Alessandro Carabelli (piano), Franco Ambrosetti (trumpet), Diego Mascherpa (saxophones, clarinet), Luciano Zadro (guitar), Marco Conti (bass), Stefano Bagnoli (drums).
11 Tracks. All compositions by Alessandro Carabelli - except Dreaming Bertinoro by Luciano Zadro and Blue Sun by Marco Conti. Recorded at MC Studio, Gavirate (VA) - Italy - October 5-6-7, 2005.
Aphrodite is full of moonlight – and squarely lit by the sun. For one thing, the six innovative and engaging Italian musicians create an airy, open feel; for another, the material, all original is light and lyrical. The 11 tracks are through and through relaxing and thoughtful and full of genial energy. Expect nothing less than consistently delicious music, expertly played.
Special guest Franco Ambrosetti is well known in the jazz community. He played together with artists like Kenny Clark, Phil Woods, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderly, Joe Henderson, George Gruntz, Michael Brecker, Mike Stern, Romano Mussolini, Gato Barbieri and many others.
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture. Aphrodite is, for me, the vital force that can lead us to unexpected discoveries about ourselves, that makes us fall and then stand up again, that leads us through surprise, fear, hope, laughter and tears. This disc is inspired by love, desire, sadness and expectation.
Words cannot fully express our emotions: they are just not enough to convey a feeling, to depict an atmosphere, to portrait people who have had such a significant role in our life, or memories that look so vivid in our minds. But music can: music is free, immediate, powerful. Music can say everything in the same way you feel it. Music is my palette, and at any time I can draw the colors I need from it, and paint freely, driven by my imagination.
This record has been a journey. I did not leave alone: my valued friends came along, bringing their heart, their joy, and their outstanding skills. They helped me combine those colors, mix those nuances, and trace my watercolor. They added their passion and their vitality to mine.
All of the songs in this work represent fragments of memories, people I met, unforgettable instants, and few regrets. Aphrodite is:
Pescadina, immense Colombian artist, a tropical angel who flew away too soon.
Abuela, beloved grandmother, and irreplaceable source of wisdom and inner peace.
Vally, the beginning and the end of everything I have become.
Black Notes, sprung from the black keys of my piano.
Atlantide, imaginary world between reality and legend: my hopeless research of the perfect world.
Serendipity, charming and deceitful.
Prayer, a scream from the heart.
Taken from the liner notes by Alessandro Carabelli