Italian repertoire

A.K. Kibben

Well,
It took me long enough, however I am finally getting involved, with great joy, of adding the wonderful sounds of Italian compositions to my repertoire. Thanks to Tony Green for first exposing this music to me when I performed with him a year and a half ago in New Orleans.
Also thanks to Marco Vienna.
I have performed with Daniele Spadeveccia once, and now he has asked me back for another performance with him as a duo. Daniele who now lives in Phoenix AZ USA, and a former member of Tony Greens band in New Orleans. I love the vocals, the passion, and structure of this music. Very refreshing and beautiful. Lots of room for arrangement possibilities including rhythmic variations.
Now to my point! I have limited exposure to Italian Artists that I could be listening to.
What artist's and recordings should I be listening to?
Here are some songs I have learned so far...
Boccuccia Di Rosa-Cicherello / A. Testa
Malafemmena-Toto De Curtis
Mambo Italiano-Merrill
Tottero-Nisa / Corosone
Oh Marie-Di Capula / Prima
Como El Agua-Robosco / Garibaldi
Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu-Mondugno / Migliacci
"O Sarracina-Nisa / Carosone
Buonasera (Signorina)-Sigman / De Rose / Pinchi
Tu Vuo' Fa' L' Americano- Nisa / Carosone
E La Barca Torno' Sola-Ruccione
Maruzzella-Bonagura / Carosone
Guaglione-Nisa / Fanculli
Plus the compositions Italian style of DR compositions and others!
Loving it!
Any information and guidance of CD's to purchase and info would be appreciated.
Grazie!
Ciao
A.K.

tommaso

Hi A.K.,
let me understand better. Are you going to execute the italian songs in the Gypsy style? Or what? I think that there are a lot of beautyful italian songs where one can find themes that can be developed in the gypsy style, but great attention has to be paid to avoid the risk to produce such a manner music "à-la-Django".

Anyway check these songs that, IMO, are good for this purpose :

- Estate (Bruno Martino)
- Senza fine (Gino Paoli)
- Il cielo in una stanza (Gino Paoli)
- La Gatta (Gino Paoli)
- Maramao (?)
And check the songs of :
- Alberto Rabagliati, Trio Lescano, Nilla Pizzi, Renato Carosone, and many others, next time I'll check in my memory and I will tell you.

P.S. it would be nice to hear some of your arrangements.
Bye,
Tommaso

MichaelHorowitz

This a great CD:

Italian Swing"
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Walter
Clerici and Friends (Paulus Schafer, Ritary Gaguenetti, and Gary Potter)

Italian
Swing

emicad

Hi to all,
I have an archive of italian songs sheets i sent some time ago to Francois Ravez, if I remember well... I'll check if I can find something.
Marco is a friend of mine so give him an hug from me! The same for Tony.
Cheers

marcovienna

Hello everybody. I'm very happy to give some contribution to this topic. I'm a true maniacal researcher in this, I've tried to find unusual musical material for my jazz repertoire for years, especially 100% Italian made songs. My "Caffè Espresso-Made in Italy" CD is the result of all this work.
The main problem is that we in Italy don't have so many suitable stuff. In order to get a satisfactory jazz treatment, a song must have a strong melody and a sophisticated harmony. Actually in Italy we have many fine melodies, but usually the harmony is quite simple. Not worth to mention the stuff produced in the last 20 years, more or less is all crap.
Having said that, there are quite a few of nice gems worth to be played and arranged "jazz style": the composer name first and then the song/songs title.

GORNI KRAMER: Donna, Pippo non lo sa
BRUNO MARTINO: Estate, E la chiamano estate, Forse, Cos'hai trovato in lui
FABIO CONCATO: Domenica bestiale, Rosalina
UMBERTO BINDI: Arrivederci
FRED BUSCAGLIONE: Whisky facile, I found my love in Portofino... and many others
RENATO CAROSONE: Tu vuò fà l'americano
TONY RENIS: Quando quando quando
GINO PAOLI: Senza fine, Che cosa c'è
PAOLO CONTE. Una giornata al mare
SPOTTI: Le tue mani
CARLO ALBERTO ROSSI: E se domani, Se tu non fossi qui

Then some old film soundtracks (original film titles in Italian):
I SOLITI IGNOTI, ANONIMO VENEZIANO, METTI UNA SERA A CENA, GIU' LA TESTA, NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO, BORSALINO (this I'm not sure who is the composer)

Also the legendary singer Mina used to sing many beautiful songs like NON GIOCO PIU', NON ILLUDERTI, LA CONVERSAZIONE

At the moment these are some songs that comes to me in mind... next times I promise to add some new stuff.
Check these songs...
Ciao! MARCO VIENNA

François RAVEZ

Then some old film soundtracks (original film titles in Italian):
I SOLITI IGNOTI, ANONIMO VENEZIANO, METTI UNA SERA A CENA, GIU' LA TESTA, NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO, BORSALINO (this I'm not sure who is the composer)

Hi Marco

The composer of the music of the movie Borsalino is Claude Bolling, so it is supposed to be jazz or at least jazzy.

Talking about italian songs, I forgot the title of this song by Paolo Conte, but it says : it's wonderful, it's wonderful, good buy my love" or something like that, I am wondering if it could be played gypsy style.

I am a little sad that there is no song by Bixio, G. d'Anzi or D. Modugno in your hit parade.

Best

François RAVEZ

François RAVEZ

Hi Emiliano,

I remember perfectly this archive, don't search it included the following songs (I remember that I had always thought that Espoirs perdus/Speranza perdute/Lost Hopes was a french valse musette when it is in fact an italian song) :

Ammazzate oh !
Arrivederci Roma
Canta se la vuoi cantar
Casa mia
Chitarra romana
Chitarra suona più piano
E penso a te
El condor pasa
I giorni dell’arcobaleno
La prima cosa bella
Nannì
Oh ! Lady Mary
Parla più piano
Piazza grande
Samba pa ti
Serenata sincera
Sinnò me moro
Speranze perdute
Tanto pe' cantà
Vecchia Roma

Best

François RAVEZ

A.K. Kibben

Thanks Emiliano, Francois and Marco!

I am sending Emiliano a "care package" and you too Marco. Francois already received his. I'll put them in the mail this weekend.
I'll pm you Marco, I don't have your mailing address anymore. (Or pm your address to me again) Sorry I haven't got back to you in a while Marco. Hello and best regards to Alma!

Thanks,

A.K.

Now the research begins with all these compositions and artist's you have suggested.
I strive to be well versed with this repertoire and I am so new to it.

Grazie

Ciao

A.K. Kibben

Tommaso!

Thanks!
I was in a hurry and neglected to thank you. I'll send you the same "care package." Let's do the pm thing with mailing addresses.

Ciao

A.K.

emicad

I love these guys... I love this place!

marcovienna

Ho Francois! Nice to hear from you!
You are right, my list is absolutely non-complete. I just wrote down the first songs that came in mind to me.
But the next post will be more informative.
Borsalino... ah, yes, that's is Bolling (great composer anyway!) so not Italian... cancel it from my list... or just play it because is a great soundtrack!
Ciao to everybody MARCO