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Meroli: Notturni
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Krzysztof Komeda
piano1931 - 1969
Curiously, given the many movie masterpieces shot by Italian directors, the country has produced few jazz or jazz-related soundtracks of note.
Piero Umiliani
piano
Chet Baker
trumpet and vocals1929 - 1988
Alessandro Meroli
saxophone, alto
Philip Glass
composer / conductorb.1937
Notturni conjures atmospheres ranging from crepuscular romance through Edward Hopper isolation to Albert Hitchcock nightmares before ending, seventy-three attention-holding minutes later in the hope-filled dawn of a new day. Meroli says the music was partly inspired by Frédéric Chopin's "Nocturnes" and Louis-Ferdinand Céline's 1932 novel "Journey To The End Of The Night." Other inspirations seem to be
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Albert Ayler
saxophone, tenor1936 - 1970
Yusef Lateef
woodwinds1920 - 2013
Ravi Shankar
sitar1920 - 2012
Pink Floyd
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1964
Johnny Hodges
saxophone, alto1907 - 1970
Art Pepper
saxophone, alto1925 - 1982
Paul Desmond
saxophone, alto1924 - 1977
The story starts with the scene-setting "Nightfall" and "Evening Lights," which suggest an imminent romantic assignation. These are followed by the Hopperesque "Where Are You?," a nine-minute alto saxophone-led blinder. Then comes the brassy "In The Middle Of The Darkness," hurtling along like a small-hours car chase. The sixteen-minute "Triptych Of The Deep" is disturbing going on nightmarish (its three sections are subtitled "Last Lover's Night," "Liz's Nightmare" and "The Tears Of Those Who Stay").
Alberto Capelli
variousNico Menci
pianoMeroli's mix of jazz, psychedelia, electronica, Bollywood and classical-contemporary would could be dubbed a long-form acid-jazz flashback—and it is no coincidence that Notturni is released on the new imprint Space Echo, a sister label of Milan's Schema, the home of
Nicola Conte
multi-instrumentalistTrack Listing
Nightfall (Solitary Walk In The Twilight); Evening Lights (Lost Memories Under The Headlights); Where Are You (Solitude On The Sidewalk: Dedicated To Bernard Herrmann); In The Middle Of The Darkness (Max's Car Whizzes In The Storm); Triptych Of The Deep (Last Lover's Night, Liz's Nightmare, The Tears Of Those Who Stay); At The End Of The Night (Beyond Darkness); Morning Star (Stars Like Thoughts Shine}; Dawn (Shadows Grow Longer, Light Rises Again).
Personnel
Alessandro Meroli
saxophone, altoAlberto Sansò
electronicsMaurizio Piancastelli
trumpetMichele Vignali
saxophone, tenorNico Menci
pianoStefano De Bonis
keyboardsAlberto Capelli
variousIvano Zanotti
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Alessandro Meroli: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flutes, keyboards, samples, production; Alberto Sansò: electronics, beat programming, machines, additional keyboards, co-production; Maurizio Piancastelli: trumpet (1, 4-6); Michele Vignali: tenor saxophone (1, 4, 6); Nico Menci: synth bass, keyboards, piano (1, 3, 7, 8); Stefano De Bonis: electric piano, synth bass (2); Alberto Capelli: guzheng (6), mohan veena (8); Ivano Zanotti: drums (2, 4).
Album information
Title: Notturni | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Space Echo
Tags
Meroli
Album Review
Chris May
Notturni
Space Echo
Alessandro Meroli
Miles Davis
Charles Mingus
Martial Solal
Krzysztof Komeda
Piero Umiliani
Chet Baker
Philip Glass
Bernard Herrman
duke ellington
David Axelrod
Albert Ayler
Yusef Lateef
Pink Floyd
Nicola Conte
Paul Desmond
Johnny Hodges
Art Pepper
Alberto Capelli
Nico Menci
Meeco
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