TAPE 1
Body & Soul Heyman, Sour, Eyton, Green 5'28"
On Green Dolphin Street Bronislaw Kaper 4'52"
Mutual Julian Oliver Mazzariello 6'06"
Evidence Thelonious Monk 4'20"
Mare Nostrum Julian Oliver Mazzariello 5'06"
Funky Chunks Julian Oliver Mazzariello 4'37"
Total Time 30'28"
Conceived, recorded, and produced by Giulio Cesare Ricci
Recorded at the Auditorium Museo Piaggio, Pontedera, September 24, 2019
Recording assistant: Paola Liberato
Valve microphones: Neumann U47, U48, M49
Mike preamplifiers, cables (line, microphone, power supply): Signoricci
Photos by Emanuela D'Ambrosi
Mastered with the Ampex ATR 102 (Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351 - 1965) 2 tracks, 1/2" 30fps edited by David Manley.
This debut solo album by Julian Oliver Mazzariello is a selection of improvisations on standards and originals. The repertoire ranges from Body and Soul to Over the Rainbow, from Thelonious Monk to Prévert, along with originals written as far back as 1996 and up to 2019, generating a wide range of musical memories and ideas. "The role and presence of producer Giulio Cesare Ricci in this selection of recordings was as important as a second musician in a duet... not only for the incredible sonic reproduction of the instrument and the location, but for the creative environment he managed during the recording of the album and the emotional connection with each song." This album was recorded in September 2019 and is part of the recordings I made at the Piaggio Auditorium located inside the famous Museum in Pontedera, the place where Piaggio was born and where it continues to produce today. Inside the Museum, every year the public from all over the world can admire the Piaggio production made over the years, all the Vespa and Ape models, all the Aprilia, Gilera and Moto Guzzi motorcycles that have won national and international awards over time. For this recording I brought all my equipment, both analog (Ampex ATR 102 Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351-1965 2-track, 1/2 inch, 30 ips modified by David Manley) and digital (Pyramix Recorder, dCS A/D and D/A converters). As for the microphones, I used my original collection of Neumann U47, U48, M49 as well as Signoricci mic preamps and cables. I use pairs of Neumann tube microphones from 1947 and 1949 (U47, U48, and M49) with a very natural timbre using two-microphone field-effect techniques. These microphones have a significant history: they were the original microphones used to record, among other things, the Beatles' performances at Abbey Road Studio and by RCA for their "Living Stereo" recordings. The sound I capture with these legendary microphones is perfectly in line with my sonic tastes. No other microphone has such a true timbre and the ability to capture all the nuances of the sound and all the richness of the harmonics. The uniqueness of these microphones lies in their ability to take a perfect "sound photograph" and place the music perfectly in the chosen sonic space for recording. This is because I have always made two masters for each recording: an analog master for vinyl and a DSD digital master for SuperAudioCD. I mastered the vinyl using Signoricci's analog and tube system. A state-of-the-art system with no sound manipulation, no equalization, no reverb, no compression or expansion... but a natural sound with true timbre to best enhance the acoustics of the Piaggio Museum Auditorium. For nearly 40 years, fonè has been offering recordings crafted with technological refinement and aimed at recovering the original musical atmosphere. For this recording, I also used a "field effect" recording technique... all this to allow the listener to relive the live experience on their home hi-fi system, as if they were present at the performance. Great realism, great dynamics... an album not to be missed!
Giulio Cesare Ricci
