[Monday Notes no. 153] For the soundtrack of the film I soliti ignoti Mario Monicelli chose a young Florentine musician named Piero Umiliani. Monicelli wanted a soundtrack that was completely jazzy, a very unusual choice for the time. Let us analyse the track entitled Gassmann Blues.Continue readingPiero Umiliani, Gassmann blues. Jazz meets Italian comedy
[Monday Note No. 152] Freddy Cole, younger brother of the great Nat King Cole, was a fine musician who performed for almost fifty years with his trio, until his death about a year ago at the age of 89. In his song I’m Not My Brother I’m Me, Freddy humorously recounts how he spent his…Continue readingFreddy Cole, I’m Not My Brother I’m Me
[Monday Notes no. 151] Piero Piccioni was a great film music composer, he wrote dozens of soundtracks working both with Francesco Rosi in the more demanding cinema and with Alberto Sordi in the great Italian comedy. We analyse his Samba Fortuna from the film Il Prof. Dr Guido Tersilli primario della clinica Villa Celeste convenzionato…Continue readingPiero Piccioni and Prof. Dr. Guido Tersilli
[Monday Notes no. 150] From Gagarin’s Point Of View is a piece written in 1999 by Swedish pianist Esbjorn Svensson. The piece is dedicated to the Russian astronaut Jurij Gagarin, the first man to travel into outer space.Continue readingEsbjorn Svensson, From Gagarin’s Point Of View
[Monday’s Notes no. 149] Mi piace is a song that Lelio Luttazzi wrote in 1962, tailor-made for the singer Jula de Palma, whom he discovered and launched to international success. The song is very refined and is clearly inspired by the American repertoire. I have tried to analyse it, to reveal the secret of its…Continue readingLelio Luttazzi, Mi piace. Jazz the Italian way
[Monday’s Notes no. 148] Flamenco Sketches is a track from Miles Davis’ album Kind of Blue, a masterpiece entirely dedicated to modal music. Among the various modal scales, the Phrygian mode and the flamenco scale are of particular importance, hence the title of this composition, of clear Hispanic inspiration. I transcribed and analysed the solos…Continue readingFlamenco Sketches, modal jazz and open form
[Monday Note no. 147] Vecchio Frack is a song recorded by Domenico Modugno in 1955. The song tells of the last night walk of a man in frack, who in the morning will be found dead in the river. Modugno said he was inspired by a news story, the suicide of a well-known high society…Continue readingDomenico Modugno, the last night of the Vecchio frack
[Monday Notes No. 146] The Mahavishnu Orchestra of Billy Cobham and John MacLaughlin is one of the greatest jazz rock bands in history. The group draws inspiration from various musical genres, but the most original component is traditional Indian music, of which the guitarist was passionate. Let us listen to and analyse Dawn.Continue readingDawn, the Mahavisnhu Orchestra between jazz rock and Indian music
[Monday Note No. 145] Profondo rosso is a famous horror film by Dario Argento, the soundtrack played by the Goblins is perhaps even more famous. Let us try to analyse it to find out how the ideal soundtrack for a horror film is composed.Continue readingProfondo rosso, how to create a horror soundtrack
[Monday Notes No. 144] Feeling Good is a soul piece made famous by Nina Simone in 1965. The song appeared the same year in a musical starring Cy Grant, but it was Nina Simone who made it popular. Her version is certainly more successful and intense, let us try to analyse it also to better…Continue readingNina Simone, Feeling Good. A song to explore soul music