Well it has been talked about for what seems like the last couple of years but finally it looks as though the Barga swing group, The Aristodemos have finally got their act together and recorded a CD.
Back in November of last year they were all hard at work in a new rehearsal space in Barga Vecchia at Il Melograno di Melissa the new clothes shop which opened up in October (article here)
They were working on narrowing down a 2 hour set list of songs to just 8 or 9 which best summed up the spirit of the Aristodemos.
As we said then, watch this space for further news on just when the CD will be recorded and published … would it be in time for Christmas ?
As we now know, Christmas came and went, the New Year and Befana soon passed us by followed by Easter and then May Day and still no CD on the horizon but then this week there really was some serious movement on that front.
In January the band were holed up in the new recording studio which has been created by Gianni Nuzzi in the old studios of VideoMusic up at Castelvecchio Pascoli and finally this evening after a long gestation period, the last touches to the new Aristodemo’s CD where added and the CD is now officially ready to be printed.
The final touches involved adding the presence of Aristodemo Casciani who died almost 7 years ago, to the CD thanks to recordings of the man and his music going back a couple of decades.
The Aristodemo’s are: Andrea Gonnella (Vocals), Keane (percussioni / bodhran and cajón), Leo Gnesi ( Basso), Alessandro Rizzardi (Mandolino / Mandolin and Sax), Fabio Guazzelli (chitarra / guitar) Ugo Menconi (Accordion)
The band came together in the winter of 2009 when local musicians Alessandro Rizzardi (mandolino), Keane (bodhran and cajón), Fabio Guazelli (chitarra), Leo Gnesi (contro bass), and Andrea Gonnella (cantante) found each other in Aristo’s enoteca, with instruments in hand, and exciting ideas in mind and of course, passion in heart. The addition of Ugo Menconi (Accordion) completed the line up and a new type of swing group was born.
Focusing mainly on forgotten swing Italiano from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, The Aristodemos welcome you to jump back in time and into their salotto. You may also hear something contemporary swung into Aristo gear.
All of the articles about the Aristodemos here on barganews can be seen here