[Monday Notes no. 158] Deborah’s Theme is the main piece written by Ennio Morricone for the soundtrack of Once Upon a Time in America, one of Sergio Leone’s most important films. I have tried to analyse this masterpiece in film music.Continue readingDeborah’s Theme by Ennio Morricone. Analysis of a masterpiece
Tag: pedal
[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 Notes no. 110] In its original version Footprints is an avant-garde piece, at the same time the simplicity of the harmonic progression has turned it into a jam session piece that anyone can play. It is difficult to think of another piece in which these opposite qualities coexist. Let us listen to and analyse…Continue readingFootprints, a jazz classic between avant-garde and jam session
[Monday Note No. 90] Acknowledgement is the first track on the album A Love Supreme, a suite in four movements in which John Coltrane describes his religious conversion. A spiritual path that is also an original and innovative musical journey.Continue readingJohn Coltrane, Acknowledgement. A Love Supreme, Jazz and spirituality
[Monday Notes no. 63] Jaco Pastorius revolutionized the electric bass, popularizing the the fretless bass (i.e., no frets on the neck). In addition to playing fantastic bass lines, Jaco was also capable of playing chords and harmonic sounds, turning the bass into a solo instrument. Herbie Hancock also participated in his first album, let’s analyze…Continue readingJaco Pastorius, Kuru / Speak Like a Child. The electric bass is the star attraction
[Monday Notes No 37] Autumn Leaves entered the jazz repertoire rather late, the original French version dates from 1946, while the English version became established in the mid-1950s. In this respect, Autumn Leaves is a young standard, in fact most of the jazz repertoire dates back to at least the 1940s, if not earlier.Continue readingCannonball Adderley, Autumn Leaves. A jazz standard from France