Customer Reviews

Traversata: Italian Music in America

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While I can't claim to be any sort of an expert on Italian music, I must say that this is a fantastic cd. Being a fan of old movies, there are quite a few times while listening to this cd that all I can picture in my head is Sophia Loren circa 1958 strolling along a beach. Yeah it's THAT good.

Aside from Puccini, Cipolla, Eddie Lang, and the Godfather music, I wasn't really familiar with any of this music or its composers but now I wonder why this music has seemingly been forgotten. It's really gorgeous music and I am extremely grateful to David Grisman for "introducing" me not only to these Italian styles, but also to the two specific Italian musicians on this cd, Carlo Aonzo (mandolin) and Beppe Gambetta (14-string harp-guitar). The harp-guitar is usually in a supporting role here so it's never the lead instrument but it has wondeful, rich tone. I was suprised at times that it is a wooden guitar because it has a low-end more reminiscent of a National.

Carlo is the leader here, from playing to arranging. He is "the mandolin find" of the year for me this year, a truly great player. I initially had my doubts as to whether these guys would sound good next to Grisman but it turns out that they steal the show. Carlo also plays one of the single best moments of the cd when he takes a turn on mandocello for track #4 (Manzanillo).

Acoustic Disc has released many great cd's over the last decade and this is one of the best. The only other "ethnic" cd Grisman has released that can compare to this one is the masterpiece, Songs Of Our Fathers, but this one has better, richer sound than does that one.

As for Jason Verlinde's review: Please be aware that Carlo Aonzo is the principal mandolinist on this recording. He is a virtuoso player in the classical repertoire and on many of the cuts he is the sole player. David Grisman should be praised foremost for issuing this CD and certainly for his playing, but he plays, for the most part a secondary role on most of the cuts. In fact in his intro he says: "Thank you, Carlo and Beppe, for allowing me to enter this beautiful world and for being such wonderful tour guides."

In any case, this is certainly one of the finest comtemporary issues of this older style of Italian mandolin music. Highly recommended.

One of the best CD's I own. The music is magic and tugs at your heart strings. I play it over and over.

Track listings :

1. Costumi Siciliani (Sicilian Customs) Giovanni Gioviale,

2. Oh, Mio Babbino Caro (Oh, My Dear Daddy, from Gianni Schicchi),

3. Idillio Primaverile (Idyll of Springtime) Giovanni Gioviale,

4. Manzanillo Valentine Abt,

5. L'Onda (The Wave) Pasquale Taraffo,

6. Tarantella Op. 18 Raffaele Calace,

7. Intermezzo (from Cavalleria, Rusticana) Pietro Mascagni,

8. Pickin' the Guitar (Pizzicando la Chitarra) Nick Lucas (Dominic Lucanese),

9. Violinata (Violin Serenade) Attilio Margutti,

10. Duo for Two Mandolins (Studio per Due Mandolini) Rudy Cipolla,

11. Valtzer Fantastico (Wonder Waltz) Enrico Marucelli,

12. The Godfather Waltz (Il Valzer del Padrino, from The Godfather) Nino Rota,

13. Mazurka VI Op. 141 Raffaele Calace,

14. Serenata "a Ballo" Traditional,

15. April Kisses (Baci d'Aprile) Eddie Lang (Salvatore Massaro).

Just got home from hearing Beppe Gambetta at a live concert in Princeton. He is a phenomenal guitarist - the best! I picked up two of his CDs - Traversata and his new CD, Blu di Genova. Both are excellent. While he is accompanied on these CDs, in the live concert he was playing solo. He was even more outstanding playing alone. Should you hear of him playing in your area, don't miss it! It will be a truly memorable musical evening. His personality is also as lively, humorous, and wonderful as his musicianship.

If you like acoustic music, this is a must have CD. The selection of music is wonderful and the musicianship is out of the world. I admit to being a Grissman fan, but this is over the top. Besides, with a name like Beppe Gambetta and a wonderful instrument like his guitar-harp, how could you possibly go wrong?

The music transports me back to the time of my anscestors' arrival in this country from Sicily. The sweetness and melancholy is abundant and the music fills my heart with longing. Traversata makes me feel like I am truly "crossing the ocean" to return to my past. It pulls at your heartstrings. I love it and recommend it highly.

With regards to page 9 of the booklet insert to TRAVERSATA (Grisman, Aonzo, Beppe, November 2001) regarding VALENTINE ABT, mandolin virtuoso, 1873-1942:

Errors, and corrections, are as follows:

On page 9 of the booklet there is a misprint as follows: "Scholar Samuel Adelstein in his 1901 Mandolin Memories said 'Abt's Impromptu is the greatest mandolin solo that has NEVER been written'."

The actual text from Adelstein's 1901 publication states "...tremendously effective chords of the Presto Finale make Valentine Abt's 'Impromptu' the greatest original mandolin solo that has EVER been written,..."

Also, being the great Grandson of Valentine Abt, I have his works, instruments, death certificate, records, etc. EVERY publication about Abt ever published has his date of death wrong, including Sparks, Gladd, Bone, etc. Most quote 1923, but he died in 1943. The exact details of this propagating error will be one of the subjects I am writing about in a Biography of Valentine Abt which will be out soon at amazon.com. All the supporting death information/certificate copies will be included. Reader's might like to get this piece of classical mandolin history from Valentine Abt's family. JLA-EM@ATT.NET