I was about to record a new song and was pretty much undecided about which one when I got an email from Chalky, who had listened to my rendition of Perfidia and was sending me a Piano Rhumba style he thought could arise my interest. After hearing the style I recognized it as a converted KN 5000 style and decided to use it for my new song. Since, after all, I am italian I decided (at last!) to record an italian song: the classic "Anema e core".
The style, as said before, is a very good Piano Rhumba and the Instruments featured are the Stereo Grand Piano, the Super Tenor Sax, the Jazz Guitar (from the G 800 bank) and an Octave Choir which really shows how the VA7 "can sing".
This song is dedicated to all the italians in the world and, since I know that a good lot of them are present on this Forum and since this time YOU are the experts...come on guys: I need your opinion!
http://andrearotolo.tripod.com/dreamer/id1.html


[This message has been edited by Dreamer (edited 04-07-2002).]

Hi Andrea
I'm not an Italian, but I guess you'll think
that's OK if a "tiny little" HEAVY weighted
Viking listen to it too.
As usual, you do a excellent work Andrea, good
sounding, and the sax sounds like a sax.
Did you turn down most of the accomp sounds to
fit your taste, or is the convert "as it is" ?
I did a little "play along" just for fun
while listening
GJ

[This message has been edited by Gunnar Jonny (edited 04-06-2002).]

Ciao Andrea,
I'm Italian and I live in San Francisco.
I know you have been here a few years ago, I saw your pictures in your website. Are you planning to come around this area again in the future? I'm sure your friend Scott Yee will enjoy it and plus maybe I will get to meet both you guys. Aniway "Anema e core" isn't an Italian song but is a Partenopean song written in Naples dialect, I felt I had to explain to the forum that knows the words that the language used in this song is not Italian but as I said is Naples dialect(slang). Anyway the song was pretty as all the one you have listed in your website and it makes me love more the VA-7 that I'm about to buy very soon, I hope. Good job.

PS:
I'm originally from South of Italy and I know you live in Rome but in my little town near Bari there are a lot of Rotolo families.
Where are you from originally?

Maximo

Gunnar,
thank you for your compliments; you are right in that I muted all the rhytm tracks (acoustic guitar and piano 1 e 2) because they tended to interfere with the arrangement I had in mind. So I left only the drums (a G 1000 kit actually) and the acoustic bass and then added my own tracks: the left hand playing a layer (Oohs Choir and Warm Saw 2) and all the Solo instruments. Since you are a great Technics fan, I have to say that this is really a great Technics style. Actually I had posted it on my own website (in the Goodies section) but had completely forgotten about it and have to thank Chalky for reminding me how good it was.
Maximo,
I have been in California two times and I really loved it. I think that I will come again in the future and maybe we will finally meet, together with the great Scott.
You are right about my name; actually my family comes from Abruzzo (L'Aquila) but the name is much more common in Puglia and in Sicilia (there is a Rotolo even in the novel "Il Gattopardo"). I have been near Bari many times; one of my friends is from Monopoli. Where are you from exactly?

Hi Andrea,
I visited your beautiful country a number of years ago and will go back there one day. Such great music, too, of all genres. I tried to listen to your song, but I guess the page is getting heavy traffic so I'll have to try again later. By the way, what is your website address - I'd like to take a look at that, too.
Best regards,
Big Red

Dreamer,
I'm originally from Mola di Bari. 20Km south of Bari and 20km North of Monopoli. It's a small town on the east coast of 30k people and living in San Francisco is such a great difference. Italy is a wonderful country and being far away makes me even appreciate it better. I go back to visit my parents every other year for about 3 weeks and it feels just right but then I have to come back to my life and always the first few days I'm back I feel a bit sad. Viva l'Italia! I think that everyone should go spend some time in Italy for at least ones in them life, it will change everyone life prospecting, american's culture and italian's culture are so different and at the same time complementary. Everyone can learn something new and fresh by comparing and mixing the two different styles of living. I'm not a travel agent, I think american musicians can get great inspiration from traveling to Europe and viceversa. So next vacation try Rome, Paris, Madrid, London, Berlin you'll be surprised how rich and generous of poetic inspirations this cities can be. Just as much San Francisco as been for me! I'll say! And plus you guys got to go to start a new collection of colorful Euro currency. I better stop myself now! It's a pleasure being in this forum! Talk to you all later.

Maximo

Ciao Andrea.

I am waiting you in Brasil, to make the gigs that I cannot do, for the time being.
Bravissimo.
Chico

Big Red,
thank you for your words;
this is my web page address:

http://andrearotolo.tripod.com/dreamer

Chico,
I am waiting for you to tell us that everything went fine with your treatment and then I will record a joyful samba.
It's a promise!
Andrea

Hello Dreamer,

The song "anema a cora" is a beautiful song you play!!
I love the style.
The most of your songs sounds only the drums and bass + lead (mostly i hear the accompagment of the style in the background).
Do you record this always so?
I love this record..keep going on.
congrats !!
Notlos

Dirk,
usually, when I record a song, I mute most rhytm tracks because they tend to give what Scott Yee calls a "canned sound", so I just leave drums and bass and add my own backing tracks; in "Anema e Core" the backing is just a pad, but I am not entirely satisfied with the result. Maybe I was too hasty; right now I think that the song is too fast and maybe I should re-record it in a slower tempo. To be honest, I am never satisfied when I hear one of my songs and I am always ready to find one or more mistakes, but I guess that perfection doesn't exist anyway!
Talking of styles, it's really difficult to find a style so good that you can leave it as it is and record the song without sounding "canny". Maybe the best way to avoid that is to use a style converted from the midifile of the same song. Ketron is very good in programming styles drawn from actual songs and maybe I will get an SD1 sooner or later.
Dirk, I really appreciate your comment, since you are a such a keyboard "virtuoso" and I am always ready to accept any constructive criticism, from you or others, to improve my recording or playing technique.
Thank you.
P.S.: when are you going to record a new song?

Andrea

Andrea,
Did 'I' really say that?

btw, I enjoyed your rendition of 'Anema e core', it didn't sound 'canned.

Scott, you bet you did say that!

I have followed Dirk's implicit advice and have "beefed up" the Piano Rhumba style; to do this I used the Morphing feature of my VA7 and borrowed the rhytm part from the internal Beguine style. At this point I did what I already had in mind and recorded again the song, at a slower tempo (112 bpm).
The style is the (now) heavily tweaked Piano Rhumba style from the KN5000, and the solo instruments are: Chorus Organ 2 (instead of Grand Piano), Super Tenor, Jazz Guitar and Soft Accordeon (no more Choir, sorry).
Scott, Dirk and all the others, please let me know if you think that this version is an improvement over the previous one.
Thank you all.

http://andrearotolo.tripod.com/dreamer/id1.html

[This message has been edited by Dreamer (edited 04-10-2002).]

Andrea:
I am eager to listen to you rendition of Anema e Core but the site is "temporarily" down. I'l keep trying.
Mario

Hi Dreamer,

i have tried the link and on this moment it's given "Temporarily Unavailable".
(i Think this was also a few days before)
i will listen when the link works.
Next week i have for six months a "va 76" from roland at home for making userprograms and demo's. When i have time i post some demo's on this keyboard here on the forum.
Regards,
Notlos http://www.mp3.com/dirkbaert


------------------

Ciao Andrea:
Aah! nothing like a good italian song to go with your dinner and wine. Wifey and I listened(several times) to "Anema e Core" and liked it a lot. Made us wish we were in Italy once again (were in Rome, Napoli and Venice 2 years ago). I listened to several of your renditions and loved particularly "Here, There and Everywhere" ; has been one of my favorites by the Beatles. Keep up the good work and let's get more of those italian numbers!
Regards, Mario