Once Upon a Time in America

There's a great sense of warmth to this album from The Super Trio – one that really seems to come from the bass work of Ron Carter, which is so upfront and present in the recording, it's got us remembering all over again why we love his music so much! Massimo Farao is on piano, and balances out Ron's sound with a lighter, more lyrical touch – but one that swings nicely, too – thanks to the always-great drum contributions of Jimmy Cobb – still a master of the understated swing, even after decades of recording! Titles include the original "Marta", plus "Salina", "Autumn Leaves", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "On A Clear day", and Ennio Morricone's "Once Upon A Time In America" – which sounds surprisingly nice as a jazz tune.

The aim of this musical tour – an expedition that travels backwards, from today to the Renaissance – is to reconstruct the overarching strands that comprise and unite five centuries of music of a "Roman school" famed for its contrapuntal rigour, melodic flair and popular roots.

The aim of this musical tour - an expedition that travels backwards, from today to the Renaissance - is to reconstruct the overarching strands that comprise and unite five centuries of music of a "Roman school" famed for its contrapuntal rigour, melodic flair and popular roots. The label "romano", which many a musician of bygone eras proudly displayed after their name, is a sure sign of belonging to a school, to a special style. The backdrop for this excursion back in time is Rome, which in this same Jubilee Year of 2025 is the destination for millions of pilgrims on the march from every part of the world, each with their own history and culture. And the various stops on the journey present the music of the eternal city, a music that - no matter whether sacred or secular or whatever the type of work - is as capable today as then of moving, delighting and nourishing the soul of any human being. After exploring the personality of Giovanni Zamboni (L'ultimo romano, 2016) and the refinements of the French repertoire (Meditation, 2022), in this, his third solo album for Arcana, Simone Vallerotonda engages with contemporary and ancient music, broadening the horizons of the lute with a confidence and sense of novelty that fascinate and surprise.

Gangster Sonny is the big man in the Bronx neighborhood of an Italian small boy named Calogero. A shooting witnessed by the boy (nicknamed C) is the starting point of a lasting bond between the gangster and the boy. Father (bus driver Lorenzo), however, disapproves. C grows up under the wing of both men, torn between his own natural honesty and his fascination with Sonny. C's neighborhood cronies get involved in theft, use of guns, and racial fights. When C falls for an African American girl, things don't get any easier. C's leap to manhood is marked by tragedy, but also by his recognition of the many faces of love.

Recorded with the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone sees the American cellist tackle some of the legendary Italian composer's most famous film scores. Produced by Morricone himself, the 2004 release features new arrangements of iconic soundtracks from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Cinema Paradiso, and Once Upon a Time in America, alongside lesser-known works from The Mission, A Pure Formality, and The Legend of 1900.

Recorded with the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone sees the American cellist tackle some of the legendary Italian composer's most famous film scores. Produced by Morricone himself, the 2004 release features new arrangements of iconic soundtracks from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Cinema Paradiso, and Once Upon a Time in America, alongside lesser-known works from The Mission, A Pure Formality, and The Legend of 1900.

A good survey of some of Morricone's more notable movie themes, spanning the mid-'60s to the mid-'80s. Includes some of his most famous work (from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly, The Mission, The Battle of Algiers, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Sacco and Vanzetti), as well as more obscure items like a 1971 BBC TV program. Anthology has superseded this as the most in-depth retrospective, but this doesn't repeat many of the tracks from that compilation, making for a worthwhile supplement.