Beppe Barbera "solo & duo"
(Edition & distribution E-edizioni)

Musicians:
Beppe Barbera, pianoforte
Alberto Mandarini, trumpet & flugelhorn


Note on CD:
The work being released is a selection of recordings made in May 2011 and the first idea was to do the whole thing in solitude. A collection of compositions stemming from my thoughts, reflections and meditations on music and on life. But then the desire to partly share it with someone who could bring out the intimistic and experimental character of some of the pieces presented prevailed. Alberto Mandarini is an educated and genuine musician. Lyrical, passionate, but also incisive and sharp when necessary. The right person. Lots of these pieces were born in the cinematographic field. Over the years I have often set to music silent films. Three titles of this album come from that adventure. 'Tema di Giovanna' is inspired by “La Passion de Jeanne” by Carl Theodor Dreyer. 'Le strade del Bazar' comes from the documentary “Sul tetto del mondo. Viaggio di S.A.R. Il Duca degli Abruzzi al Karakorum” by Vittorio Sella. 'Theme from the Gold Rush' has been the leitmotif of The Gold Rush by Chaplin. The other pieces have different origines, closely connected to life experiences.I wanted to insert also two pieces by other authors I have reinterpreted as a tribute to the music I love: Pannonica by T. Monk and Do You know what it Means (to miss New Orleans), a jewel of traditional jazz I first listened to in the interpretation of Billie Holiday.
Beppe Barbera

Beppe Barbera trio C.d.K.
(Edition e distribution E-edizioni)

Musicians:
Beppe Barbera, pianoforte
Gianni Virone, soprano sax & clarinet
Matteo Ravizza, double-bass

Note on CD:
This album contains my latest compositions but also more...ancient music. I am talking in particular of the Blob Suite. The pieces 'Mon Dieu', 'Toast' and 'Quoi?' were present in a 2001 cd recorded with a wonderful quintet to which I'd like to dedicate this revival in the form of a suite. My young current partners, Virone and Ravizza, after listening to the album have expressed the wish to play those pieces. It was a great satisfaction for me and we are glad to perform them again. 'Il Profumo' is oldish too but I had left it aside. It draws inspiration from Patrick Suskind's renowned novel.The other pieces, on the contrary, are brand new: 'Romae', another suite in four movements dedicated to the eternal city, and 'C.d.K.' that gives the name to the album.We truly hope you will enjoy the listening.
Beppe Barbera

Beppe Barbera quartet "Live in Bergamo"
(Editions L'Eubage 2005 - Distribution E-edizioni)

Musicians:
Beppe Barbera, pianoforte & arrangements
Roberto Regis, saxphones
Alessandro Maiorino, double-bass
Enzo Zirilli, drums

Note on CD:
The thread running through this album, recorded live at the Byron club in Bergamo, is represented by some of Michel Legrand’s compositions.
Conceived at first as a quartet with singer, on this occasion the project is expressed in the instrumental form only.
The arrangements, rather structured, open to freer situations.
Legrand’s music is the triumph of key, which is continuosly modified (through various and complex melodic traits).
The insertion of modal and free moments modifies to a certain extent this feature and gives unexpected connotations to the pieces of music.
That’s for the technical analysis...
But when we listened to the (unforeseen) recording of the concert, we were surprised by the energy it expressed and the emotions it conveyed.
Jazz alive has a different charm. Some gigs are worth being documented.
In our opinion at least!

Blob quintet "Mon Dieu!"
(Editions L'Eubage 2001 - Distribution E-edizioni)

Musicians:
Beppe Barbera, pianoforte
Roberto Regis, sax
Gianluca Petrella, trombone
Alessandro Maiorino, double-bass
Enzo Zirilli, drums

Note on CD:
"Blob", a name who means something.
As it usually happens when you search a name for a band, creativity takes the lead. In the widespread of ideas - the most unexpected ones - something comes out, something loved by everyone, something that…sounds good.
That's the point! It MUST sound good, like the music he stands for.
This is what we are here for! I dare say that this album is an original one.
It comes from such different places as contemporary, folk and rock music; the most radical freedom of expression leads to a dialogue open to the every kind of development.
A little bit of craziness is welcomed, too!
The main source is, of course, JAZZ music: the most surprising art form of the twentieth century.
It has constantly renovated, transformed and transfigured itself, thanks to a bunch of musical geniuses.
The names? Thelonious Monk, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow.
These ones are "personally responsible" for our work.
We play Major by Carla Bley, written down and arranged after an extraordinary live performance by the Bley/Swallow duo.
Built on a series of major triads that develop the main theme and the improvisations, this track is marked by an endless chain of rhythm changes: 7/4, 6/4, 3/4, 4/4…a hurdle-race…pure genius.
It is the only non-original track, except for Valse, an ironical blink of the eye to a local popular melody.
Monk is present too, in the title-track. The first time that Roberto Regis listened to Mon Dieu!
He said I ought to change it into Monk Dieu!… the presence of Thelonious was such evidence…Quoi?
(What? Like when you try to understand something or someone you don't catch) is inspired by an imaginary dialogue between two deaf men.
It's not so unusual today. At the beginning we are introduced to the two deaf men (soprano sax and trombone) who hopelessly try to communicate.
The third man (an "ostinato" piano) after a number of failures finally achieves in making them talk to one another.
Stations visions #2 , a succession of major and minor chords wants to express the different moods of the passing lives we cross, smell and almost touch in the train stations. The melody is written for alto sax and trombone in unison.
Your lovely eyes is dedicated to a beautiful girl with beautiful eyes.
Don't blame me! Every composer has dedicated at least one song to an attractive woman.
Why jazz composers should be different? Toast is a waltz, a hymn to melody.
The first theme is built on a triadic basis for drum, with sax and trombone playing the main themes without harmonies.
When the harmonies come in, the orchestral nature of the track declare itself.
A group improvisation free from harmonic and formal schemes leads the track to a far and unexplored land.
Musicians talk to each other using a short rhythmic/melodic riff.
L'île des rêves is a dream.
A dream set in an island where nothing comes between men and the fulfilment of the most complete happiness.
A place where there are neither conditioning nor preconceptions… a place where the colour of joy is not dimmed by the shadow of envy.
A dream… Buon ascolto! Oops, I forgot the thanks! Warm, intense, faithful thanks to the MUSIC!

Beppe Barbera "Day Dreams"
(Editions L'Eubage 2005 - Distribution E-edizioni)

Musicians:
Beppe Barbera, pianoforte & arrangements
Paolo Ravaglia, clarinets
Paolo Franciscone, drums

Note on CD:
Edgar Allan Poe once said, "Those who dream during the day know a lot of things which escape people who only dream at night".
If this is true then our joint musical explorations are of special significance. In creating the tunes appear on this album switched back and forth between improvisation and composition.
Poe, who was so expert in working between the real and the unreal, fantasies and dreams, provides he inspiration for the composition Berenice, taken from a story usingthe same name which is full oflove, madness and distressed states of mind Our explorations also involved transporting suggestions provided by Charlie Chaplin's The Count and Buster Keaton's Day Dreams; illusions, and (G. Leopardi: Zibaldone).
In our opinion Epistrophy has injected an element of delirium in to instrumental dialogue, full of repetition and unresolved dissonance.
Sensations and sentiments which are at time impalpable (La Douleur, Le Silence, Dear Old Monique) have provided stimuli which acquire concrete form in extremely lyrical and tender moments.
It is for this reason that we could not omit Prelude To A Kiss, dedicated to the Duke, a final pleasant vision before the nightmarish hallucination which Tammuriata Nera inflicts on the fearless listener-dreamer.
The musical personnel was chosen in terms of the experimental objectives we had in mind, privileging coloristic, timber and dinamic elements which reach out toward that dimension of sound where shadows give way to reality.

Miscellaneous Mp3