In September of last year we published an article (here) with the title “The Aristodemo’s back in rehearsals for spring relaunch”
The article went on to say – “There have been rumours floating around the Piazza for the past few weeks but today those rumours now become fact: shock, horror, probe – the Aristodemo’s have decided to call it a day after putting their version of Italian swing from the 30s, 40s and 50s in front of many thousands of people over the last couple of years.
Citing “musical differences” two members of the band, guitarist Luca Giovacchini and singer Emma Morton are now striking off on their own in a new direction and with a new sound.
Three of the remaining musicians – Alessandro Rizzardi on mandolin and sax, Fabio Guazzelli on guitar and Keane, the percussionist are not letting the grass grow beneath their feet and they too are moving away in a slightly different direction from the original concept of the Aristodemos.
This evening they decided to start from scratch and go back to the location where the whole project first sprung into life – Aristo’s bar in Barga Vecchia and they called two new musicians in to join them to see if together they could make some music which would excite them all.
The two new musicians who are feeling their way for a new direction inside the group are: Ugo Menconi on fisarmonica and Andrea Gonnella the vocalist.
Will this be the start of the revitalised and relaunched Aristodemos ? …. difficult to say, but they now have the whole winter to get their act together. Let’s see what the spring brings.”
So, the winter is practically over, the spring is still not quite at the door but the Aristo’s are ready to share their musical journey with their friends.
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What will the addition of a fisarmonica player make to the overall sound and direction of the group and probably more importantly, a new male voice to the group …. how is that going to change the music ?
This Saturday all was revealed at the Barga Jazz Club as the first official public outing of The Aristodemos took place.
Alessandro Rizzardi on mandolin and sax, Fabio Guazzelli on guitar, Keane – bodhràn and percussion, Ugo Menconi on fisarmonica, Leonardo Gnesi – double bass and introducing Andrea Gonnella on vocals
Below are three recordings of the concert but it has to be said straight away that the recordings are in no way a good rendition of the sound that evening as the microphone for the recording was placed just behind the drummer and fisarmonica player leaving the guitar almost unheard and the singer sounding as though he was singing in the corridor BUT they do give some idea to the direction that the Aristodemo’s are now taking with their music.
Two minutes into this second recording there is a good indication of some of the experiments that the group are trying with the classic song by Domenico Modugno – Vecchio Frack, written in 1955 but this time brought into the 21st century with a performance almost but not quite in dub style but still managing to keep the melancholic feel that so infused Modugno’s original – based on the suicide of Raimondo Lanza Di Trabia.
Vecchio Frack – 1955
E’ giunta mezzanotte
si spengono i rumori
si spegne anche l’insegna
di quel’ultimo caffè
le strade son deserte
desterte e silenzione,
un’ultima carrozza
cigolando se ne và.Il fiume scorre lento
frusciando sotto i ponti
la luna slende in cielo
dorme tutta la città
solo và un’uomo in frack.Ha il cilindro per cappello
due diamanti per gemelli
un bastone di cristallo
la gardenia nell’occhiello
e sul candido gilet
un papillon,
un papillon di seta blu
s’avvicina lentamente
con incedere elegante
ha l’aspetto trasognato
malinconico ed assente
non si sa da dove vien
ne dove và
chi mai sarà
quel’uomo in frack.buon nuite bonne nuite
buon nuite bonne nuiteBouna notte
va dicendo ad ogni cosa
ai fanali illuminati
ad un gatto innamorato
che randagio se ne va.
Main image for this article by Giuseppe Jos Venturi
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