amirani records 034

Rocco Parisi | Paolo Turino | Edgardo Barlassina | Carlo Giosue Vallone

Recording: Aprile 2013, Dangerous Donkey recording studio, Lago (PV). Sound Engineers: Franco Bottoni, Nicola Cattaneo, Roberto Chinellato. Design: Vito Boggeri. Liner notes: Iudica Dameri, Andrea Bacigalupo, Rocco Parisi. Translation: Chiara Carbone, Alida Dominietto. Photographs: Roberto Pistarino, Circolo Fotografico Oltregiogo. Graphics: Danibel srl, Novi Ligure. Coordination, Organization, Comunication: Antonio Santopietro. Concept and production: Associazione Libarna Arteventi, Amirani Records, Teriyaki records

Realizzato in collaborazione con il Comune di Serravalle Scrivia, Fondazione FA-RI.T.M.O. Onlus, Genovacon il patrocinio della Provincia di Alessandria e del Conservatorio “A.Vivaldi” di Alessandria. In questa registrazione Paolo Turino suona il clarinetto basso Buffet-Crampon appartenuto a Vito Marsico.

Tracklist: 01 Andrea Morricone “Places Of My Mind” 02 Amilcare Ponchielli “Il Convegno” 03 Roberto Cognazzo “Ouverture Surprise” 04 Josè Pablo Moncayo “Huapango” 05 Arthur Gottschalk “Doo Wop Deconstructon” 06 Donald Appert “Quartetto Basso” 07 Bernard Hoffer “Long island Expressway” 08 John Coltrane “Psalm”

Please Note: Sales incomes will be entirely devolved to FA-RI.T.M.O association (Bone Marrow Transplant Resarch) The FA-RI.T.M.O. foundation supports the research activities of the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre in Genoa, in the clinical and biological fields and promotes projects aimed at improving the quality of life of transplanted patients.

This project

has been created by the Associazione Libarna Arteventi in collaboration with Amirani Records and Teriyaki Records. Thanks to Serravalle Scrivia municipality, it has also been included in the 2013 edition of Le Storie del Novecento national literary awards. The project is based on the idea that art and culture are not only a source of beauty and aesthetic pleasure, but they are also a way of life. Culture is the way we behave and live, it is harmony in its different forms, education, balance, and personal growth.

Music and art are universal languages as well as an integral part of everyone’s life. They are limitless or, to be precise, their only limit is your creativity. They are also a means of promotion for ethics and spirituality. Today more than ever, culture needs to be supported by valorising local cultural individualism. That’s why we want to thank local businesses for sponsoring our project by personally investing in it, despite the difficult economic situation. “Fare cultura” (to “do culture”) also involves increasing public awareness of the arts’ real value and of the fact that they should not be kept hidden behind the walls of a theatre or of a museum.

Special thanks go to all the friends that encouraged and supported us. The Mayor of Serravalle Scrivia, Alberto Carbone; the Culture Counsellor, Marco Freggiaro; Gianni Mimmo for his clear thinking; Alida Dominietto for the gift of her friendship; Vito Boggeri for his artistic mind; Andrea Bacigalupo for his scientific support; Daniela Bricola for her contribution to the project; Giulia Beccari for the CD’s artwork and our esteemed friend Poppi Posillipo. — Iudica Dameri

A tempo, a modo

is an ambitious project and a magical musical arrangement that is meant to be educational as well as a social and charitable event. It is also a story whose narrative has been followed by Vito himself.

Now, we must follow that path and come to understand it. This project is the idea that makes the dream come true. The dream can’t be spoilt by the cruel, and sometimes cumbersome, absence of our friend. The dream gives a meaning to that absence, and pieces it together, so that nothing is lost and the story can be told again. Or, perhaps, a new one can begin. How easy is it to tell the story of a friendship? Well, you start by carefully gathering a few words and you listen to how they sound. But nothing can explain the mystery, the simplicity or the complexity of the bond and the respect that entails.

We can only recount this shared path, made of music and life.

Vito Marsico was a musician of great versatility and lucid curiosity. He was master of classical and jazz music and was able to deal with both with rigor and enthusiasm, though, he did not lose sight of more local musical institutions; Vito was conductor for the Serravalle band for several years and his ambitious project of renewing the band shows his far-sightedness and ability to see the bigger picture. Moreover, his uncommon and brave artistic choices were sometimes considered unconventional.

Clear, open and contagious laughter was his answer to any doubts or uncertainties, especially to the doubts that anyone would raise regarding the innovative music he picked for the band to play at the “traditional concert”. Vito’s musical education started when he first joined the Serravalle band and continued at the Vivaldi Conservatory of Alessandria. Following that he set out to reorganise the band’s music school, as if he wanted to give something back to the institution that first offered him a chance to learn music.

His authoritativeness in frequently demanding concentration from his pupils was balanced by his youthful and joyous ways, and his rigorous lessons would leave time for a few smiles and free-play. As any good teacher would, he recognised talent in his pupils. Seeing particular traits in some students, perhaps, reminded him of his own talent and of his own musical personality. He promised us a lot and in the “A tempo, a modo” project we find many of his promises. This is our transition from the pain of our loss and tender and melancholic memories to something alive.

The Rocco Parisi’s Bass Clarinet Quartet is the result of his intuition. This was a challenge for him and his long-term friend, Rocco Parisi, and two of his best students. Knowing that a clarinet quartet was a unique musical ensemble, Vito produced a CD in 2012 on behalf of the Serravalle Scrivia municipality; a piece that showed the range and expressiveness of the instrument. The project “Le Storie del Novecento in Musica” was the stepping stone that allowed the clarinet quartet to give a concert at the World Clarinet Fest in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA) following an invitation from the International Clarinet Association.

“…a tempo e a modo si possono fare molte cose”, (There is a right time for everything).

These words helped people overcome their insecurities and their worries. They helped people believe in a dream, to trust in themselves, and spread their wings and fly as high as they can…
… just as Vito has done. — Iudica Dameri

VITO MARSICO

Vito Marsico was born in Potenza on 25 February 1971. He graduated in 1996 at the “Antonio Vivaldi” Conservatory of Alessandria under the guidance of Rocco Parisi, with whom he would later also master the bass clarinet. He played first clarinet in the Alessandria Woodwind Symphony Orchestra, with whom he produced Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, and decided to turn his passion into a profession. After touring in Brazil and South Korea with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Piedmont, he played with “The Moscow Soloists” Chamber Orchestra, directed by Yuri Bashmet, and collaborated with the Rai National Symphony Orchestra, the “Giuseppe Verdi” Symphony Orchestra, and the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra of Piacenza. Together with Rocco Parisi, Paolo Turino, and Giacomo Benedetto Mas, he founded “Rocco Parisi’s Bass Clarinet Quartet”, an audacious and original group with whom he produced the CD “Le Storie del Novecento in Musica” for Nuova Era recording company. The clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi, an internationally renowned Italian jazz musician, also took part in the CD project. Thanks to this work, the International Clarinet Association invited the quartet to the World “Clarinet Fest” which was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA in 2003.

Vito Marsico also performed at the de l’Anche Festival in Hyères, France, at the Maratea Music Festival, Italy, and World Clarinet Fest held in Kansas City, USA. He studied jazz with Claudio Capurro and was clarinetist and saxophonist in the Borgo Jazz Band of Genoa, directed by Capurro himself. Vito obtained his Jazz diploma at the “Antonio Vivaldi” Conservatory of Alessandria under the guidance of Luigi Bonafede. A musical soul with sophisticated virtuosity, Vito Marsico was also a generous teacher and from 2005 to 2009 he assumed artistic direction of the “Pippo Bagnasco” band of his town, Serravalle Scrivia.

Vito Marsico passed away on the night of 12 February 2012 at the San Martino hospital in Genoa after suffering from a severe form of leukaemia.

Why these pieces and this line:

Vito Marsico, the true creator and promoter of the Clarinet Quartet, came up with the idea himself to record a second CD. We talked about this project for a long time and now, one year on from his untimely death, the project is finally being realised. The memory of Vito not only accompanies and motivates us, but represents a guide along the path that we are taking together. The songs chosen are all connected with our memory of Vito. “Places of My Mind” by Andrea Morricone is a song that envelopes the listener with comforting tones. It also shows our great esteem for the composer. This composition represents the core soundtrack of this project. “Il Convegno” by Amilcare Ponchielli is, in this version, the result of the “eight hands” transcription proposed and arranged together with Vito when he still played in the quartet. It beautifully highlights the peculiarities of its composer in the style of Italian Nineteenth century virtuosity.

Roberto Cognazzo, who personally knew Vito, wrote “Ouverture Surprise” with the quartet in mind and entrusted to each of us a role in its ironic and humorous set. Latin American culture was for Vito, and is still for us, a passion. It is expressed in a song of warm and engaging atmosphere: “Huapango”, by José Pablo Moncayo. There is an American flavour in “Doo Wop Deconstruction”, a piece written specifically for us by the Texan composer Arthur Gottschalk. It is a true triumph of rhythm and exceptional sonority. We believe that Vito would have truly enjoyed this song. During his stay in Portland, USA Vito became immersed in the local musical life. He possibly met Donald Appert there, a local composer and orchestral conductor. Donald’s composition, “Quartetto Basso”, is an indelible portrait of the American times in which he lived.

Several years ago Bernard Hoffer, a New York composer, wrote “Long Island Expressway”, a piece inspired by a highway. Vito was, along with us, the first person to perform the song, which represents a path undertaken together. Now, and after a short break, he has resumed his journey along that path. The final track, “Psalm”, was arranged by Luigi Bonafede, Vito’s jazz teacher at the Antonio Vivaldi Conservatory of Alessandria. This song beautifully embodies Vito’s love for this piece and for its author John Coltrane. — Rocco Parisi

Please Note: Sales incomes will be entirely devolved to FA-RI.T.M.O association (Bone Marrow Transplant Resarch) The FA-RI.T.M.O. foundation supports the research activities of the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre in Genoa, in the clinical and biological fields and promotes projects aimed at improving the quality of life of transplanted patients.

CD version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)