Ascanio Scano

Music:

Member Since: 15/02/2007
Band Members:English BioIn the years '70 begins his professional career: turnèe with CLAUDIO VILLA, ANNA OXA, ADRIANO PAPPALARDO, RITA PAVONE, EDOARDO VIANELLO and others. He works for R.C.A. as a turnista and registers various records of his own composition. In 1984 he moves to Venezuela where he begins the collaboration as arranger, composer and independent record producer for the record houses RODVEN, SONORODVEN, SONOGRAFICA and TUCAN RECORDS. He records twelve disks with the following artists: INAKI, MIRNA RIOS, COLINA, ALBERTO ACUNA, FERNANDO CARRILLO, WALTER FENDI, CARLOS MATA, ADRIANA JOIS, GREGORIO RIVERO, MIRTA PEREZ, ALICIA PLAZA. He completes national and international turnèe, as musical director and keyboardplayer, with the artists: KARINA, RICARDO MONTANER, CARLOS MATA, MIJARES, PABLO MANAVELLO, MOISES, AGUILAR, FRANK QUINTERO, COLINA, INAKI, SERGIO PEREZ, MIRNA RIOS, GREGORI He takes part at recordings of television programs of the nets, VENEVISION, Radio CARACAS TELEVISION and TELEVISA. He takes part to various editions of the "Festival jazz of Caracas", as composer and pianist, with YASMIL MARRUFO, ROLDAN PENA and PABLO MATARAZZO. He also played with 0TMARO RUIZ, CARLOS " NENè " QUINTERO, LUISITO QUINTERO, AARON SERFATI, PEDRO EUSTACHE, RUBEN REBOLLEDO, RICHIE "GAJATE" GARCIA, LEO QUINTERO, ENRIQUE SANTANA, WILLIE CROES, MIGUEL BLANCO. In 1991 returns to Italy and in '92 he is musical director in the Argentinian tour of CARLOS MATA and musical producer of the Italian presentations of FERNANDO CARRILLO. Works at the recording of CD "CAMOMA" of the group " BATISTOCOCO" as artistic coproducer and composer of one theme. He is among the founders of the group "MEZCLA LATINA." He produces sonorous columns for documentaries and jingle for the agency PUSH PULL. In 1997 he travels to Los Angeles for the production of "ALGUN Dia" CD of the group "9IID" of which he is musical producer, keyboard palyer and musical director. In '98 the work is published by the Mexican POLYGRAM. Since 2003 he is the composer of all the music for the game "SUPERMAG", produced by the PLASTWOOD. AZZURRA MUSIC has recently published his last disk of Latin jazz " Morrocoy."
Influences: Ascanio Scano is a versatile musician, capable of adapting, in a Caribbean language, various climates and styles according to a well defined artistic personality that is intended to propose original grafts on a rhythmic weaving going from funky to even rock, happily matching tradition and modernisation.The care in the arrangements appears attentive: without ever making too much of the tones, translating it into a melodic freshness that is often, wrongly, interpreted as dance music. In reality, behind this is hidden an accurate research, never banal, that expands in sonorous solutions of interesting dimensions and of convincing impact, rich in tones and multi-colourful grades.The towing strength is in the brilliant synthesis between the polychromic language of Latin, of the oscillating energies of the Afro Hispanic derived riff, with a hybrid and eclectic flow formed from a jazz imprint: often, since inception, one becomes swept away by the passion with which the band follow the instrumental weavings, breaks in percussion, games played between wind instruments and keyboards, dominating with extreme naturalness the emotive tension. This is thanks to the high-spirited arrangements and their accuracy, for which, is not foreign in the mood of swing.In this way are born an alchemy of sounds that do not appear to be searching for such a definition as much as a personal vocal sound. This is well thought out, based on the urgent improvisational verve, to the warm phrasing which is trailed joyously, and also good to see, and has nothing to do with candidness from a synthetic side of view: if the rhythm, and it’s supporting structure, are the harmonic weavings then the solo excursions are the meaning behind this force.The aesthetic results, for the rest, are not surprising if you keep account of who are the architects for this; it is worth a quick summing up of some names involved: Leo Angel Rodriguez (as we remember from Pablo Milanes, Winton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie and George Benson), Paolo Andriolo (Gilberto Gil, Toninho Horta, Ronnie Jones), Giuseppe Bertolino (Lola Ponce), Maurizio Scomparin (Steve Lacy, Carla Bley, Joe Lovano, Enrico Rava, Franco D’Andrea, Paolo Fresu), Gianni Stefani (Lovano, Rava, Bill Pierce, Mark Habrams),Marco Catinaccio (Tony Scott, John Riley), Pasquale Cosco ( Christian Maier, Giampiero Reverberi) …Scano’s project convinces, even outside of the ritual schemes most often frequented, of these times, by Latin music. There is more, there is a passion for a cultural voyage, an animated guide of memories for who, like ours, the everyday South American has lived for years and so, cannot and does not want to, elude neither the spontaneous enthusiasm neither the pathos / compassion and, at times, the elegy.Here it is that “Morrocoy” re-pays for many just “decorative” albums, born so as to only overindulge a catalogue of products based only on the “smooth” effect, unspeakably tedious, or on the haughty split that sometimes jazz can seem to nourish from other genres, giving life to frivolous climates from “lounge bar”, and to self-conscious exotics. The soft and entertaining contaminations of Scano trace a contagious vitality, a calibrated sound, curvy and openly persuasive to improvisation, without having to give warning to a necessity of virtuoso excessiveness: an artistic depth that more often than not is guiltily ignored by the market and by it’s rules and commercial politics, for which, frankly and with great conviction, we could do without.Ascanio Scano is an Italian keyboard player, composer and arranger, he has numerous recordings under his belt and has worked with many of the top Latin jazz artists in the world, his most recent recording Morrocoy features his Latin Jazz Lounge big band, actually it’s an octet, but it has a grand sound. The band screams through just over an hours worth of music, eleven tracks, that are generally speaking, straight ahead Latin inspired - jazz fusion tunes. The constants are found in superb percussion and drumming, by Leo Angel Rodriguez and Marco Catinaccio, as well as a rock solid rhythm section, with bass playing duties shared by Pasquale Cosco and Paolo Andriolo, inspired guitar playing by Giuseppe Bertolino is ever present and the keyboard/piano playing of Ascanio Scano.The fusion referred to is found in the sound and the style of the songs, at times there are reminders of Weather Report. The fusion of Europe meeting Latin America, on its way to North America and back again - all played at a rousing tempo. The keyboard playing of Mr. Scano is somewhat reminiscent of the jazz-rock fusion era keyboard players, Jan Hammer, Joe Zawinul and Greg Emerson come to mind, heavy sustain on synthesized notes and chords, with layers of special effects and sounds that cover an orchestra. The song “Sopeso” opens with a sustained electronic tone creating a funky melody that transitions to an electric piano, thus creating a pleasing, jazz inspired interlude before referring back to the opening melody and letting the bassist add in some J. Pastorious like riffs and leading the song into a nice guitar solo by Mr. Bertolino. The song is just over five minutes in length and features most of the members of the band.The track with a Latin big band sound “El Pelao” is a foot stomping tune played at a fast tempo; the horn section has some nice arrangements to work with. The percussion playing by Marco Catinaccio is the impetus for creating the marvelous rhythm that makes you want to stamp your foot and get up and dance, excellent playing.The title track “Morrocoy” has an Afro Cuban - salsa feel, featuring good horn arrangements with some hot trumpet playing by Maurizio Scomparin and solid trombone playing by Mauro Ottolini. The song lets loose with some heavy guitar playing near the end of the tune and finishes with a tight big band sound. The final track of the LP (long playing CD) “1000 Km” continues with another song in the Afro Cuban groove, lots of percussion and intense keyboard playing. The mid section of the song features guitar wailing by Mr. Bertolino that is a welcome respite from the dance grind rhythm that is the pulse of the song. The song is very repetitive and would be a hit with the dance crowd; the keyboards care of Mr. Scano let loose for the later half of the song and bring the party to a climax on an ultra tight glide.It has arrived, a disc by an artist that I personally admire and look up to, his name is Ascanio Scano and his new work is entitled “Latin Jazz Lunge – Ascanio Scano Morrocoy”.For who does not know Ascanio Scano, he disposes of a curriculum of the highest level given his diverse Latin Jazz projects, and have allowed him to side such illustrious names as Otmaro Ruiz, Carlos Nenè Quintero, Luisito Quintero, Aaron Serfati, Pedro Eustache and many more that have bought him to become the keyboard player for the group Mezcla Latina. For which he has produced, in the role of composer and arranger, the CD’s "Colon se equivocò" and "Cinco y Na Ma'" the Maxi-single "El Pasito", "Salsalegre", "Los Roques" and as a soloist the piece “El Pelao”. This last, contained as a special track in the compilation “Salsa.it Vol 2”. His new project takes form over 11 tracks that represent perfectly the artistic journey, and above all, the life of Ascanio Scano given that he has lived in Venezuela, for many years, Mexico and has toured all of Latin America. An album on the waves of Latin Jazz well played and with some rock and funk cue’s. A great, pleasurable listening experience and, why not, for who is on the look out for wanted discs. A project that further re-enforces the positive movement of the Latin production in Italy that, with this disc, broadens the market to a more demanded target of researched tastes and that, decisively, has nothing to envy from others procured from overseas.
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Record Label: azzurra music