is it possible to explore the new sounds of jazz on the cello without sacrificing its beautiful sound and noble elegance?
This CD is dedicated to all the people that think that The Bach suites are a beginning and not a end.

14 MP3 Songs in this album (65:52) !
Related styles: Jazz: Crossover Jazz, Classical: Bach, Solo Instrumental

People who are interested in johan sebastian bach Keith Jarrett Miles davis should consider this download.


Details:
Hi there,
Just a couple of words about this CD while you are probably trying to decide either to buy or to, more safely, download it somewhere on the net and never really listen to itâ¦

First, I could start with my resume and all the names (known or less known) of people I work or worked with/for, places, awards and so onâ¦Honestly I think that approach never really gives an Idea of what I am trying to do and why so let´s try some other way.

Let me try to narrow this âlittle revolutionâ of mine down to just one sentence:
I am exploring the âgray areasâ between music styles and forms (in this instance Jazz) so that through it the listener will be able to realize and hopefully enjoy the so many facets of musical expression that can be covered once you make the leap of faith of forgetting about differences and focus on the common denominators between different cultural expressions.

Another important goal is to propose to cellists, and by extension classically trained musicians, a different way to enjoy and eventually approach improvisation, Jazz, electronic music and whatever other language might spring out in the future.

I know what you are thinking: âit has been done beforeâ, âwhy should we indulge one more cellist on his experimental fantasies?â, or my favorite âwho are you again???â

Well, what I think is different here is my idea on how to âget thereâ.

I believe that the right path doesn´t lies on producing covers of âsmooth criminalâ or other blockbuster of the music industry because: while that allows you to get to millions of youtube views (and finally realizing the vaguely warohlian dream of being at the same views level with sneezing pandas and Piano-playing cats), such kind of expression only contributes to reinforce the stereotype that classical musicians are only good at either copying things or even if they create something new, that is never going to have the faintest possibility of being entertaining for a ânormalâ audience.

It is with this thought in mind that I am shaping my image and my creations: of course I use jazz standards and countless musical quotes (I defy anyone to name me all of them!) but my approach is loose enough that I am able to rarely play the same thing twice and being or at least aiming to be always in a constant state of live composition.

âSolo Jazzâ is the product of about five years of search in that direction.

I wanted to give to the listener the chance of experiencing this âgray areaâ between genres while sometime shuffling casually between the âWohltemperiertes Klavierâ, John Coltrane, Massive Attack and the Dvorak´s Concerto.

I decided for this album not to use any electronics (a part for âpulses from aboveâ): Just the sound of the cello as beautiful as I can make it should do the trick!

Finally, most of these tracks were live improvised: I just sat down and press record between January and April 2011 so⦠please be patient if some fingers didn´t always want to cooperate :)

I hope you will enjoy it.

wel... here is the bio (just in case you are still reading!)

Lucio Franco Amanti complete bio 2011

"he is a very fine cellist and imaginative composer, I much appreciate his workâ Janos Starker

Born in Montreal Canada in 1977 to Italian parents Lucio F. Amanti grew up in Napoli (Italy).

There, at the age 9, he was accepted to study cello at the âSan Pietro a Majellaâ Conservatory.
One year later he already had his first solo performance for the Italian national television (RAI).
All through his ten years studies he performed also in venues such as the Teatro San Carlo, Villa Walton and the Ravello International chamber music festival.

Amanti´s experience as active composer started at the age 19 when he arranged for orchestra parts of a ballet from themes by Donizetti under the guidance of Roberto De Simone (a celebrated Neapolitan composer).
This composition was performed in the major theaters in Italy such as âSan Carloâ and âLa Scalaâ.

After graduation in 1997, he moved to Paris (France) to follow the lessons of Prof. Roland Pidoux.
Two years later he won the position of principal cellist of the âOrchestra Regionale Campanaâ in Naples.
With this orchestra he performed with many renowned musicians such as the Oscar-prize winner Luis Bacalov and pianist Aldo Ciccolini.

In 2002, the legendary cellist Janos Starker invited Amanti to study with him at the Indiana University School of music in Bloomington USA.
After two years of intense classical studies, due to new musical influences, Amanti decided to explore also jazz and improvisation with yet another living legend: the composer, and jazz pedagogue, Dr. David N. Baker.

During this time, Amanti wrote many compositions and arrangements for different ensembles, searching to build the foundations for a dialogue between the jazz and classical tradition.
In 2006 he presented and performed at the Music Art Center in Bloomington an example of this research.
This piece, that he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Baker, is a new elaboration of the jazz standard Afro Blue by Coltrane, arranged for cello, loop machine and Big Band.
Amanti graduated in 2006 with both a Diploma in classical cello and a Masters degree in âJazz Studiesâ.

In 2007 he moved to Berlin (Germany). There he started perform, solo and with his jazz trio, in major jazz clubs and new music places like the âB-flatâ, âSchlotâ and the âRadialsystemâ.
One of his live improvisations was also featured on the documentary â24 Hours Berlinâ and broadcasted on the ARTE television channel.
Amanti founded also a small label in Berlin and released his first commercial album Jazzcello.
On Jazzcello he sought to explore the possibilities of cello in a contemporary jazz context receiving enchanted feedback and placing his music on the I-tunes top sellers in Europe.

Furthermore Amanti found also a stable challenge to his skills as composer, by working for the major design company MetaDesign AG.
Since fall 2007 he is a composer for their âSound Brandingâ team, writing advertising music for clients such as Audi, Siemens, Deutsche Post and Commerzbank. Influenced by the collaboration with sound designer and electronic musician Ben Lukas Boysen (aka Hecq), Amanti also experienced new ways of using the cello in electronic music. The result of this collaboration is the soundtrack of the short film âFear and Loveâ by director Rob Chiu.

As teacher Amanti gave his first lecture on âJazz arranging for stringsâ in 2008 at the prestigious âHanns Eisler Jazz Institute Berlinâ. He also regularly writes jazz cello lessons for the Italian leading jazz website Jazzitalia. In his teachings he aims to help classical string players to approach jazz techniques as well as jazz players and composers to learn about the potential of well trained string sections.
In 2010 the prestigious German company Schott music published his Jazz Suite for cello solo.This continuing relationship brought also in 2011 to a new publication: the Jazz Sonata for cello and piano (currently in the last phases of revision).
Amanti at present explores also the possibility of a musical dialogue based on improvisation between western and eastern music.
He was commissioned to write an orchestra piece based on the Afghani Anthem for the Afghanistan National Institute of Music that he later donated to the school.
He plays in duo with the Iranian Tombak player Mohammad Reza Mortazavi with whom he played for official diplomatic conventions at the âPergamon Museumâ Berlin and at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris (France).