Trovajoli

Inspired by the works of Italian medieval writer/poet Boccaccio (the Decameron), Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Vittorio de Sica each directed a short starring Anita Ekberg, Romy Schneider, and Sophia Loren, respectively; Italian soundtrack heavyweights Nino Rota and Armando Trovajoli provided the necessary musical accompaniment. The result was the film Boccaccio 70 and music that frames a kaleidoscope of styles with dramatic panache. Trovajoli, in particular, mixes it up with cha-cha-chas, march pieces, waltzes, circus themes, and jazz – the highlight, though, is his Latin vocal feature, "Soldi! Soldi! Soldi!," sung by a surprisingly effective Loren. Unlike Trovajoli, Rota doesn't focus on one style per piece, but instead fills his symphonic-worthy sides with a seamless blend of many of the same styles, peppering the landscape with trademark doses of pipe-organ moodiness, can-can rhythms, and dusky string passages. And as far as jazz goes, Rota furnishes the Visconti segment with some very worthy combo ballads redolent of Miles Davis' own soundtrack venture, Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud.

This is a collection called “Tidbeats”. Its title means “music bars” but it reads also as tidbits. It contains, in fact, original unreleased tracks from the likes of Stelvio Cipriani, Francesco De Masi, Piero Umiliani, Gianni Ferrio, Giorgio Gaslini, Riz Ortolani, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Piccioni and many other great masters of the Italian soundtracks.

There is just something about the holiday season that makes everyone hold their loved ones just a little bit closer. Maybe it's because it is coming at the end of the year. Maybe it's because the holidays just seem magical. Whatever the reason is, love is surely in the air.

This is a collection called “Tidbeats”. Its title means “music bars” but it reads also as tidbits. It contains, in fact, original unreleased tracks from the likes of Stelvio Cipriani, Francesco De Masi, Piero Umiliani, Gianni Ferrio, Giorgio Gaslini, Riz Ortolani, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Piccioni and many other great masters of the Italian soundtracks.