERA A CENA」のビデオクリップの紹介。下のリンクから、YouTubeに行きます。

VICOLO

METTI UNA SERA A CENA

それでは、また。ハッピーで!

Beppe

Thursday, July 10, 2008

22. LIVE IN TOKYO

My dear Japanese friends,

June 26 and June 27 have been really 2 exciting nights in Tokyo for Esaogno and me.

For me it has been a great pleasure to be back in Tokyo, at STB 139 where I played a couple of years ago with C3 (with Furio Chirico and Roberto Cassetta).

For Esagono it has been a real pleasure to play there their first concerts in japan!



We all thank you Naouju Nakamura (and his passion) for this opportunity (Naoju is with us on the photo).

STB 139 is really a nice place, with its own "mood" that really invites musicians to give their best. The stuff is very efficient, alert and friendly, and, in a few words: "we love STB 139".

I fell in love almost immediately with the Great Grand Piano Yamaha C7 that's stably at the club, and Esagono found really what they had been asking for.

Personally I want to thank you Yamamoto Kaoru, for her highly professional, detailed and rich interview she gave me for her space on "A TASTE OF JAZZ".

Esagono and I thank you so much Fujiino Sakai, of "Moridaira Musica Inst, Co, LTD." for help and for supplying Warwick amps, Clavier keyboard and more for the show.

And we we're glad and honored to se, at our second concert, Mrs. Anna Cenerini Bova (Embassy of Italy in Japan).

...and I personally thank Tatsurou Ueda, Hiroshi Nagano, Yoko and all the friends at last night party... I wouldn't have ever said that I would have danced argentine tango with a very nice Japanese girl during these days in Tokyo!

And a very special thank you to Horiuchi (D Wonderland). The day after the concert I was almost captured by the beauty and the "mood"
I've found in.

So at the end, simply, everything was really ok, sincerely we loved to play, we loved the food, we loved the place (thank you to Ibis hotel as well) and thank you from our heart to all of you, dear Japanese friends.

In my next Blog, photos and video link from the concert.

In the meantime, stay happy,

Beppe

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

21. MY PIANO SOLO CONCERTS IN TOKYO


My dear Japanese friends

Tomorrow morning I'll meet Esagono at Turin's airport, Caselle and we'll go to Rome and from Rome to Tokyo.

I'm re-experiencing the pleasure and excitement of comin' in Japan.

First of all I want to give you a picture of the scene you'll find.

I will play tunes from "Pianovagando" my solo piano album that's comin’ out very soon, next month, as well as pieces from arti & mestieri's repertoire, a couple of Beatles & Stones' classics and some totally improvised pieces.

Basically As "Pianovagando" with 57 pieces focus on me as a Composer and interpreter with just some improvisations, the live concert is quite different, starting from the tunes and improvising a lot.

My live concept of improvisations is so free as well as with the character of becoming structured as the tunes goes on, "linked by surprise".

I mean I like to improvise real themes, chord sequences, rhythm, riffs, melodies & more melodies, creating moods, dynamics and so on so much "on the spot", on that moment with obviously an high degree that unpredictability is the only certainty!

With these premises, obviously, the audience, the place, the piano, the unique atmosphere of those nights, of those moments will switch on passion, emotion, colours, adventure games and ... more!

I will seat in front of a wonderful Yamaha Grand Piano

On Tuesday and I'll start with "Alba mediterranea" a piece I wrote for arti & mestieri and that I composed, inspired by a dawn in Sardinia, years ago.

After I'll play "Gianfranco" dedicated to arti & mestieri's singer that died on '86 a very romantic melancholic tune.

Next tune. "Over the Ocean" is a modal Hard boppish tunes I wrote the first time I flight over the ocean.

After there will be a special rendition of "Eleanor Rigby", followed by a total improvisation piece called "STB 1".

Next there will be "Ode", inspired by the great poem by A, Shaughnessy.

After it there will be another full improvisation called "STB 3".

The end of the show will be "Birth"

The second night I will open with "Montmartre" dedicated to that fabulous moment in time in early '20's in Paris.

It will be followed by "Sin Fronteras".. that's passion extracted from my Spanish heart... no frontiers in art.

"Back Home" that come after, was composed after being on military services for the first 40 days, touching guns and ... no pianos for 40 days and getting this tune as soon as I reached my home and my great friend, my first vertical piano.

After that a Stones' Classic, "Paint It black", using black and white keys to re-paint it with my colours.

Then we have a full improvisation called "STB 2", followed by a piece dedicated to my little village, where I live, "S. Sebastiano" with echoes of old Italian popular music, so rich in melody and emotion as everyone knows everywhere, ...it's Italian DNA.

After that another full improvisation "STB 4" and at the end,.. "birth" as ... the world end is meaningless in the music world, so "birth" seemed the right way ... to end!

... Id' like to say more, but at this time I want the music speaks by itself letting the Piano translate my moods in emotional sounds for you.

my friends,

see you there,

till then,

stay happy,

BEPPE
*******************************

日本の友達へ、

明日の朝、トリノ空港でESAGONOのみんなに会って、その後、ローマに行き東京へ向かうよ。

日本にもうすぐ行けると思うと、また、喜びと興奮してくるよ!

それでは、まず、ライブで観られるシーンを教えよう。

初めに僕が弾く曲は、来月発売されるソロ・アルバム「Pianovagando」からだよ。そしてart&mestieriの曲、 Beatles & Stonesの曲、全く即興した曲もプレイするよ。

基本的に、57ピースある「Pianovagando」は、作曲として演出として、いくつか即興も加えながら焦点を置いている。ライブでは、即興が多いところが全く違うところだね。

僕のライブ即興の概念は、とても自由であり、曲が進むにつれて、構造化されて行く特徴を持っている。

つまり、僕は、真のリズム、和音系列、リズム、リフ、メロディー、ムード作り、ダイナミックさなどを即興するのが好きなんだよ。その瞬間、その場での予測できないのが、唯一の確実性なんだ。

これらを前提に、明らかに、観衆や、場所、ピアノ、ユニークな雰囲気の夜、その瞬間は、情熱に、感情、色、アドベンチャーゲームなどにスイッチを付けるでしょう!

僕は、素晴らしいヤマハのグランドピアノの前に座るんだ。

木曜日、ari&mestieriのために書いた曲「Alba Mediterranea」から始めるつもりだよ。

その後、「Glanfranco」を弾く。1986年に亡くなったartiのシンガーに捧げるとてもロマンチックで憂鬱的な曲さ。

次は、「Over the Ocean」。海の上を飛行機で飛んだ時、初めて書いた曲。

その後、「Eleanor Rigby」の特別な演奏をして、それから「STB1」と呼ぶ全くの即興曲を演奏する。

次に、素晴らしい詩人 A. Shaughnessy に感銘させられた「Ode」を演奏するよ。

次に、「STB3」と呼ぶ完全即興を演奏する予定。

最後の曲は、「Birth」。

2日目の最初は、20年代初期のパリの素晴らしい時に献呈する「Montmartre」で始めるよ。

その後、「Sin Fronteras」。これは、僕のスペインの心の情熱だ。芸術には、国境はない。

そして、「Back Home」。これは、兵役初めの40日間に書いたもの。40日間もピアノから離れて、鉄砲に触れていた。家に、友達に、そして、僕のピアノに戻ったらすぐ、この曲が出来たんだ。

その後に、ストーンズのクラシック、「Paint It Black」を演奏する予定。黒と白の鍵盤を、僕の色でペイントするんだ。

次に、「STB2」即興曲。そして、僕の住むサン・セバスティアーノの村に贈る曲なんだけど、古いイタリアのポピュラーミュージックで、メロディー豊かでどこの誰もが知っている曲だよ。

その後、完全な即興曲「STB4」を演奏して、「Birth」で演奏をくくる。
いかにも、世界の終わりは、音楽界の終わりとは無意味であるように。
だから、「Birth」は、終わりにはちょうどいい曲なんだ。

もっと言いたいことありけど、僕の感情的なサウンドのムードを自分のピアノで語ることにしよう。

それでは、日本で会おう。
それまで、ハッピーでね。

Beppe

Monday, June 23, 2008

20. ESAGONO INTRODUCE THEIR SHOWS IN TOKYO



Dear Japanese fans,

Now, “I give the word” to my friend Marco Cimino that will introduce Esagono’s shows in Japan.


Dear fans,
we are very glad for this terrific opportunity to come and play in your country. We are longing to perform our new CD to a well disposed audience, that knows well the entire tradition of Italian progressive and jazz rock, made in Turin. And for these Japanese concerts only we are planning to extend our track list including some old stuff from the original A&M and Esagono repertoire.

Here is our cue list of the concert:
Esagono Apocalypso Tour 2008

Apocalypso: an intro in overture form based on a recorded tape with many voices (from J.McCain to some scientists) speaking about pollution, Kyoto protocol, greenhouse effect, USA position on it, ending with Apocalpse Now extract "I like the smell of napalm in the morning..." We will play over it anticipating the atmosphere for:
Napalm, the starting track of our last CD, featuring Diego on soprano sax.

Seven steps among the clouds: Marco Gallesi's composition, which unfortunately couldn't come with us, but Massimo is such a great bass player. . The tune is a 7/4 tempo most of the time.

Metti una sera a cena ( maybe one night at dinner time): it is an Ennio Morricone composition, well known in Italy, but not so much abroad because it was one of the early Italian film score. Anyway Eumir Deodato has recently recorded it.
Diego plays clarinet.
Then comes Maia, one track taken from our debut album dated 1976 that we revisited for our last CD.
Guajira do amor: a 6/4 tune played for the first half part along with a sequecencer background as in the recording version.

Our bass player for this visit to Japan, Massimo Camarca, introduces himself performing one of his compositions, “For You” (written with Beppe Crovella).
Then it is the turn of Diego's composition "Spazi aperti" (open spaces), a ballad full of chords I always fear to forget.
For these two concerts we decided to recall some of our previous stuff. It is the case of "Vicolo" (it means Row), our first album title track, which with a 9/4 6/4 4/4 modular structure is always fascinating for us to play.

For the same occasion we prepared a Suite containing some Arti&Mestieri music: "Zoetrope" and "Terra incognita" from Murales and "Dimensione terra" from "Giro di valzer".
On "Musica nera" (black music), that I will shortly perform on alto flute, an instrument I always loved, Diego will play his clarinet.
Here is time for a new tune I wrote after the suggestion of this trip to Japan, nothing exotic, just my mood to come and visit this far away world. Temporary title "From Tokyo to Kyoto". On the second concert we will probably play "Giù la testa" another terrific Morricone's composition.

"Arena" an extract from our first album, composed by our drummer Giorgio Diaferia, tune that I mostly rearranged for this occasion, playing flute on the first part as in the recorded version.
"Leggenda metropolitana" (urban legend) ends our concert program, followed as encore by "Rainstick" with a drums solo and Arti&Mestieri's famous anthem
"Gravità 9.81" featuring our good friend Beppe Crovella on keyboards.

Marco Cimino

************************
日本のファンへ、

今度は、僕の友達、マルコ・チミノが、エサゴノのライブについて紹介するよ。

ファンのみんなへ、

僕たちは、君たちの国で演奏するというこの素晴らしい機会があって、とても嬉しいよ。トリノで作られたプログレやジャズ・ロックの全体の伝統を良く知っている、気だての良い観衆に、僕たちの新しいCDを演奏するのが待ちきれないよ。そして、このコンサートのためだけに、いくつかオリジナルのA&Mとエサゴノの古い曲も含みながら、演奏する曲を広げていくつもり。

これが、コンサートのリストだよ。

● エサゴノ「アポカリプソ」ツアー2008 ●
アポカリプソ:イントロは、J.マッケインから何人かの科学者の声のテープで始まる。汚染や京都議定書、温室効果について話していて、米国がそれをどう思うのか、黙示録で終わる。「朝のナパーム弾のにおいが好きだ・・・」というところから、演奏を始めるのさ。ナパームは、再新のCDのはじめの曲で、ディエゴのサックスがフィーチャーされているんだ。

雲のなかの7つのステップ:マルコ・ガレッシの作曲なんだけど、残念な事に、今回のライブには来れなかった。でも、マッシモ・カマルカも素晴らしいベース演奏者だよ。この曲は、4分の7拍子なんだ。

Metti Una Sera A Cena (多分ある夜の夕食時):これは、イタリアで良く知られているエンニオ・モリコーネの作曲。海外では、あまり知られてないようだね。彼は、初期の映画音楽家だったんだ。とにかく、エウミール・デオダードが最近録音したんだ。
ディエゴはクラリネットを演奏するよ。
それから、1976年のデビューアルバムからの曲、マヤ。これは、今回の新譜にもリバイスで入っているよ。

Guajira do amor: レコーディング・バージョンのように、シーケンサーをバックに前半は4分の6拍子で演奏される曲。

そして、このツアーでベースを担当するマッシモ・カマルカが、ベッペと作曲をした曲「あなたのために」を演奏。そのあと、ディエゴの作曲の「空間」。和音でいっぱいのバラード。
今回2回のコンサートにおいて、僕たちは、以前の曲も演奏することに決めたんだ。それが、「通り」という意味の「Vicolo」。僕たちのファースト・アルバムタイトルトラックさ。これが、4分の9拍子、4分の6拍子、4分の4拍子の構造で、いつも演奏するには魅力的なんだ。

それから、arti & mestieriの曲もいくつか用意している。
「Murales」からの「Zoetrope」と「Terra Incognita」、そして「Giro de Valzer」からの「Dimensione Terra」。

そして、間もなく僕が、僕の好きな楽器アルト・フルートで「Musica Nera」を演奏。そしてディエゴは、彼のクラリネットで演奏。

そして、ついに、日本公演を提案した後に書いた僕の新しい曲を披露。大してエキゾチックでもないけど、はるか日本へ訪れるという、僕のムードの曲さ。タイトルは、「東京から京都へ」ってところかな。2日目は、多分、また素晴らしいモリコーネの作品「Giu la Testa」を演奏するよ。

それから、ドラマーのジョルジオの作曲でファースト・アルバムの中の「Arena」を演奏。レコーディング・バージョンのように、最初の部分はフルートを吹いて、このライブでは、殆どアレンジをするよ。

「Leggenda Metropolitana」(都市伝説)で僕らのコンサートは終わる。
アンコールは、ドラム・ソロ有りの「Rainstick」。そして、僕たちの友人ベッペがキーボードに入って、arti & mestieriの有名なアンセム「Gravita 9.81」も演奏するよ。

マルコ・チミノ

19. ESAGONO


Dear Japanese friends,

I'm proud to introduce to you "Esagono"

Esagono is a 70's Italian band that can easily define a "Brother-Group" with arti & mestieri.

In fact founding member Marco Gallesi and Marco Cimino have had their part in arti & mestieri's life, the other founding member Giorgio Diaferia, as well as Claudio Montafia that was in the original line-up as well as Carlo Rindone, were around, were originally part of the arti & mestieri's entourage in some ways. We had some arti's guests as well and so this "brother group" developed their original style, living musically close to arti & mestieri, in the 70's spirit in the same city, Turin.

In the 70's they made an original album called "Vicolo", published by Electromantic music who's published also "Due" a live/studio album from the 70's and now their new album "Apocalypso".

Now I introduce in short the band that will play at STB 139

MARCO CIMINO

Marco has been in arti & mestieri in "Quinto Stato" and in the 1998 Reunion. He played and composed on "Murales" and he's present also in LIVE 2000, in "Articollezione" and obviously in 33 where you can find a lot Marco Gallesi, a founding member of both bands. He's a founding member in Esagono and he's the leader of "Freelance", another band of talented musicians in Turin Jazz Rock School Catalogue. He made a lot of TV music and music for documentaries. In 2002 Marco Cimino founded the new jazz band Doctor Jazz's Universal Remedy, whose first cd was released in Germany, in USA and Russia. Tracks were included on more than 70 compilations, one of these sold more than 250,000 copies all over the world (Hotel Costes 6).
www.doctorjazz.dj

GIORGIO DIAFERIA

He's founding member of Esagono and of another 70's Band now reprinted on Electromantic Music, "Combo Jazz". He's played extensively with top Italian and world jazz musicians: Gianni Negro, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Flavio Boltro, Alfredo Ponissi, Franco Cerri, Gulio Camarca, Claudio Fasoli, Diego Borotti, Paolo Birro, Marcello
Tonolo, Piero Leveratto, Riccardo Zegna, Aldo Zunino e tra gli stranieri con cui si è esibito : Bob Porcelli, Mark Levine, Johnny Griffin, Hal Stein, Carol Bach y Rita, Jenny Stein, Peter Guidi, Jim Snidero, Harvey Weinapel, Art Farmer, Slide Hampton, George Garzone.

DIEGO MASCHERPA

He has a long list of experiences in the jazz and rock world and even in the classical world. He's now a stable member of "Esagono" as well as with Paolo Ricca's Group with which he recently recorded "Volcano" out now on TJRS.

MASSIMO CAMARCA

Massimo, from years can be seen every week on national TV in Italy. He's played with top jazz names and top Italian pop names – Renato Sellani, Franco Cerri, Mario Rusca, Flavio Boltro, Roy Haines, Bob Porcelli, George Garzone, Jamie Glaser, Bill Cobham, Al Stein, Dick Pierce, Tommy Campbell, John Donaldson, Gary Chaffe, T.M.Stevens, Greg Bissonette, Cristiano De Andrè (tour ’90 ’91 ’92), Ornella Vanoni, Ranzie Mensah, Solomone Bourke (on his CD in 2003), Syria Tour ’05.
On live on national TV he’s played with Celinie Dion, Parcy Sledge, BB King and many many many other international names.

He's leader of "Blue Indigo" a group that's in TJRS as well as being in Chirico Camarca Project, with Furio Chirico and his gather, Giulio Camarca.

He will be main player in Beppe Crovella' new album "soulful traffic" out later this year.

Stay happy

Beppe

Saturday, June 21, 2008

18. TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL part 3


Dear Japanese friends,

In this century, the Jazz Rock tradition found in Electromantic Music a label that, with "uncontrollable" passion would have emphasized and expand at the same time, the inner nature of a group of musicians, coming originally form the 2 galaxies of jazz and rock, that with the label, become grouped officially under a precise name: "TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL".

As we have seen, with Venegoni & co. and Esagono we have the first example of the "after arti & mestieri" adventures in jazz-rock. We also see the first adventures in a sort of community as TJRS in a certain sense is.

With Esagono we have Marco Gallesi from "arti & mestieri", with guests Arturo Vitale and Giovanni Vigliar, and Gigi Venegoni who recorded the album. Marco Gallesi, bass player with Esagono and arti & mestieri and a stable presence in Furio's album has also an activity as soloist for TJRS. Marco Cimino later will become a member of arti & mestieri in "Quinto Stato" and will be a member of the band too in the reunion of 1998, till 2002. Giorgio Diaferia at the beginning was a student in Furio Chirico's school, on Electromantic music he appears with his band freelance as well, with a list of top musicians from jazz and rock.

With TJRS we see the official 3rd album of Venegoni & co. that hadn't been published before, as well a live recording on "Rumore Rosso live" and the new "Planetarium" (Furio is guest on a track).

Furio Chirico appears with 2 instructional videos, with a lot of musicians playing live in the studio, musicians that in some ways are part of TJRS:

Furio Chirico made 2 solo albums: "Furiosamente" with Paolo Ricca, Marco Gallesi, in more pieces and Gigi Venegoni and Beppe Crovella as guests.

Later Furio dedicated his album "Father To Son" to his child who died 2 years ago, and in this occasion we see all Furio's musician friend contribute with their composition and playing: Beppe Crovella, Gigi Venegoni, Arturo Vitale, Marco Gallesi (form original arti) , Marco Roagna, Lautaro Acosta, Roberto Cassetta, Iano Nicolo', Alfredo Ponissi, Beppe Crovella) form the actual line-up of the band.

Enrico Cresci who played with Esagono, with Beppe Crovella, on his solo Hannobd oriented album, and it's a member of Ebano (with Beppe Crovella) appears in a guitar duo album, "Holiday for Strings".

Massimo Camarca who will play with Esagono in Tokyo is a member of "Chirico Camarca project" and leader of "Blue Indigo" another band in TJRS that made the album "For You" (from a composition written with Beppe Crovella).

Paolo Ricca who played in "Furiosamente2 and in that period, live with Durio and Marco Gallesi appears on the label with 2 albums: "Batikk" which was recognized by journalist Matteo Ceschi as best album of the year, and the brand new "Volcano" that's just out on these days.

"C3" performed "zeta" by Paolo Ricca, on their concerts at STB 139.

On Ricca's albums we find musicians of jazz and rock area including drummer Maurizio Planker (drummer with Blue indigo too) and Diego Mascherpa.

Diego Mascherpa, is also a stable member of the new Esagono, and he will be in Tokyo, in the past he played also on a concert with arti & mestieri and string quartet, after having played with Furio, several times.

Giorgio Diaferia is Esagono's drummer in the seventies and now and he's the leader of "combo jazz" another TJRS band as well.

On "il Sogno di Archimede" we find 4 original members of "arti & mestieri" (Gigi, Arturo, Giovanni and Marco) with Massimo Artiglia, that in the 90's will become a member of Esagono.

At STB 139 we found the debut of "C3" with Beppe Crovella, Furio Chirico and Roberto Cassetta (CD and DVD are coming soon).

So you can see the interplay, the interaction between Turin's musician of the Turin Jazz Rock School, a unique sound form a peculiar community of musicians coming form jazz and rock.

On the CD Electromantic Night (Electromantic Music ECMT20071 TJRS) we find almost every musicians of the TJRS catalogue in a CD that's dedicated to sophisticated night music.

Stay happy,

Beppe

17. TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL pt. 2


Dear Japanese friends,

TURIN has had an artistic and also a jazzy Tradition.

In the early 70's several bands were born in Turin, attracted by this space "between" rock and jazz.

arti & mestieri have been the most important band in this sense and from them, from them we saw the appearance of new bands, following this path.

Turin has always had the character of a city full of contrasts, sometimes big contrasts, as the simple fact of being at the same time a city with a long artistic tradition, and, in last century by being the first in Italy to open his heart to cinema, radio, TV at the same time being FIAT's home.

I'm telling this preface as TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL captured these contrasts, emphasizing its dynamic value and extracting his artistic colours, quite deep, indeed.

Turin is not a relaxed City and the tensions on the city have found an artistic counterpart, an artistic mirror in Turin' jazz rock.

So in the Seventies we had Venegoni & co, who recorded from Cramps, as you know, two albums like "Rumore Rosso" and "Sarabanda" and Esagono, who was the first Italian band to have its own label, MU, with its LP, "Vicolo".

In the eighties, in Turin, as all over the world, we saw the directions of the Sixties and seventies, how could we say? ...in "pause" for a while.

The 80's have surely been interesting for the music these years produced, but at the same time the 60 & 70's movement these 2 decades, in a certain sense found a kind of "limbo", os suspension in time.

arti & mestieri changed their style or, it's better to say, Furio put together a really qualified ensemble of musicians, from the jazz and rock area, They played a lot, in Italy and in France too, doing two albums like "Acquario" and "Children's Blues" that, closer to 80's fusion style, are a very effective representation of the quality of artistic meeting between jazz and rock.

In the 90's we saw the appearance of "Chirico Camarca Project", with Furio Chirico, Giulio Camarca (who played iwth Giants of jazz Lice Chet baker, as you can see in the Chapter on Turin on arti & mestieri "33", and in the seventies he was in band called "Gialma 3" which had definitely many components in the middle areas of jazz and rock).

On "Chirico Camarca project" we see also Massimo Camarca, that's with Esagono in Tokyo, next week (a further example of the INTERCHANGE OF MUSICIANS BETWEEN BANDS" one of the main character of TJRS.

Massimo Camarca is a well-known bassist in Italy, that almost every week plays on national TV, on RAI 1, the main channel.

In the 90’s I made a very important album, in my career, "Kings Of Clubs", that gave me a lot of satisfactions; it's an instrumental album focusing on the Hammond organ.

In it I had the pleasure of having, as guests, some excellent musician, in the Turin area, coming from jazz, rock, blues world. Now it's out of print but it will be reprinted very soon when my new Hammond base album, "Soulful Traffic" will be out.

16 TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL Pt.1


Dear Japanese friends,

TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL is a catalogue, within the label ELECTROMANTIC MUSIC and it's a name that's been given to the unique combinations of jazz and rock musician, doing a personal identifiable jazz-rock music, from the city of Turin, in northern Italy.

In previous chapters of this blog we've seen that Turin had a well-defined jazzy tradition that in the 70's started to feel the attraction towards revolutionary rock music of that time.

We had bands like "Dedalus", "Il Sogno di Archimerde", "Living Life and obviously "arti & mestieri" that were attracted to this new fantastic area of musical expression "in the space between" jazz and rock.

Talking of "arti & mestieri" in our 33 years of activity we have been put sometimes with jazz-rock bands, sometime we have been put with progressive bands. In fact, if you listen to the band's repertoire you'll find sometimes, in tunes like "Valzer Per Domani" a precise jazzy mood, while in other like "Mirafiori" you'll find a kind of prototype of jazz-rock, and in songs like "Strips" you'll find a 100% progressive song with a classical interlude, lead by the violin in the middle of a vaguely "Crimsonian Song".

Songs like "Strips" would have never appeared in the repertoire of typical jazz-rock bands, while "Mirafiori" and "Valzer Per Domani" couldn't have appeared in the standard repertoire of a progressive band.

So "arti & mestieri" stay really "in between" the 2 styles, sometimes closer to jazz-rock, sometimes closer to prog, And I'll tell you, one of things than more then qny other gives us, "arti & mestieri", more satisfaction is when our music, more than "prog" or “Jazz rock" is defined "a la arti & emstieri".

As a new artistic adventure arti & metieri will record, later, this year 2 albums, in the meantime, this time "not being in between" but focusing each album on one of the 2 main style in which we're involved.

The progressive album will be called "Piramidi - Quadri di un'esplorazione", and it will be a long suite on the life of the "Italian Indiana Jones" based on Italian writer Marco Zatterins' book, called "Il Gigante Del Nilo". Marco Zatterin will also write the lyrics of the tune.

The other one called "Americanarti" will be a "full jazz-rock immersion"

I've done this intro with a short arti & mestieri's stylistic presentation as TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL has a lot to do with arti & mestieri, especially for what happened after arti & mestier and for what the band inspired his musicians and other musicians in the Turin area.

Beppe

Thursday, June 19, 2008

15. ONE WEEK BEFORE THE SHOWS IN JAPAN


Dear Japanese friends

It's one week before the shows in Tokyo.

The excitement is growing, and We hope to share the same excitement with you, and naturally we would like to see you there.

Esagono and I will be happy to meet you and talk to you after the show, of course, as playing in your country has something special (believe me it's not something I'm saying to you right now and I could say in next country I go and so on)
I'm often saying to other musicians and friends what it is and that's I like so much the "picture" of the musicians playing to a Japanese audience. And obviously when I'm within those musicians or I am the musician... wow!!!

Basically I like the "space" of that night.

I like the concentration of the audience, I like that "beautiful silence" before the start and between the tunes, I like your presence, your intensity of attention to the music that invites to abound in expression, in details, as well as to amount in emotion,

In the best night a performer really fell, in a certain sense the weight of the audience's feelings in every note and the intensity of the vibrations in the air, not just sound vibrations, increase and increase.

I like to thank Naoju Nakamura who made it possible, He introduced arti & mestieri's first concert in Japan, at Club Citta', he made us beautiful photos on those 2 nights, he invited, at STB 139 my trio,
C3, with Furio Chirico and Roberto Cassetta, he visited us in Italy to know each band of Turin Jazz Rock School, he wanted to know more and more about our "family" that's Turin Jazz rock School, he wanted to know personally each member of each band, to stay and talk with them, to make photos (tons of photos) to interview them, in a sentence he really wanted to penetrate deeply our world to better understanding it. Definitely he's a man with tons of passion.

Now I want to tell you something:
We all know music is business too, and business can help musicians to make his dreams become real, and that happens...sometimes!

Sometimes in the music business we find authentic merchants, not thinking too much about expanding creative chances for the artists.,,, but thinking how to expand the dimension of their pocket to have the right amount of space to get all the potential money from the artists, sometimes in not so "clean" ways, often with promises that will be forgotten soon and forgetting honesty towards artists and honest producers very, very, very easily.

Arti & mestieri and relative producer(s) to make an example have been suffering because of these circumstances in the past and ... in the recent past. I mean our great work, our clear intentions, our 1000 % honesty has found ...."different" behaviors on the other side!!

I could tell you more about this,,, but now I want to get out of this sad side of the music world, so let's give our attention to more clean aspects of the scene, and I want to say how much instead, I appreciate people who really share with musician the same kind of passion, who 're living in the same wavelength of emotion, puttin' music and art before money, sometimes risking because of this behavior.

What can a musician say when he meets a being like this one? He can just say thanks, and so thank you Naoju, for working for music with "the music and musicians" in mind before everything else.

I'd like to thanks also Yayoi for the work on this web site.

I want to thank all people who are promoting our concerts givin' more value to our journey to your country.

I can assure one thing or, better, two things:

1. I'll give you my best

2. Esagono will give you its best

In my opinion it couldn't be different knowing the whole "film" before the show, knowing the persons.

All the artistic work behind these concerts, all the organization behind it, all the investments of money to make it happen, in one sentence all the EFFORTS (and I write it in capital letters) really ask for that, and we, happy, grateful, excited, we will give you our best, sharing our emotions with you, making 2 unforgettable nights WITH YOU!!! These are our goals!!!

So till next week (during next week and after )

stay happy,

from my heart,

Beppe

PS but I'll be back tomorrow with next chapter of my Blog, dedicated to TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL

14. TURIN


My dear Japanese friends,

Today I will introduce to you the city of TURIN.

Turin is obviously where TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL is born and it's the city where musicians of the catalogue Called shortly TJRS, are living.

Turin (in Italian "Torino") has always had an artistic personality, coupled with an high intuition towards new ways of artistic expression, so there's surely a jazz tradition in Turin, starting from the 50's or even before, and in the 70's we had a very famous club, called "Swing Club" in which generations of jazz musicians played, including a long list of giants, in different jazz styles...from Chet Baker to Jean Luc Ponty.

For Turin the seventies were, in every sense, the roaring seventies and, in that authentic golden age, the Swing Club became an irresistible venues for Turin's jazz lovers. The "Swing Club", with its tiny red lantern above, at number 18, Via Botero. (Gian Carlo Roncaglia one of the most important all time Italian jazz writer - it's an extract from "33" by arti & mestieri
(www.aem33.com/www.myspace.com/artimestieri33)

There's a live recording of a band "before" arti & mestieri that's "Il Sogno di Archimede" with 4 members of arti & mestieri, that will be published later, this year.

Turin was the capital of Italy, before Rome.

The Italian Television began its broadcasts in an old building in centre of Turin. The cinema started in Turin, long before Rome's Cinecitta'
On 7h November 1896, the first movie show by the Lumiere brothers, took place at number 33, Via Po, in Turin. The first Italian film companies, the movie stars, the historic colossals, all started here. Now we're content with only the Mole Antonelliana's Cinema Museum, albeit one of the finest museums in the world.

(Sergio Ariotti - RAI and writer and producer for TV and Theathre)
It's an extract from "33" by arti & mestieri.

P.S. You can see Mole Antonelliana on the photo.

Turin's mood is similar to Paris, for certain aspects it's closer to Paris more than to other Italian city, even in Northern Italy, like Milan.

A fascinating aspect of Italy (one of the many fascinating faces Italy has) is that in Italy you can find really big differences as far as art, culture or food, not to speak of dialects, and so on, between different parts of Italy and not just between south and north or Centre Italy and Island. And sometimes even between close cities.

This high degree of differentiation is really a wonderful palette of colours of many different intensities...it's Italy!

So Turin had and has a clear artistic identity.

At the same he's of the greatest industry in the world of Cars, as FIAT, that's also owner of legendary names like Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo that are quite famous all over the world.

So here we see one the many contrasts on the many faces of a city, artistic on one side and master in car industry on the other and in the 70's when arti & mestieri were born we had a lot of tensions and contrasts as well, between students and university and secondary schools, between workers and Fiat.

In the seventies we had the appearance of a new generations of young musicians in Turin that, following Sixties revolution started to blend rock with the jazz tradition of Turin.

There's a lot mot more to say about Turin, as you've seen also in part during the last Winter Olympic Games, so we'll talk about the city, in the future and Turin will be on fo the recurring item on this blog, in some ways.

Next chapter of this blog will be TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL
(very soon)

till then ( and after)

stay happy

Beppe

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

13. JAZZ-ROCK part 7 - THE JAZZ-ROCK EXPLOSION

Joe Zawinul, pioneer, genius and master of Jazz-rock

Dear Japanese friends,

,,, in a week we'll be in Tokyo for the 2 concerts at STB 139 on June 26th and 27th.

----Reservation
call STB 139 at 03-5474-0139
Service hour: Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
E mail: herb@stb139.co.jp

In the meantime we go on with our quick but intense story of jazz-rock, and sharing these "roots" with you seems... the best intro for our 2 concerts in your country.

After the beginnings, jazz-rock spread its wings.

Since 1968 "rock-jazz/jazz-rock" started to "explode and expand" all over the world. This extraordinary meeting and blend of these 2 revolutionary styles of music both born in last century was spreading all over the world, creating many different exciting "musical scenes" with an extremely high degree of creativity.

Several groups (Soft Machine, Colosseum, Caravan, Nucleus, Chicago, Frank Zappa's band, Lifetime, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, to name just a few, and so on) had the same kind of idea at the same time (Perry Como would say ..it was a magic moment!)

Rockers became jazz-rockers focusing more on the impact of their dynamics, their energy, while jazzmen were becoming jazz-rockers focusing on sound, being smooth and elegant as well. At the beginning you could feel if the jazz-rockers came from jazz or rock but later the 2 intentions blended together more and more, and the new thing was so fresh and unpredictable that jazz-rock started to define the content of the style itself...by its own!

We can find obvious differences between what we define "progressive rock" and "jazz-rock" but one precise thing they had in common, and that's that they both had a "progressive attitude", I mean, simply, the intention to risk, the need of musical adventures in unexplored lands. creating what the...muse whispered, with a freedom from rules, styles, forms that had never been experienced before on this planet!

Once jazz music had been touched by rock music, it was merely natural that jazz musicians also adopted the instruments of rock music.

These things marked the first major revolution in jazz instrumentation since the early days of New Orleans jazz. In a few years jazz adopted the electric guitar, the bass guitar (replacing the double bass), the Hammond organ and all its successors (electric piano and synthesizers). Jazz-rock also adopted the rock way of using them. For example, the guitar and the keyboards now were treated as leading instruments, not part of the rhythm section. The rhythm section was pared down to bass and drums, and their work was almost unique in every band.

In the 1960s, basically, jazz musicians took two opposite views of where to go next: free musicians decided to turn the rhythm section mainly or essentially into a decorative element (percussion is a colouring device, not a time-keeping device), which almost inevitably led to the demise of melody, whereas Miles Davis and the other jazz-rock pioneers decided to anchor bebop/cool jazz to the most solid of all rhythms, the loud and steady rhythm of rock music a decision that almost inevitably led to the rise of melody.

In 1970, the trumpet player Miles Davis published a sumptuous double album called "Bitches Brew" which represents a turning point in the history of jazz music: It is the perfect synthesis between jazz and rock for long improvised pieces. The term "jazz rock" was born. The genre is characterized by an extreme decomposition of the tempo, providing more and more sophisticated, complex rhythms sections, a great tendency for virtuoso instrumentals, an approach for new technologies (with the launch of electronic instruments as the electric piano, synth), percussion materials and modulated, amplified sounds thanks to electronic effects. Among other artists who belong to this modern jazz tendency we can quote:

Among the main actors of jazz-rock were, the Miles Davis alumni, starting with Tony Williams, who was the first musician from a Miles' band, to have its own jazz-rock band, Tony Williams's Lifetime. Mile's alumni amplified, each one with his own path, Miles' Lesson: Hancock, Weather Reports, MAhavoshnu orchestra, Return To Forever...
What heaven! This revolution paralleled the revolution that we call free (or pseudo-free) jazz, goin' over numberless musical horizons.

The revolution had to do with rhythm, space, colours, freedom of … doing almost everything.

Under Rock-jazz idiom we found incredible rock band with brass like "Blood, Sweat & Tears" and "Chicago" (a similar line-up had "IF" in England), and in England we had English Jazz-Rock with Nucleus, Keith Tippet, Mike Westbrook Band, Mike Gibbs band, the Canterbury Scene with Soft machine, Caravan, Hatfield and The North, Egg, NAtional Health, and also Brand X, Isotope, and more. In Italy we had Area, arti & mestieri (although sometimes went into more progressive-rock lands) Perigeo, Napoli Centrale, Esagono, Agora', Baricentro, Libra, New trolls Atomic system with Tempi Dispari and more, and in Europe, Magma, Jasper van't hof, Wolfgang Dauner, Terje Ripdal, Ralph
Towner and many many more... we'll talk about ita kater (as IAn Carr would say..):: sorry for the ones I didn't mention in this first approach to this excellent list of jazz-rock heroes.

Jazz-rock music is typically instrumental, often with complex time signatures, metres, rhythmic patterns, and extended track lengths, featuring lengthy improvisations. Many prominent jazz-rock musicians are recognized as having a high level of virtuosity, combined with complex compositions and musical improvisation in metres rarely seen in other Western musical forms, perhaps best recognized in the work of jazz composers Dave Brubeck and Don Ellis.

The term “fusion”, later will refer, years later to a new dimension for blending together jazz, rock, world music, classical, or other influences into a concrete whole.

And next time we'll talk about TURIN JAZZ ROCK SCHOOL

Stay happy

Beppe

12. JAZZ-ROCK part 6 - EIGHT MILES HIGH with MILES


My dear Japanese friends

When I'm listening to some "magic moments" from Miles' Bitches Brew or other recordings live or in studio from Miles' Jazz-rock golden era, I get the idea that's a special gift comin' from...ten years after, ...miles away...comin' from eight miles high and ,,, sending me eight miles high!!!

I had this impression when it came out, years later, ten years ago and...now!

It was like an ideal blending, meeting, marriage of composition and imagination, of space and rhythm, of colours and transparency, of black and white, of harmony and silence, of exploration of "3D" in "instant" music.

Even before introducing Electricity and rock suggestions in Miles' music, Miles Davis's quintet featuring drummer Tony Williams, bassist Ron Carter, pianist Herbie Hancock and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter had pioneered a sound that was primarily just that: "sound"!

I like to focus on this "sound" element that was quite new for jazz and that in next Miles' works, especially "Bitches' Brew". "adding space" found in "sound and space" a brand new territory for jazz, making jazz-rock one of most important and probably the most unpredictable if not the most adventurous and risky moment in the history of jazz.

1968's album "Miles in the Sky" is the first of Davis' albums to
incorporate electric instruments, with Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter playing electric piano and bass guitar respectively on the track "Stuff," and George Benson added on electric guitar to the quintet for "Paraphernalia."

1968 saw the appearance of other Davis' explorations into the use of electric instruments with pianist Chick Corea and bassist Dave Holland with "Filles de Kilimandiaro" and while Tony Williams was creating another incredible band "lifetime", Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter departed the quintet. this last one by not being interested at the time in Davis' new direction.

Compositionally, these albums are on the same wavelength, including sharing a trademark of the purest high quality.

In 1969, Davis introduced the full-blown electric instrument approach to jazz with "In a Silent Way", which can really be considered as Davis's first jazz-rock album.

"in a silent way" is composed of two side-long suites, these are the results of heavy editing by producer Teo Macero (as later on Bitches' Brew): The serene mood, quiet atmosphere of this album will be also quite influential upon the development of ambient music.

The line-up was absolute marvellously as It featured musicians who would all go on to spread jazz-rock with their own groups in the 1970s: Shorter, Hancock, Corea, pianist Josef Zawinul, guitarist John McLaughlin, Holland, and Tony Williams.

Tony Williams quit Davis to form his own fusion band soon after, and over the course of three memorable days in August Davis recorded the sessions that would be released as the album Bitches Brew in 1970.

In addition to the previous musicians, the sessions included Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, Larry Young on electric piano, Harvey Brooks on bass guitar, percussionists Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Don Alias, and Juma Santos on percussions.

With "Bitches Brew" Miles Davis abandoned absolutely traditional jazz in favor of a style of improvisation more typical of rock, for its natural freedom, in some ways inspired by post-psychedelic-jam acts in San Francisco in those days, with emphasis on the backbeat.

A note on "back beat": in music the back beat is a term applied to the beats 2 and 4 in a 4/4 bar or a 12/8 bar as opposed to the odd downbeat, (quarter beat number 1, when you count it). In a simple 4/4 rhythm, 1 2 3 4, the 1st beat is the downbeat. Generally (but not absolutely), in rock, R & B, in certain Pop oriented song, backbeat are often accented.

"Bitches Brew" gave Davis a gold record, being the most selling jazz album till today, and created different feelings, including consternation within the 2traditional" jazz community and, that, in my opinion, is unbelievable and this "state" remains to this day!!!

Many critics and musicians didn't agree with Davis after his forays into the "electricity" in many sense, but... a genius that chooses to risk is even more genius than ever.

Davis would continue to work in the genre until his temporary retirement in 1975, releasing important albums like A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, Live at Fillmore, In Concert, On the Corner, Dark Magus, Agharta, and Pangaea.

And also sessions from this period were fashioned by producer Macero and Davis into the compilation albums Big Fun and Get Up With It.
Since the earliest experiments with replacing the tuba with the double bass and with removing the piano from the rhythm section, the changes in the rhythm section had reverberated so wildly and were quite important in creating entire new "jazz-rock lands".

One of the biggest regret in the recent decades has been the loss of the opportunity of the birth of a great new band (and world or I could say a brand new...galaxy) that would have seen the musical meeting in a band of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis as many voices were around this subject. ...and one of my favorite Hammond player, Larry Young, the Coltrane of the Hammond, had to be the 3rd star in the "unit". Can you imagine it?

"Bitches Brew" was a rich double album which really represents a turning point in the history of jazz music, of rock music, of jazz-rock, of MUSIC!

It is the perfect synthesis between jazz and rock for long improvised pieces. The term "jazz rock" was consolidated. The genre, characterized by an extreme decomposition of the tempo, providing more and more sophisticated, complex rhythms sections, a great tendency for virtuoso instrumentals, an approach for new technologies (with the launch of electronic instruments as the electric piano, synth), percussion materials and modulated, amplified sounds thanks to electronic effects. Among other artists who belong to this modern jazz tendency we can quote:

When Davis fused jazz with rock rhythm and soul melody (and even dissonance) in his visions of "space and colours" on Bitches Brew (1969), Davis definitely legitimized ulteriorly the new style, "jazz-rock", making it "History".

Stay happy, my friends
Beppe

11. JAZZ-ROCK part 5 - THE BIRTH OF JAZZ ROCK IN THE STATES with GARY BURTON


Dear Japanese friends,

Today I'll talk about the birth of Jazz-Rock in the States.
I told you in my previous writing on this Blog, that I'm thinking that there was definitely... "Something in the air" in those years all over the world, as people "with an ocean or more" between them, with no direct contacts and with not a big attention from media at the time, in the sense of seeing emphasized their attempts, had the same feelings, the same thinking and similar attitudes towards exploring new musical directions.

The first steps into the adventurous world of jazz-rock, in the States have been done by vibraphonist Gary Burton. He started with Stan Getz's quartet (1964-66), and he started his first experiment with rock rhythms on the album "The Time Machine" that featured bassist Steve Swallow.
On the same year, following this intention of goin' out of existing boundaries, he attempted also a fusion of jazz and country music on "Tennessee Firebird".

But, at the end.. ladies and gentlemen...the first jazz-rock album in the states is "Duster" by Gary Burton and his quartet with guitarist Larry Coryell, with Steve Swallow on bass and drummer Roy Haynes. Mike Gibbs and Roy Gibb complete the line-up. The album received a surprising; saw a prize for his "courage with a 5-star review from Down Beat when it was released.
Differently from "Open" who was really "open" to a modern new approach in blending several rock, jazz and new elements into new directions, although "Duster" is still more jazz than rock, Burton and his quartet definitely started "to look around"

The main factor that gives the album the "jazz-rock" factor, or it would be better to say, that gives to this originally oriented jazz album a more defined rock accent is Larry's Coryell guitar. Even before Larry Coryell had approached in some ways pop and rock with Free Spirits' album, "Out of Sight and Sound".
Burton's multi-mallet vibes attack is more intense and sharp than ever. The rhythm section with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Roy Hayes creates an interplay that fits perfectly with the new direction. There are undeniable "signs of future" on this album that will come to full completion in the late-'60s and throughout the '70s with the exciting evolution of "Jazz-rock", specifically the more sophisticated one.

Later Gary Burton embraced electronic keyboards for "Good Vibes", which was basically a rhythm'n'blues album in which he was pioneering a four-mallet technique. Burton built step by step his unique sound owing little to the jazz pioneers of the instrument like Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson. Down Beat magazine awarded him its Jazzman of the Year award in 1968. Although Burton's basic sound hadn't really changed from the previous year, his openness toward other styles made his Quartet one of the most interesting, "open" and significant jazz groups of the period. This was the also the first of the four Burton-Coryell recordings.

Such albums as "Duster" and the following "Lofty Fake Anagram" established Burton and his band as progenitors of the jazz-rock phenomenon.

DUSTER - track list

1. Ballet 4:57
2. Sweet Rain 4:26
3. Portsmouth Figurations 3:06
4. General Mojo's Well Laid Plan 5:00
5. One, Two, 1-2-3-4 5:59
6. Sing Me Softly of the Blues 4:08
7. Liturgy 3:29
8. Response 2:16
----------
Gary Burton Vibraphone
Larry Coryell Guitar
Mike Gibbs Trombone
Roy Gibbs Drums
Roy Haynes Drums
Steve Swallow Bass
----------

my dear friends, ...see you tomorrow with "miles"

till then,

stay happy

Beppe

Monday, June 16, 2008

10. "arti & mesteri" AT AN ITALIAN FESTIVAL - 1° PREMIO LEO CHIOSSO


Dear Japanese friends

I'm back from an Italian festival that happened yesterday night, in Cambiano, near Turin.

It was dedicated to LEO CHIOSSO, a very well known lyricist, in Italy, who wrote songs mainly for Fred Buscaglione (an important artist in the Italian musical scene, in the musical history of Turin, of which I talk in "33" for arti & mestieri, introducing him like an alternative artist, out of the boundaries of his time... on a similar wave length to arti & mestieris' approach in the sense of searching his "unique" artistic path, out of what was happening around him in that time).
Leo Chiosso also wrote songs for other Italian well known artists like Mina, Lelio Luttazzi, Johnny Dorelli, Giorgio Gaber, Rita Pavone.

The first Buscaglione-Chiosso hit was "Che bambola" of 1956; the song that brought Buscaglione to nation-wide celebrity and that without advertising and no promotion sold 980,000 copies!

In yesterday's festival, dedicated to Leo Chiosso, we had several well known artists from the Italian 60's & 70's.: Claudio Rocchi Giorgio Conte Goran Kuzminac Gian Pieretti, Donatello Maurizio Arcieri, Enzo Maolucci, in cluding with "arti & mestieri" another known band from Turin, now on "Electromantic Music", "Procession".

A curious thing: the very first song that I played live, on stage, in my life was "il Vento dell'Est" by Gian Pieretti as i told him yesterday night
(How can you forget the first time you played Live in front of an audience).

"Non dirne piu'", performed by Maurizio Arcieri, originally lead singer with New Dada, a 60's Italian band; it was a tune I played a lot in the sities wit my band, th "X5". "Non dirne piu'", originally called "Sick and Tired", was a Fats Domino's hot.

Yesterday I was happy to meet my friend Claudio Rocchi, a very well known and appreciated Italian artist in the 70', that I'm sure many Japanese friend know; Claudio Rocchi as well as arti & mestieri, has been with Cramps too (with his albums " A fuoco" and "non ce ne' per nessuono").

Originally he was with Stormy Six, later he started his solo career with "il Viaggio" (With Mauro Pagani as very special guest) an album that was very well accepted by critics and by Italian 70's audiences.
He conducted also "per Voi Giovani" the most important musical Radio Show, on national Radio in the end of 60's/70's who helped a lot in creating what has been called (especially in foreign countries) the fabulous Italian 70's. Yesterday He gave me his latest film, on DVD "Pedra Mendalza", a digital tale with music: I'm very interested on watching it sooon! Obviously we talked a lot about 60's, 70's, Cramps, Gianni Sassi, Per Voi Giovani and he told me an interesting, for all of you also, and that's Area's Paolo Tofani is coming back with a new project, soon.

I invite you to his very creative web site:
"www.claudiorocchi.com".

In the festival every "known" artist introduced one new talent, performing a tune in the artist's repertoire. The new artists were: Angeli di strada (performing Claudio's tune, "L'umana nostalgia), Sogni nel cassetto, Beatrice, Federico Rossi, Valerio Manni, Burning Highway, AnTarbh Rua and Processions' cover band was Joey Tassello and the Excellent Adventure that performed "Esplorare" (Electromantic Music - "Esplorare") while the band that performed an arti & mestieri's tune was " The Steamrollers" that performed "Arc En Ciel" form our repertoire (and from "Murales" on Electromantic Music.. I liked their fresh rendition of our tune, in a more heavy interpretation.

At the end the brilliant conductor Ernesto Saggese gave the prize to the winner (chosen by a qualified jury with Journalists, experts and Leo Chiosso's son) to the winner, AnTarbh Rua who performed Giorgio Conte's tune with 2 violins, acoustic guitar and cello, with a long intro by a bagpipe. But obviously, on a night like this, everyone is a winner.

An interesting happy Italian night!

At the end of the night it was nice to see together artists of about 5 different decades on the scene, and all together singin' the tune "Eri Piccola" by (leo Chiosso and Fred Buscaglione).

You can have a look at the interesting original Buscaglione's version on you tube
Search:

Fred Buscaglione - Eri Piccola

or go directly to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ycCoez382w

So you've seen that I like to alternate some main musical themes, with "everyday musical moments" that can be considerable by themselves or by their connection to my personal or general musical tales.

Yesterday it was a particular nice night for arti & mestieri and me and I liked to celebrate Leo Chiosso, an artist of my land, as Fred Buscaglione.

Regarding "musical lands", obviously especially after Second World War (but even before) and progressively from then on, with the advent of more media and a strong increase of "world communication", the artist's land ca be viewed as "a mix" of his native country and
"International influences" that in most part came form USA and England, but also India (as Claudio Rocchi would say), South America, Africa, your country Japan, itself and so as it is just simply a manifestation of artist's freedom to choose its expressive language whatever the language comes from, to choose "its country" and to build its own "DNA" blending its origins with new "homes" that the heart suggests. And sometimes it has a special taste, for me to remember, that I come from Piemonte, Turin, like yesterday night ...and going back at my little village, S. Sebastiano.
Earth, countries, Native Lands, traditions, origins an "imaginary lands and lascapes" are wonderful whisperer for the ones who creates.

I'm back later with my next step in the History of jazz-Rock.

Till then,

Stay happy, my friends

Beppe