Here we are, a year of intense touring and studio work is about to end.
2016 has started with some exciting experiences around my tribute to Emily Dickinson “Odd to love” and ended with “Extended” concerts in which I returned to present some of my own favorite songs in Italian. I visited and played in Florence, Padua, Forli, Trapani, Catania, Avola, Rome, Arezzo, Sesto f.no, Livorno, Amsterdam, Leeuwarden, Haarlem, Luxembourg, Liege.
In the studio, between Haarlem and Livorno, I am busy with the production and artistic direction of two new projects, different to eachothers but both content-rich. The first one is the debut album of a good friend, the dutch Tom Bak, former guitarist of Bender, who has a handful of songs among chanson with Balkan influences and that will come out in early 2017. The second, but probably the most representative of the two for my contribution, is the new album of Piccoli animali senza espressione, band from Livorno (Italy) shaped by Edoardo Bacchelli, Andrea Fusario and Filippo Trombi with Annalisa Boccardi as lyrics writer. With P.A.S.E. entered on a permanent basis in the collective “Sussurround” we are concluding their third album. I obviously still can not reveal the title and content. I only say that I came to consider him “mine” thanks to a total affinity, harmony and friendship matured over the past three years now becoming truly special. The album contains beautiful songs, I did arranged them, often based on their original ideas, and really dreamy lyrics, real poetry.
We pushed even more on electronics even though it remains an album of songs.
I am particularly proud of this work also because beside the music production, I take care of the graphics, the cover art work and create and directed the video of the first single for the album, out in April / May 2017. Last week, on a beach with the harbor in the background we shot on a beautiful sunny day. Thanks Mara, Bianca and Rosa for dancing and having fun with us joyfully, the three musicians were equally kindly following me in this adventure. We had fun and at the end and the result could only be positive.
With this post, before returning for wishes for Christmas and New Year, I wanted to inform you about what “bubbles in the pot“ for the first half of 2017. For the second half, well …. “7” is a beautiful number in itself and the inspiration has never been so alive …. See you soon.
Below: Break on the set (photo: Tenedle)