Showing posts with label Stefano Bollani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stefano Bollani. Show all posts

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enrico Rava, Barbara Casini - Vento

Styles: Vocal, Guitar And Trumpet
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:07
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:46)  1. Aspettando un Sogno
(3:50)  2. L'Angelo
(4:50)  3. Cidade do Amor Demais
(7:10)  4. La Maschera
(4:31)  5. Vento
(4:56)  6. Bolero do Parecer
(1:34)  7. Ballo
(5:10)  8. Malinconica Abitudine
(6:03)  9. Un'Alba Limpida
(4:59) 10. Une petite folie
(4:49) 11. Fin de l'ennui
(1:24) 12. Early Autumn

She was born in Florence, on July 30, 1954, to Florentine parents, who rarely set their sights on Italy. In the house we listened to the songs in vogue, jazz and classical music. Barbara played the piano, the guitar, but above all sang, of everything: the Beatles, Rita Pavone, Mina. Then one day "new" records arrived, a new sound coming from overseas: the Bossa Nova . Barbara was fifteen years old. Thus began his love for Brazilian music , an extraordinary love that never ended, and which, once grown, pushed her to a turning point in life: despite her degree in psychology, she abandoned the project to become a psychoanalyst and decide to be a singer. He throws himself into the frantic search for everything concerning Brazil, music, literature and the Portuguese language itself. Finally in 1982 he made his first trip to that dreamed land. Elis Regina has been dead for a year and Barbara has already internalized her way of singing, she knows every breath, every smile and every tear that comes out of Elis's song. On that first trip he fills a suitcase with records , and the soul of sounds and names! He realizes that there is an unknown and wonderful world of composers, musicians, and performers who open new horizons to explore. When Barbara returns to Brazil, she goes a long way, from Rio to S Luis do Maranhão, "discovers" the Nordeste, re-falls in love, meets Luiz Gonzaga while she is recording her latest album just before she dies, learns her songs and those of Geraldo Azevedo, Xangai, Jatobá. His repertoire changes radically: Barbara in Italy spreads the popular music of that different Brazil, plays the triangle and the zabumba, canta côco e baião, maracatu and bumba meu boi, once again he enjoys and is moved. In the meantime he forms the Trio OUTRO LADO with Beppe Fornaroli and Naco , with whom he records an LP, "Outro Lado", (reprinted on CD by Philology in 1999). Many years pass, many journeys, many meetings. In 1994 he formed a quartet with Stefano Bollani on the piano, Raffaello Pareti on the double bass and Francesco Petreni on drums, a group that remained active until the early 2000s. He collaborates with great Italian and foreign musicians of the jazz scene (Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Fabrizio Bosso, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz) and Brazilian Popular Music, such as Toninho Horta and Guinga, and participates with various formations in the most important Italian festivals. Along his more than thirty-year career he also engages with jazz and with Italian and French songs. Translate By Google http://www.barbaracasini.it/barbara-casini-biografia/

This hugely popular trumpet player (born in Trieste, Italy in 1939) almost single-handedly brought Italian jazz to international attention. He began playing Dixieland trombone in Turin, but after hearing Miles Davis, switched instruments and embraced the modern style. Other key meetings were with Gato Barbieri, with whom he recorded movie soundtracks in 1962, and Chet Baker. He began to play with Steve Lacy and also teamed up with South African expatriates Louis Moholo and John Dyani and recorded The Forest and the Zoo (ESP) live in Argentina. In 1967, he moved to New York, playing with Roswell Rudd, Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Haden. In a brief return to Europe, Rava recorded with Lee Konitz (Stereokonitz, RCA) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, FMP). From 1969 to 1976, he was back in New York, recording Escalator Over the Hill with Carla Bley's Jazz Composers' Orchestra. After his first album as a leader, Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint), he began to lead his own pianoless quartets and quintets. His recorded output numbers over 100 records, and over 30 as a leader. ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while Soul Note and Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. With keyboard master Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to Bix Beiderbecke and Armstrong, and to Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents Gianluca Petrella, Stefano Bollani, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on ECM. Three years later, after Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on ECM. Rava followed the release in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included Bollani, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by ECM in the fall of 2011. Its members included trombonist Gianluca Petrella, pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of Jackson's material. In 2019, he appeared alongside saxophonist Joe Lovano on the live ECM date Roma. Translate By Google ~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-rava-mn0000182392/biography

Personnel:  Barbara Casini (vocals, guitar); Enrico Rava (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mauro Negri (clarinet); Stefano Bollani (piano); Giovanni Tommaso (bass); Roberto Gatto (drums)

Vento

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Enrico Rava - Flashback

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 157,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:15)  1. Misterioso
( 8:35)  2. The Way You Look Tonight
( 8:53)  3. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
( 9:47)  4. Line for Lyons
( 3:07)  5. Nature Boy
(10:28)  6. Old Devil Moon
( 7:01)  7. I'll Close My Eyes
( 5:25)  8. There's No You
( 7:57)  9. Misterioso - 2nd emotion

This hugely popular trumpet player (born in Trieste, Italy in 1939) almost single-handedly brought Italian jazz to international attention. He began playing Dixieland trombone in Turin, but after hearing Miles Davis, switched instruments and embraced the modern style. Other key meetings were with Gato Barbieri, with whom he recorded movie soundtracks in 1962, and Chet Baker. He began to play with Steve Lacy; he also teamed up with South African expatriates Louis Moholo and John Dyani and recorded The Forest and the Zoo (ESP) live in Argentina. In 1967, he moved to New York, playing with Roswell Rudd, Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Haden. In a brief return to Europe, Rava recorded with Lee Konitz (Stereokonitz, RCA) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, FMP). From 1969 to 1976, he was back in New York, recording Escalator Over the Hill with Carla Bley's Jazz Composers' Orchestra. After his first album as a leader, Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint), he began to lead his own pianoless quartets and quintets. His recorded output numbers 100 records, 30 as a leader. ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while Soul Note and Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. 

With keyboard master Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to Bix Beiderbecke and Armstrong, and to Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents Gianluca Petrella, Stefano Bollani, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on ECM. Three years later, after Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on ECM. Rava followed the released in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included Bollani, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by ECM in the fall of 2011. 

Its members included trombonist Gianluca Petrella, pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. 

The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of Jackson's material.~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-rava-mn0000182392/biography

Personnel:  Enrico Rava (tp, flgh), Gianni Basso (tenor sax), Stefano Bollani (p), Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Massimo Manzi (drums)

Flashback

Monday, July 2, 2018

Stefano Bollani & Luigi Tessarollo - Homage To Bill Evans & Jim Hall

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:17
Size: 134,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:56)  1. I've Got You Under My Skin
( 4:01)  2. My Funny Valentine
( 4:58)  3. Darn That Dream
( 6:03)  4. My Man Has Gone How
(10:37)  5. Il Mondo Di Fabio
( 5:24)  6. Romaine
( 5:00)  7. Border Line
( 6:36)  8. Turn Out The Stars
( 6:39)  9. Il Barbone Di Siviglia
( 2:57) 10. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

"Stefano Bollani, one of the young stars of Italian jazz-piano, and Luigi Tessarollo, one of the most important guitarists of the Italian scene, take on the repertoire associated with the historic duets of Bill Evans and Jim Hall...An exemplary conversation in music, in which the partnership between the two protagonists recalls the historic sessions of the two American masters..."

Personnel:  Luigi Tessarollo ( Guitar);  Stefano Bollani ( Piano )

Homage To Bill Evans & Jim Hall

Monday, June 18, 2018

Stefano Bollani - Que Bom

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s 
Time: 72:07 
Size: 166,1 MB 
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. Sbucata da una nuvola
(3:46)  2. Galapagos
(5:02)  3. Certe giornate al mare
(3:33)  4. La nebbia a Napoli
(5:02)  5. Habarossa
(5:42)  6. Uomini e polli
(3:29)  7. Ho perduto il mio pappagallino
(4:40)  8. Criatura dourada
(3:20)  9. Michelangelo Antonioni
(3:58) 10. Accettare tutto
(6:31) 11. Ravaskia
(4:28) 12. Olha a Brita
(4:57) 13. Il gabbiano ischitano
(4:16) 14. Aleijadinho lê o Codex Seraphinianus aquì
(3:45) 15. Nação
(4:16) 16. Que Bom

Italian piano genius Stefano Bollani's new Brazilian album QUE BOM building on the success of his successful album CARIOCA (2008), which sold over 70'000 copies. Que Bom primarily consists of Bollani's own original tunes and distinctive melodies strongly influenced and informed by Brazilian music culture, which Bollani has always cherished since the very beginning of his rich, multifaceted crackerjack music making and dexterous playing.  In QUE BOM - a genuine hymn to life marked by sparkling liveliness and (contagious) joy Bollani is joined by the same outstanding rhythm section as in CARIOCA - Jorge Helder (db), Jurim Moreira (dr) and Armando Marçal (perc) - plus Thiago da Serrinha (perc), but here, in QUE BOM, also by the grand guest stars Caetano Veloso, João Bosco, Jaques Morelenbaum and Hamilton de Holanda. The CD packaging, an elegant and exquisite 6-side DigiSleeve with an 8-page booklet (concept & supervision of the art work by Italian actress and artist Valentina Cenni) contains the lyrics of the songs with Caetano Veloso and João Bosco, photos of the merry Rio recording session by Vinícius Giffoni and extraordinary pictures from Codex Seraphinianus by Italian artist and designer Luigi Serafini. QUE BOM, entirely produced by Bollani, is the first album to be released worldwide by his own newly created label ALOBAR. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Que-Bom-Stefano-Bollani/dp/B07BSXX4GT               
 

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Stefano Bollani Trio - I'm In The Mood For Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:39
Size: 141.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. Makin' Whoopee
[7:46] 2. Cheek To Cheek
[3:36] 3. I'm In The Mood For Love
[3:43] 4. Puttin' On The Ritz
[7:00] 5. How Long Has This Been Going On
[7:07] 6. Margie
[5:52] 7. Moonlight Serenade
[5:37] 8. It's Only A Paper Moon
[7:06] 9. A Kiss To Build A Dream On
[5:20] 10. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:24] 11. But Not For Me

Bass – Ares Tavolazzi; Drums – Walter Paoli; Piano – Stefano Bollani. Recorded at House Recording Studio in Rome, August 3-4, 2006.

This full-length album from Italian jazz group Stefano Bollani Trio features jazz piano renditions of your favorite American standards. Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani was born in Milan, Italy, on December 5, 1972. He began playing piano as a child in order to accompany his singing, but soon concentrated solely on the instrument, enrolling in a conservatory in Florence when he was 11. There, he studied both jazz and pop music, and after graduating in 1993, added his keyboard skills to albums for many of Italy's top pop stars, including Laura Pausini, Irene Grandi, and Jovanotti. When working with the latter in 1996 he met avant-garde jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, who invited the young pianist to play with him in Paris, an opportunity Bollani quickly accepted.

He then began to release more jazz albums, first with his trio (completed by bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Walter Paoli) but also as a solo artist (like on 2003's Småt Småt and 2006's Piano Solo) as well as with other trios (2002's Fleurs Bleues drew from the talents of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Clarence Penn, while 2005's Gleda: Songs from Scandinavia used his trio with bassist Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund) and even a quintet (2006's I Visionari). Bollani has also appeared on stages at the Umbria and Montreal Jazz Festivals, among others, and has performed with musicians like Gato Barbieri, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Paolo Fresu, and Phil Woods.

I'm In The Mood For Love mc
I'm In The Mood For Love zippy

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Stefano Bollani - Volare

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:21
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[7:21] 1. In Cerca Di Te
[4:55] 2. Volare
[2:20] 3. Tema Da La Dolce Vita
[6:26] 4. Averti Tra Le Braccia
[4:16] 5. Angela
[5:14] 6. Anema E Core
[5:42] 7. Azzurro
[3:12] 8. E Lucean Le Stelle
[2:44] 9. Te Vojo Bene Assaje
[6:08] 10. Arrivederci

This is the edition for the Italian market of Volare, the album recorded in July 2002 by Stefano Bollani in a trio with Walter Paoli and Ares Tavolazzi, so far available on the Japanese record label Venus Records.

It is with this work that the pianist began to make himself known also in Japan, after his talent had attracted attention both in Italy and in Europe. An album that is conceptually very simple: it is a jazz reinterpretation of ten pieces representative of the Italian popular tradition, from "Azzurro" to "Anema e Core," famous in the world for the beauty and the immediate recognizability of their melodies. Supporting themes that the trio tries to keep intact, revolving around the emotional core with a series of improvisations and solutions that find Bollani a unique interpreter, inspired and in love with his way of understanding the instrument, which leads him to draw moments of tension in "Angela," create more lively and carefree situations in the initial "In search of you," but also to achieve ellipses of formal beauty in "Tema da la dolce vita". Among the moments of greatest intensity we should mention "Azzurro," since it is the passage where the trio's cohesion is felt most, unlike the other pieces where it is almost exclusively the figure of Bollani to be in the foreground.

Years later, the work retains its value and lets you listen with renewed pleasure, just because played with extreme ease and because of a repertoire - perhaps not excessively sought - able to pinch the right emotional rope with ease. ~AAJ Italy Staff (Translated from Italian.)

Volare 

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Stefano Bollani Trio - Black And Tan Fantasy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:23
Size: 103.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Just One Of Those Things
[4:23] 2. Black And Tan Fantasy
[3:31] 3. Day Dream
[5:07] 4. I'm Thru With Love
[5:54] 5. It's Always You
[5:56] 6. It's You Or No One
[4:42] 7. La Ultima Noche
[5:35] 8. Flowers Is A Lovesome Thing
[6:23] 9. The Sophisticated Lady

Bass – Ares Tavolazzi; Drums – Walter Paoli; Piano – Stefano Bollani. Recorded at House Recording Studio in Rome On July 7 and 8 , 2002.

Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani was born in Milan, Italy, on December 5, 1972. He began playing piano as a child in order to accompany his singing, but soon concentrated solely on the instrument, enrolling in a conservatory in Florence when he was 11. There, he studied both jazz and pop music, and after graduating in 1993, added his keyboard skills to albums for many of Italy's top pop stars, including Laura Pausini, Irene Grandi, and Jovanotti. When working with the latter in 1996 he met avant-garde jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, who invited the young pianist to play with him in Paris, an opportunity Bollani quickly accepted.

He then began to release more jazz albums, first with his trio (completed by bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Walter Paoli) but also as a solo artist (like on 2003's Småt Småt and 2006's Piano Solo) as well as with other trios (2002's Fleurs Bleues drew from the talents of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Clarence Penn, while 2005's Gleda: Songs from Scandinavia used his trio with bassist Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund) and even a quintet (2006's I Visionari). Bollani has also appeared on stages at the Umbria and Montreal Jazz Festivals, among others, and has performed with musicians like Gato Barbieri, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Paolo Fresu, and Phil Woods.

The pianist's ECM debut as a leader, Piano Solo, was issued in 2007. That same year he played on Tati with drummer Paul Motian in a Rava-led trio, and in duet with the trumpeter on The Third Man. In 2008 Bollani shifted gears and led two large-group ensembles for Verve. The first was entitled Carioca, while the second was simply called Big Band! The following year, he and the trio delivered Stone in the Water for ECM. In 2010 Bollani appeared as a soloist with conductor Ricardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester in an all-Gershwin program for Decca (Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Catfish Row; Concerto in F), released in Europe that year and globally in 2011. Orvieto, his duet recording with Chick Corea, appeared on ECM in 2011 as well.

The pianist issued a slew of records in 2012 and 2013 in various settings, including two more duet offerings: a self-titled album with Italian pop singer Irene Grandi and O Que Será, a collection with Brazilian bandolim (a ten-string mandolin) player Hamilton de Holanda. Ever ambitious, Bollani reconvened his trio and enlisted guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Mark Turner as guests in a diverse program of original material arranged for various groupings from quintet to duo. Joy in Spite of Everything was issued in the late summer of 2014 on ECM, followed by Arrivano Gli Alieni on Universal in 2015. The following year, he paid homage to the Italian city of Naples with Napoli Trip. ~bio by Marisa Brown

Black And Tan Fantasy

Friday, September 22, 2017

Jesper Bodilsen - Mi Ritorni In Mente

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 132,8 MB
Art: Front

(9:36)  1. Nature Boy
(6:15)  2. How Deep Is the Ocean
(8:19)  3. Se non avessi piu te
(6:55)  4. Someday My Prince Will Come
(6:21)  5. Mi ritorni in mente
(4:30)  6. Dark Valley Serenade
(4:03)  7. Billie's Bounce
(7:44)  8. The Summer Knows
(4:08)  9. Liten Karin

The Danish bass player, composer, producer and educator Jesper Bodilsen was born January 5th 1970 in Haslev, Denmark. As 3 a year old he moved to Silkeborg with his parents and older brother and there he stayed until he was 18 years old. No one in his family were playing music. But as a 8 year old kid he found an old trumpet at the loft of his grand parents farm and he was immediately interested in trying to make music with the old horn. At the age of 10 he was admitted as a member of the school brass band there he learned to play the cornet and read music. In 1984 Jesper got his first bass - an electric bass -  and one year later he joined a pop/funk band and played his first professional gig short after. He was admitted at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark in 1991 where he studied for 5 years and ended up with a Diploma degree in June 1997. The same year as he received The Memorial Bursary of Edward Eriksen and was hired to teach at the academy. While studying at the school in Aarhus Bodilsen also worked as a professional musician. In June 1994 he was asked to perform at two All Star Concerts at the Riverboat Jazz Festival together with American drummer Ed Thigpen and pianist Duke Jordan. These concerts was a kind of breakthrough for Bodilsen and in the years to come he was peforming with other great jazz artists like James Moody, Benny Golson, Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano, Horace Parlan, Jimmy Heath and Phil Woods. Often at the legendary jazz club BENT J in Aarhus. In 1995 Bodilsen moved to Copenhagen and he was immediately asked to join the Erling Kroner Dream Quartet. He was touring with different Aarhus and Copenhagen based bands in the years to come when he in 1997 met Ed Thigpen again. Ed Thigpen wanted him in his trio and together with pianist Carsten Dahl the trio recorded their first album “It´s Entertainment” in 1998. The album was nominated for a Danish Grammy and won the JazzSpecial Prize “Album Of The Year”. Bodilsen was playing and recording with Thigpen until 2010 - a collaboration that lasted 13 years and the music is well documented on 6 album releases.

Jesper Bodilsen has always been interested in producing music, finding interesting musicians to perform with and create new constellations. He has been a co-producer for Danish vocalist Katrine Madsen for more than a decade but in 1999 he started his first band “Scandinavian Summit”. They recorded 2 albums and did tours in Europe, SE Asia, China and Australia. He started his own music production company in 2002 and until now he has produced more than 15 albums, recorded and performed with many great artists. In 1998, 2002 and 2004 Bodilsen was asked to perform at the prestigious Jazzpar Prize concerts and in 2002 the prize winner was italian trumpet player Enrico Rava. Bodilsen did 4 concerts with Rava, Stefano Bollani, Gianlucca Petrella, John Abercrombie and Morten Lund and after the final concert in Copenhagen he asked Bollani and Lund if they would be interested in playing together again. One year later (in march 2003) they did the first trio tour and their first recording for Stunt Records “Mi ritorni in mente”. The first issue of this trio album was released as Jesper Bodilsen Trio. In 2004 Bodilsen was awarded with the Django d'Or Prize as “Performer of the Year” and that same year the trio recorded their second album “Gleda”. Now all the names of the trio was on the cover. The album was no. 4 on the Italian Jazz Charts in 2005 and nominated for an Australian Bell Award 2006 for “Best International Jazz Album”.

From the start the trio was touring around Europe playing clubs and festivals like the Umbria Jazz festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival and the legendary Birdland in New York. After “Gleda” they recorded with singer Katrine Madsen. The album is called “Close To You” and was nominated for a Danish Music Award as “Best Vocal Jazz Album”. Then 4 years went by before they recorded again. This time on the highly estimated ECM label and with producer Manfred Eicher. The album “Stone In The Water” was acclaimed the best trio recording of 2009 by several jazz magazines around the world. Two of the songs on the album was composed by Bodilsen and that same year he went in the studio with Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius, Peter Asplund on trumpet and the Finnish vibraphone player Severi Pyysalo to record a new album mainly with his own songs. The album “Short Stories for Dreamers” was released in 2010 and was praised for its calmness and lyrical mood. Recently Bodilsen has also been a part of the succesful TV-shows “Sostiene Bollani”. In the fall of 2011 the trio, with Bollani being the host,  did 6 shows brodcasted on the Italian national channel RAI 3. Besides touring around the world and recording albums Bodilsen has also spent more and more time composing music. In 2013 his latest album Scenografie was released on the Italian record label Carosello Records.  All his music - displaying his skills as a composer, bandleader, bassplayer and producer. Mixing different moods and nationalities together with the Italians Stefano Bollani, Joe Barbieri, Nico Gori and Paolo Russo and the Swedish Ulf Wakenius and Peter Asplund. 2013 was also The 10 Year Anniversary of the trio Bollani-Bodilsen-Lund. Ten years after the first trio recording they went in the Avatar Studio in New York and recorded a new album for the ECM label inviting the great Bill Frisell and Marc Turner to join in. The album “Joy Inspite of Everything” was released in 2014 and won the prize as album of the year in Italy. Since Bodilsen left the conservatory in 1997 he has been teaching music throughout his carrier. Many new promising upcoming musicians have had him as a teacher at the Danish conservatories and in 2012 he was elected as chairman of Dansk Jazzmusiker Forening (Danish Jazz Musician´s Association)  an association which works with education for professional improvising musicians. Through masterclasses and courses arranged by DJF, and done by the best musicians and instructors on the international improvising scene, DJF give the Danish musicians the possibility to improve and get inspired. http://www.jesperbodilsen.dk/bio/

Personnel:  Bass – Jesper Bodilsen;  Drums – Morten Lund ;  Piano – Stefano Bollani

Mi ritorni in mente

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Stefano Bollani Trio - Falando De Amor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:58
Size: 102.9 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Falando De Amor
[5:19] 2. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
[4:36] 3. Angela
[4:14] 4. Luiza
[4:18] 5. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[5:11] 6. Agua De Beber
[5:30] 7. Tema Do Amor Por Gabriela
[3:55] 8. Cancao Do Amor Demais
[2:25] 9. Aguas De Marco
[2:49] 10. Pois E
[2:50] 11. Samba De Uma Nota So

A truly international effort, this is a Japanese release of an Italian trio doing Brazilian music: 11 songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim, nicely mixed between the familiar and less-so. Falando de Amor is also a delightful surprise, giving a fresh coat to music that's been widely covered for the past four decades. While the fine pianist Stefano Bollani has obvious respect for Jobim's luscious melodies, he and his gifted bandmates -- bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Walter Paoli -- make them sound newly composed. For example, the beautiful "Luiza," usually done as a slow ballad, becomes a fast-flowing waltz that brings out the twirling nature of the melody. The classic "Agua de Beber" is transformed by putting the bass and drums forward, while an innovative take on "Aguas de Março" ("Waters of March") replaces its usual repetition with intrigue. In these capable hands, "Samba de Uma Nota So" ("One Note Samba") vaults out of cliché into a full-out bop burner, ending with a sly reference to the original. Bollani, who has played with Lee Konitz and Phil Woods, is a master of clean, elegant phrasing. His solo turn on "Retrato em Branco e Preto" is one of the most beautiful versions you will ever hear; he takes another on "Pois E," this time strong and swinging. Meanwhile, Tavolazzi is blessedly on-pitch and unusually melodic, and Paoli is both supportive and imaginative. Each track is a perfect little set piece with no padding or fluff. Warmly recorded, this CD is a must-have for the Jobim collector, and will also satisfy fans of lively, lyrical trio playing. Highly recommended. ~Judith Schlesinger

Falando De Amor

Monday, March 20, 2017

Stefano Bollani - Ma L'amore No

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:43
Size: 118.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[5:53] 1. Here's To Life
[4:49] 2. Se Non Avessi Piu Te
[5:46] 3. Ma L'amore No
[4:25] 4. Arrivederci
[4:32] 5. Una Lacrima Sul Viso
[4:57] 6. De Conversa Em Conversa
[6:27] 7. Sono Cotento
[6:11] 8. Non Ho L'eta Per Amarti
[1:55] 9. Boccuccia Di Rosa
[6:45] 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light

Bass – Ares Tavolazzi; Drums – Walter Paoli; Piano – Stefano Bollani; Vocals – Stefano Bollani. Recorded at The House Recording Studio in Rome on January, 27 and 28 2004.

Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani was born in Milan, Italy, on December 5, 1972. He began playing piano as a child in order to accompany his singing, but soon concentrated solely on the instrument, enrolling in a conservatory in Florence when he was 11. There, he studied both jazz and pop music, and after graduating in 1993, added his keyboard skills to albums for many of Italy's top pop stars, including Laura Pausini, Irene Grandi, and Jovanotti. When working with the latter in 1996 he met avant-garde jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, who invited the young pianist to play with him in Paris, an opportunity Bollani quickly accepted. He then began to release more jazz albums, first with his trio (completed by bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Walter Paoli) but also as a solo artist (like on 2003's Småt Småt and 2006's Piano Solo) as well as with other trios (2002's Fleurs Bleues drew from the talents of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Clarence Penn, while 2005's Gleda: Songs from Scandinavia used his trio with bassist Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund) and even a quintet (2006's I Visionari). Bollani has also appeared on stages at the Umbria and Montreal Jazz Festivals, among others, and has performed with musicians like Gato Barbieri, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Paolo Fresu, and Phil Woods. ~ Marisa Brown & Thom Jurek

Ma L'amore No

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Lee Konitz - Tenderlee For Chet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:03
Size: 178.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1999/2012
Art: Front

[10:26] 1. Blues For Chet
[12:16] 2. My Funny Valentine
[11:40] 3. Just Friends
[ 7:27] 4. It Could Happen To You
[10:38] 5. But Not For Me
[13:08] 6. What's New
[12:24] 7. I'll Remember April

Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Bass – Pietro Ciancaglini; Drums – Fabrizio Sferra; Piano – Stefano Bollani. Recorded live in Rome at La Palma on December 5 & 6, 1998.

One of the most individual of all altoists (and one of the few in the 1950s who did not sound like a cousin of Charlie Parker), the cool-toned Lee Konitz has always had a strong musical curiosity that has led him to consistently take chances and stretch himself, usually quite successfully. Early on he studied clarinet, switched to alto, and played with Jerry Wald. Konitz gained some attention for his solos with Claude Thornhill & His Orchestra (1947). He began studying with Lennie Tristano, who had a big influence on his conception and approach to improvising. Konitz was with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool Nonet during their one gig and their Capitol recordings (1948-1950) and recorded with Lennie Tristano's innovative sextet (1949), including the first two free improvisations ever documented. Konitz blended very well with Warne Marsh's tenor (their unisons on "Wow" are miraculous) and would have several reunions with both Tristano and Marsh through the years, but he was also interested in finding his own way; by the early '50s he started breaking away from the Tristano school. Konitz toured Scandinavia (1951), where his cool sound was influential, and he fit in surprisingly well with Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1952-1954), being featured on many charts by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. Konitz was primarily a leader from that point on. He almost retired from music in the early '60s but re-emerged a few years later. His recordings have ranged from cool bop to thoughtful free improvisations, and his Milestone set of Duets (1967) is a classic. In the late '70s Konitz led a notable nonet and in 1992 he won the prestigious Jazzpar Prize. He kept a busy release schedule throughout the '90s and dabbled in the world of classical music with 2000's French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the Twentieth Century. The Mark Masters Ensemble joined him for 2004's One Day with Lee, and in 2007 he recorded Portology with the Ohad Talmor Big Band. He has recorded on soprano and tenor but has mostly stuck to his distinctive alto. Konitz has led consistently stimulating sessions for many labels, including Prestige, Dragon, Pacific Jazz, Vogue, Storyville, Atlantic, Verve, Wave, Milestone, MPS, Polydor, Bellaphon, SteepleChase, Sonet, Groove Merchant, Roulette, Progressive, Choice, IAI, Chiaroscuro, Circle, Black Lion, Soul Note, Storyville, Evidence, and Philogy. In 2011, he released his own trio album Knowinglee and appeared on the live ECM date Live at Birdland (recorded in 2009) with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian. ~ Scott Yanow

Tenderlee For Chet

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Enrico Rava & Paolo Fresu - Shades of Chet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:28)  1. Doodlin'
(9:55)  2. My funny Valentine
(5:18)  3. Anthropology
(7:27)  4. Retrato em branco e preto
(7:03)  5. Doxy
(7:34)  6. You can't go home again
(7:15)  7. Line for Lyons
(3:29)  8. Strike up the band
(5:14)  9. Donna

Trumpeter and composer Enrico Rava is one of the Italian musicians even more internationally acclaimed jazz. Born in Trieste in 1939, Rava has learned to play by himself under the influence of Miles Davis and Chet Baker. In the 60s he moved first to Rome, where he began playing with musicians as Gato Barbieri and Steve Lacy, and then in Buenos Aires and New York. During his long career Rava has collaborated with major names in jazz (John Abercrombie, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny) and pop music (Gino Paoli, Ornella Vanoni) and has also published numerous discs of their group leader. 
~ Mariano Prunes  https://itunes.apple.com/it/artist/enrico-rava/id6473819#fullText

Personnel: Enrico Rava - trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Paolo Fresu - trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Stefano Bollani – piano;  Enzo Pietropaoli - double bass;  Roberto Gatto - drums

Shades of Chet

Friday, September 13, 2013

Stefano Bollani & Hamilton De Holanda - O Que Será

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:04
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Beatriz
(6:27)  2. Il barbone di Siviglia
(3:05)  3. Caprichos de Espanha
(6:51)  4. Guarda che luna
(6:18)  5. Luiza
(5:26)  6. O Que Será
(3:36)  7. Rosa
(8:53)  8. Canto de Ossanha
(4:35)  9. Oblivión
(5:24) 10. Apanhei-Te Cavaquinho


There's a relative paucity of piano and guitar duo recordings; Bill Evans and Jim Hall in the world of jazz, Horacio Salgán and the late Ubaldo de Lio in the world of tango, and Pamela and Robert Trent in the classical world are notable exceptions. When it comes to crossover, jazz pianist Michel Camilo and flamenco guitarist Tomatito's collaborations Spain (Verve, 2000) and Spain Again (Decca Music Group, 2006) set the bar high with their exhilarating blend of Afro-Caribbean, tango, jazz and flamenco flavors. To this short list, Italian pianist Stefano Bollani and Brazilian bandolim (10-string mandolin) player Hamilton de Holanda can be added, cum laude, for this quite scintillating live collaboration.

Bollani and de Holanda are kindred spirits; great virtuosos and prolific recording artists, both are open to experiment whether playing solo or with orchestral accompaniment. Bollani's eclecticism is well documented, but less known outside of Brazil is de Holanda, who has recorded/played with multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, harpist Edmar Castaneda, banjo player Bela Fleck and accordionist Richard Galliano. Not surpsisingly then, the music here draws equally from jazz, tango and classical music as much as it does from Brazil's rich musical heritage.

Bollani has long had a love affair with Brazilian music, having previously recorded an entire album of Antonio Carlos Jobim's music, Falando do Amor (Venus Jazz, 2003). Carioca (EmArcy, 2008), the pianist's sweeping embrace of pre-Bossa choro and samba, revealed the depth of his feeling for Brazilian music through the ages. In de Holanda, Bollani has found a simpatico musical partner. O que será sees the duo interpret the music of more mainstream Brazilian composers but in truly exhilarating, and above all, heartfelt fashion.

The duo first played together in 2009, an experience that spurred them on to tour in Europe and Brazil two years later. This recording, taken from a concert at Jazz Middelheim in 2012 finds the pair in irresistible form, and it's clear from the opening exchanges of Chico Buraque/Edu Lobo's lovely "Beatriz' that they share a deep musical empathy. Whether caressing a ballad, going hammer and tongs in breathtaking unison, or plying flowing individual yet parallel paths, there's an evident symmetry at play.

On Bollani's up-tempo "Il Barbone de Seviglia," it's difficult to tell who's leading who, though this sense of freedom provides some of the music's most exciting moments. The tremendous intuition at play in the give-and-take, the passing back and forth of the melody and the dazzling alternating solos recall the strong empathy and musical trust that Bollani shared with pianist Chick Corea on Orvieto (ECM, 2011). Neither musician holds back when it comes time to cut loose, but for the most part, whether on de Holanda's flamenco flavored "Caprichos de Espanha" or bandoneon maestro Astor Piazzolla's slow tango "Oblivión," the musicians entwine like sure-footed dancers.

A sense of fun is always bubbling away with Bollani and his well known impersonation of singer/songwriter Paulo Conte gets a run out on "Guarda Che Luna," much to the crowd's delight. Bollani's clowning offers a momentary interlude to the delightfully flowing solo and unison lines that beguile and dazzle simultaneously. The lyricism inherent to both players is best appreciated on the slower numbers; Jobim's "Luiza" is given a minimal, quite intimate reading, with Bollani's intro evoking "Honeysuckle Rose." The duo's simple, unadorned treatment of Pixinguinha's beautiful tune "Rosa" holds the elegance of yesteryear and is a fine tribute to one of Brazil's great choro legends.

Bollani and de Holanda exchange scurrying lines during Baden Powell/Vinicius de Moraes' "Canto de Ossanha," with the pianist playing bebop Tom and Jerry to the bandolim player's Django Reinhardt; it's as thrilling as it is fun. The finale comes when the two slip into a percussive duet of carnivalesque release. Dancing, classically-influenced piano signals the intro to Ernesto Nazareth's delightfully playful "Apanhei te Cavaquinho," with Bollani and de Holanda alternating dizzyingly rapid lines. Then, tumbling in unison, with a cascade of notes flying in perfect tandem, one can almost sense the smiles on their and the audience members' faces at the sheer exhilaration and joy of the playing.

The chemistry between Bollani and de Holanda and the almost inexhaustible material at their disposal clamor for a follow-up. They could easily continue to release live albums of this caliber every couple of years, but a studio recording is also a tantalizing prospect. Perhaps the setting of four walls and minus an adoring public would induce the sort of nuance and intimacy only occasionally hinted at here. Regardless, O que será marks a high point in the discographies of both musicians.
~ Ian Patterson  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45234#.UjEoPj9vA1I

Personnel: Stefano Bollani: piano; Hamilton de Holanda: bandolim.

O Que Será