The Weekend Planet

Live in Japan captures a singular Italian/American alliance. Pianist Enrico Pieranunzi has a superb touch. The trio’s sure-fingered Italian leader is never domineering and his musical mind is profoundly lyrical, yet wide open. He and his American friends - bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron - are longstanding colleagues, mutual admirers. Their music is conversational, in the best sense; lucid, logical, never merely-rambling, but oft-spontaneous and surprising. Sound quality is superb.

Pieranunzi is very thoughtful and articulate - verbally, as well as musically. His wise advice to younger musicians: ‘just keep in mind the alphabetical order and note that music comes before show and before success.’

Enrico Pieranunzi site:
www.myspace.com/enricopieranunzi

Much more revealing than the bio above is the interview/article, here:
www.jazzreview.com/article/review-5556.html

Discover more about Joey Baron here (his own site is ’dead’, as I type)
www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Joey_Baron.html

Discover more about the (secretive) Marc Johnson here:
www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004798/Marc-Johnson.html )

Playlist

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Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs

’THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SUN 1.6 08

2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’ Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’ Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )

CD CUT 1, ’JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’s kora, Danny Thompson’s beautiful double bass and Ketama’ s flamenco guitars )

2208
CD (DISC ONE) CUT 3, ’HOW CAN YOU NOT?’
ENRICO PIERANUNZI
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
7: 11
( ’live’, limber and lyrical, in 2004. The Italian composer’s piano. Americans Marc and Joey on ac bass and drums, respectively. Superbly ’alive’, attentive, conversational modern jazz. Each player has an uncommonly lovely SOUND and the sound engineer has done them justice )

SEGUE

2215
CD (DISC TWO) CUT 3, ’TOKYO REFLECTIONS’
ENRICO PIERANUNZI
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
2: 15
( V intimate lyrical-cum-dark nocturne for piano, solo, ’live’. Probably improvised on the spot - also 2004)

2220
CD (DISC ONE) CUT 6, ’MUSASHI’
ENNIO MORRICONE
VICTOR MUSIC/ JAPAN BROADECAST P.
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
3: 48
(shimmering-expectant waves of piano, ac bass, drums - respectively, Enrico, Marc, Joey, ’live’ in 2004. The music was penned by Morricone for the Japanese TV epic series { 49 one-hour episodes! } of the same name. It screened through most of 2003. The philosophising 17th swordsman was much-studied by samurai. Come the 20th/21st centuries, his ’The Book of Five Rings’ is pored over by those seeking success as businessmen!

LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT SWORDSMAN/PHILOSOPHER MUSASHI?

Go to:
www.samurai-archives.com/musashi.html

LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE 49-PART JAPANESE TV SERIES?

Go to:
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Musashi )

SEGUE

2224
CD (DISC TWO), CUT 7, ’IMPROMINOR’
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
10: 30
( ’live’ in 2004. An impressionistic-balladic piano solo leads into a minor-key but limber, playful, oft-swinging-and-fleet, ever-shifting trio improvisation. Marvellously alive and alert, superbly recorded. The Italian’s composer’s piano, with Americans Marc and Joey on ac bass and drums, respectively)

2237
CD CUT 5, ’AL GRASSBY’S GRANDFATHER’
NEIL ADAM
C NEIL ADAM & JUDY TURNER
NJCD 03 (EMAIL: tellingtales@bigpond.com
TEL: 03 9893 6332)
NEIL ADAM AND JUDY TURNER - ’THE KEYS TO THE FIELD’
4: 57
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: The amazing but true story of Al Grassby’s larger-than-life Spanish grandfather. Male voice in English and ac guitar {Neil} and Spanish male voices in Spanish w celto-hispanic backing (the Asturian band, Felpeyu) on bouzouki/mandocello, fiddles, ac bass, accordions, brushed bodhran, etc, plus Kavisha Mazzella’s female voice )

2242
CD CUT 4, ’THE DREAM’
PETER VADIVELOO
( PRESUMABLY ) APRA
VADBEL01
( Disc availability and gigs are flagged here:
www.myspace.com/vadiveloobelfrage
Jane’s site { under construction as I type : www.janebelfrage.com )
VADIVELOO BELFRAGE - ’DEVOTION TO RHYTHM’
5: 24
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: duet for harpist Jane Belfrage and drummer Peter Vadiveloo. He wrote this specifically for the harp; it employs a Latin tumbao groove - one that’s strong, but in no hurry at all )

SEGUE

2247
CD CUT 12 ’VULUMBRELLA’
TRAD, ARR PETER GRAYLING, KAVISHA MAZZELLA & JOHN REED
PEER MUSIC/ COPYRIGHT CONTROL
LARRIKIN LRF 401
( although this label is defunct, the CD is still available, worldwide, online:
www.kavisha.com/content/category/10/18/28/
KAVISHA MAZZELLA - ’MERMAIDS IN THE WELL’
4: 41
(AUSTRAL PERF AND ARR: 14th century erotic song from Naples, beautifully, hauntingly delivered. Kavisha sings in Italian w her own ac guitar, Peter Grayling’s cello and John Reed’s cittern.

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE KAVISHA PERFORMS?

Her soon-upcoming gigs are always flagged here:
www.kavisha.com )

2255
CD CUT 3, ’FUNKY FRUIT TREE’
PETER VADIVELOO
( PRESUMABLY ) APRA
VADBEL01
( Disc availability and gigs are flagged here:
www.myspace.com/vadiveloobelfrage
Jane’s site { under construction as I type : www.janebelfrage.com )
VADIVELOO BELFRAGE - ’DEVOTION TO RHYTHM’
4: 10 ( exceprpt )
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: duet for harpist Jane Belfrage and drummer Peter Vadiveloo. Based on a ¾ funk rhythm )

----
11 PM NEWS
----

2305
CD CUT 10, ’TARANTISM’
JOE CHINDAMO
C. 2007 JOE CHINDAMO
JAZZHEAD HEAD090
( www.jazzhead.com )
JOE CHINDAMO - ’DUENDE: THE ROMANTIC PROJECT’
2: 35
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: ’live’ and v alive. A bright-staccato, overtly-Italianate dance for Joe’s piano, Doug De Vries’ nylon-stringed ac guitar, Nigel Maclean’s violin and Sam Anning’s ac bass. ’Tarantism’, says Joe, means ’the urge to cure melancholy by dancing’)

2310
CD CUT 7, ’AH! VITA BELLA’ (AH, THE GOOD LIFE!’)
LUCILLA GALEAZZI
NO PUB SPEC
ALPHA 503
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.alpha-prod.com )
L’ARPEGGIATA/ CHRISTINA PLUHAR - ’LA TARANTELLA’
3: 05
(The singer is the Italian author. Lucilla Galeazzi is one of the greatest female Italian singers - in both ’folk’ and ’avant’ terms. Her song adopts persona of a wife despairing at how her husband has become indifferent to her, indeed to life itself. It begins as a very quiet, spare plaint. Then, it erupts into an explosive-furious-fleet tarantella )

SEGUE

2313
CD ( DISC TWO ) CUT 5, ’NINFA PLEBEA’ (THE NYMPH)
ENNIO MORRICONE, ARR ENRICO PIERANUNZI
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
7: 30
( ’live’ in 2004. beautifully tender ballad for pianist Enrico, ac bassist Marc and drummer Joey. Love-theme written by Morricone for a 1996 Lina Wertmuller film of same name )

SEGUE

2321
CD CUT 4, ’LA BALLATA DEL CARBONARO’
TRAD, ARR RICCARDO TESI & MAURIZIO GERI
PUB NOT SPEC
FELMAY FY 8060
( no current Australian distributor
worldwide, & info: www.felmay.it
Readily available via www.cdroots.com )
RICCARDO TESI - ’ACQUA FOCO E VENTO: NEW TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM TUSCANY’
7: 33
(a ’chamber-folk’ treatment {a good one} of a haunting traditional Tuscan song. Details the hard, hard times endured by Tuscan woodsmen who earned their living producing ’coal’ from timbers harvested from their own mountain forests and those of Corscia and Sardinia. Tesi’s accordion, Maurizio Geri’s voice and ac guitar. With cello, ac bass, mandolin etc. Has a ’La banda’ style instrumental coda which is - or sounds like - an actual Tuscan brass-band, on location )

2330
CD CUT 7, ’IMPROLEAVES’
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
15: 18
( ’live’ in 2004. Joey’s drums - solo - launch an extraordinary, lively, quasi-free-trio improv, which alludes to ’Autumn Leaves’. The Italian leader is the pianist, Marc the bassist )

SEGUE

2345
CD CUT 3, ’SHADES OF JADE’
MARC JOHNSON/ ELIANE ELIAS PUBLISHER NOT SPECIFIED
ECM 1894/ B0005060-02
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.ecmrecords.com )
MARC JOHNSON - ’SHADES OF JADE’
7: 30
( Spare, slow and impressionistic - intentionally alluding to the previous piece. Marc’s ac bass. Eliane’s piano, Joe Lovano’s tenor sax, drummer Joey Baron and John Scofield’s elec guitar )

2355
CD (DISC THREE) CUT 6 ’JADE VISIONS’
SCOTT LAFARO
PUB NOT SPEC
RIVERSIDE 3RCD-4443-2
( import from USA - readily available)
BILL EVANS TRIO (WITH PAUL MOTIAN AND SCOTT LAFARO - ’THE COMPLETE VILLAGE VANGUARD RECORDINGS, 1961’
3: 58 ( complete )
(’Live’ in 1961, eleven days before a car accident killed the composer and bassist, aged 25; La Faro was quite possibly the 20th century’s most gifted jazz bassist.. Evans’ piano, Paul Motian’s brushes and cymbals - intimate

LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST BASSISTS?

This is a good place to start:
www.jazzimprov.com/links/legends.cfm?legend_id=12 )

Presenter

Doug Spencer

Producer

Doug Spencer