Hunger and Love - Tribute to Billie Holiday 1915 - 2015 Dodicilune Edizioni Discografiche e Musicali
On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of Billy Holiday's birth, the Apulia record label 'Dodicilune' has thought of and then given life to a tribute to the great afro-american singer, creating something really powerful in order to celebrate her talent along with her voice & personal life, all of it rendered possible thanks to the collaboration between 24 italian jazz singers, each one providing, according to their own sensibility, a very personal, meaningful interpretation of her art. The final result's a lovely double cd of astounding artistic quality. A profound, sensible reread of all Billy's passionate, emotional afflatus. First of all a woman, a jazz singer who has known hunger and misery, alienation, discrimination and suffering due to not being accepted, and still abandon, drugs and brothel misery, success and regrets. The double album we're referring to is a tribute of strictly courtly genre, all 24 artists challenged themselves by forging a great performance not only limited to a simple didascalic, mere standard reinterpretation of the legendary 'Lady Day', but they've clearly internalized all lyrics, making them all the more incisive and modern. Tiziana Ghiglioni, Paola Arnesano, Gianna Montecalvo, Serena Fortebraccio, Lisa Manosperti, Serena Spedicato, Mara De Mutiis, Camilla Battaglia, Letizia Magnani, Cecilia Finotti, Chiara Pancaldi, Antonella Chionna, Rachele Andrioli, Francesca Ajmar, Silvia Anglani, Marta Raviglia, Loredana Melodia, Cristina Renzetti, Stefania Paterniani e Elisa Ridolfi, Lisa Maroni, Silvia Manco, Elisabetta Guido, Barbara Errico, Elga Paoli, are at their best, and they proved, would there still be a need to, that, when it comes to Italian Jazz, female voices offer large, mature awareness when performing repertoires people consider almost 'sacred'. Everything's treated with due respect, even when the artistic interpretation and arrangements become somehow daring, to the point of completely reinventing, deconstructing a song, and yet no irreverence or disrespect would be found. Personally, as previously stated, I think that this double album's surely an unmissable mix of music & vocals quality, a must-have for all those in love with the goddess and those in love with jazz voices, or for the newbies even. Arrangements are truly refined, recording quality's of a very good level, tested in my hi-fi systems: sound was never tiring and there was no dynamic range compression, either. About the 1st cd, I'd like to point out: - I Only Have Eyes For You (Cecilia Finotti), brass and woodwind do show a very chic arrangement; - Strange Fruit (Lisa Manosperti), there's a very rarefied, heartbreaking atmosphere; - My old flame, (Lisa Maroni), characterized by ethnic percussions; - Left Alone (Antonella Chionna), this song has voice & guitar in bossa nova style; - You've changed, beautifully played by Serena Spedicato and her voice full of nuances; - These Foolish Things (Marta Raviglia), an unusual, experimental arrangement here;
About 2nd one, instead, I'd like to mention: - Gloomy Sunday, Serena Fortebraccio in great shape; - You don't know what love is, Elga Paoli and her beautiful, mellow timbre; - That old devil called love, Letizia Magnani & Maurizio Piancastelli at the trumpet; - Don't explain, with a persuasive, convincing Barbara Errico. Essentially's what's best when it comes to female voices & italian jazz, as well as very talented musicians, namely: 1. Cecilia Finotti (vocals), Mauro Campobasso (electric guitar, electronics), Luca Bulgarelli (double bass), Walter Paoli (drums), Gaetano Partipilo (alto sax); 2. Tiziana Ghiglioni (vocals), Simone Daclon (piano); 3. Lisa Manosperti (vocals), Leo Gadaleta (violin), Eugenio Macchia (piano), Giorgio Vendola (double bass), Pippo D’Ambrosio (drums); 4. Lisa Maroni (vocals), Babà Sissoko (ngoni, tamani); 5. Chiara Pancaldi (vocals), Nico Menci (piano), Luca Bulgarelli (double bass); 6. Loredana Melodia (vocals), Stefano Calzolari (piano), Mirko Scarcia (double bass), Fabio Grandi (batteria); 7. Stefania Paterniani (piano), Elisa Ridolfi (vocals); 8. Marta Raviglia (vocals), Piero Bittolo Bon (alto sax, commodore 64), Alfonso Santimone (keyboards, electronics); 9. Antonella Chionna (vocals), Andrea Musci (acoustic guitar); 10. Paola Arnesano (vocals), Vince Abbracciante (accordion); 11. Serena Spedicato (vocals), Antonio Tosques (electric guitar), Pierluigi Balducci (electric bass); 12. Elisabetta Guido (vocals), Angelo Mastronardi (piano); 13. Serena Fortebraccio (vocals), Kekko Fornarelli (piano, electronics), Giorgio Vendola (double bass), Pippo D’Ambrosio (drums); 14. Camilla Battaglia (vocals), Gianluca Di Jenno (piano), Alessandro Rossi (drums); 15. Letizia Magnani (vocals), Maurizio Piancastelli (trumpet), Valeria Sturba (theremin, violin), Giancarlo Bianchetti (acoustic guitar); 16. Rachele Andrioli (vocals), Rocco Nigro (accordion); 17. Silvia Manco (vocals, piano), Riccardo Gola (double bass), Alessandro Marzi (drums); 18. Cristina Renzetti (vocals, acoustic guitar), Alessandro Paternesi (drums); 19. Elga Paoli (vocals, piano), Gian Piero Lo Piccolo (soprano sax); 20. Mara De Mutiis (vocals), Antonio Tosques (electric guitar); 21. Silvia Anglani (vocals), Marco Detto (piano); 22. Barbara Errico (vocals), Andrea Castiglione (electric guitar), Renato Strukelj (piano), Franco Feruglio (double bass), Emanuel Donadelli (drums); 23. Francesca Ajmar (vocals), Antonio Zambrini (piano), Tito Mangialajo Rantzer (double bass); 24. Gianna Montecalvo (vocals), Gianni Lenoci (piano). An extremely enjoyable double album, a worthy tribute to such an inspirational muse. Happy Listening. Vince Genovese
