The "Macchiaioli Project" is an italian modern-jazz project recorded in 2008 by the Livorno Quintet (Quintetto di Livorno) and performed abroad by the same Quintet with the great Lithuanian sax player Vytautas Labutis as a special and very welcome guest.
The Quintetto di Livorno (chesk also http://www.myspace.com/quintettodilivorno ) is formed by musicians coming and-or living in Livorno, Tuscany.
The band propose different tunes inspired by the paintings of one of the two the most important painters from Livorno: Giovanni Fattori (Livorno 1825 - Firenze 1908). G.Fattori has been the most notable artist of the Macchiaioli movement, also recognized as a great pre-impressionistic artist and anti-accademic free spirit.
Some other tunes performed are inspired by other livornese painters as E. Cecconi (Livorno 1842 – Firenze 1903) and Luigi Levi, also known as Ulvi Liegi (Livorno 1858 – 1939), both involved in the same Macchiaioli period, or in the post-Macchiaioli artistic current.
The term "Macchiaioli" comes from "Macchia", meaning "spot": the Macchiaioli used to paint using little spots of colours, in order to show the light in its everchanging and different actions on objects, persons, landscapes. This way, they intended to underline their care and love for the single moments lived by the people and the nature items: we can think of them as the inventors of the art of photography! Their ability of "catching the moment" in single frames made them real reporters of their time.
The founder and main composer of the Quintet, the pianist Andrea Pellegrini, composed most of the tunes "...as a search for identity: I needed to deal with this masterpieces of the European art, to match with the personality of a great artist born in the same town where I live, to understand more about myself and mw own art - even if it is music, modern music; but jazz, after all, is also oriented to speak about people, and it is made by a continual, ceaseless attention to the single frame of life we live: it is stricly, deeply contemporary, as Fattori's art was".
The second project of the Quintet, not recorded yet, is dedicated to another great master of the XX century art: Amedeo Modigliani, also born in Livorno. "...Modigliani was one of the most important artist of his time and was born 100 meters from my house. How can a composer live here without not matching with him?", Andrea said.
Concert Proposal
The Quintet can perform both Macchiaioli and Modigliani project in 2 different concerts or both of them together, condensed in a single 2-sets concert.
The concert can be performed while images of the paintings are showed. In this case, a strict coordination with a good video technician is requested.
Personnel:
Tino Tracanna, tenor, soprano sax
Vytautas Labutis, alto, soprano sax
Andrea Pellegrini, piano
Nino Pellegrini, contrabass
Riccardo Jenna, drums
In case of low-budget festivals, local musicians can be involved: Andrea Pellegrini loves to share his own music with other artists in order to build new artistic relationships and human development. Also, the front line (2 sax) plus Andrea can be called to join a local rhythm section.
Program:
1. Le Acquaiole (A. Pellegrini)
2. Il Riposo (Il Carro Rosso) (A. Pellegrini – from an old tuscan lullaby)
3. Libecciata 3 (A. Pellegrini)
4. Lo Staffato (A. Pellegrini)
5. Gotine Rosse (A. Pellegrini)
6. Le Cenciaiole (D. G. Espinoza)
7. Il Mercato (R. Jenna)
From the pictures:
1. “Acquaiole livornesi (Adiacenze dell’Ardenza. Portatrici d’acqua)” [G. Fattori, Livorno, 1825 - Firenze, 1908; 1865, Livorno, propr. Angiolini]
2. “Riposo (Il Carro Rosso)” [G. Fattori; 1883-86, Milano, Brera]
3. “Spiaggia in burrasca con tamerici (Libecciata)” [G. Fattori; 1880-90, Firenze, Palazzo Pitti]
4. “Lo Staffato” [G. Fattori; 1878-79, Firenze, Galleria d’Arte Moderna]
5. “Busto di bambina in profilo (Ritratto di una contadina. Gotine Rosse)” [G. Fattori; 1875-77, Firenze, Palazzo Pitti]
6. “Cenciaiole livornesi” [E. Cecconi (Livorno 1842 – Firenze 1903); 1880, Livorno, Museo Fattori, Villa Mimbelli]
7. “Il mercato di Livorno” [Luigi Levi, in arte Ulvi Liegi, Livorno 1858 – 1939; 1924, private collection]