Marco Albani

International contemporary jazz guitarist Marco Albani drops his first project in over a decade entitled KALLAAMA.

He hails from Italy, but his musical canvases draw from the Mediterranean, Africa and South America and a few places in between. Guitarist/composer/producer Marco Albani drops an alluring ambience which calms the spirit yet graced with an uplifting acoustic guitar. Smooth jazz and world music internet radio immediately flocked to Albani’s 2006 debut, Chronos – dedicated to his parents – followed up in 2010 with Encuentro – dedicated to the people of South America.

Another eleven years before fans old and new hear his extraordinary musical bouquet for his latest project, KALLAAMA (Senegal translation of language) with vocal talent representing French, Italy, Africa and other cultures.
Two highly recommended cuts highlight this Delta-Top release. For starters, “Freedom” blends several rhythmic layers alongside gentle piano and backing vocals. The other, “Mari Mari Miu” features Italian vocalist Carla Cocco in a caressing ballad illustrating the emotional path from darkness to light. - Peggy Oliver, The Urban Music Scene

Since launching his solo career in 2006, Rome-born and based composer/acoustic guitarist Marco Albani has shared his expansive global consciousness via demanding works that have fused acoustic jazz with Mediterranean, African, and South American textures and rhythms.
The title of his latest collection KALLAAMA – from a Senegalese idiom meaning “language,” specifically the universal language of music – speaks to the ambitious thematic concept and dynamic, polyrhythmic culturally fluid scope of the project.
It’s a wildly spirited, multi-lingual affair (English, French and idioms of Italian, Senegalese and Zambian) pairing Albani’s bright guitarisma with featured saxophonist Javier Girotto and renowned international vocalists Frances Alina Ascione, Kaw Sissoko, Andrea Sanchini, Umberto Vitiello, Clea Scala, Carla Cocco and Velka-Sai.
Collectively, they fulfill Albani’s vision to celebrate freedom, love, hope, fearlessness, and the overcoming of challenges. - SmoothJazz.com

I drove to London earlier this week and anyone who had accompanied me would have assumed I had a faulty CD player as the same album played continuously throughout the journey.

Encuentro is just that kind of encounter! Once you have experienced the warm glow you want to repeat it again.

A native of Rome, Italy this is nylon guitarist Marco Albani’s 2nd release and it absolutely fulfils the great promise of his first.

With a multitude of musical guests like Maurizio Giammarco, Marco Siniscalco and the Gnu Quartet, this new venture is the pinnacle of "Italiano Latino" music from the Mediterranean but honed in South America.

The 11-track Encuentro covers a musical landscape from the ethereal "Cadeau Cadeau" to the tangoesque "Pasión" to the Bossa beat of "Carmen", finally arriving in the Andean villages with the atmospheric title track.

This is real journeyman music with more than a nod to Pat Metheny. The warm glow starts here!

Stewart Coxhead, 1-april-2010 - Smoothjazz.com

It’s a great pleasure to review Marco Albani’s second CD. He is a well rounded artist, a sincere friend with an easygoingness and gentility that transpires from his music, composed and played with passion and the enthusiasm of a youngster, yet with care and an accurate touch that comes from years of experience that he has dedicated to his instrument.

Encuentro is a more mature work and personally more beautiful than his first album Chronos, which nonetheless, I highly recommend. Encuentro is truly a beautiful work, full of beautiful songs and ideas that go far and beyond technique and the high- ended musicians that participated in this CD.

Encuentro is as much a solo work as that of a team effort, where-in, all of the artists contributed with full freedom and carte blanche, in the true spirit of music, each one giving a particular part of themselves without overturning Albani’s’ style. They added many pieces of a large mosaic that you perceive only at the end of each track, lending to the strength of this team work.

This journey begins from the Mediterranean shores with Chronos, arriving across other oceans, towards south American shores, and accompanied by that ‘something’ that exists only in Europe; a mix of melancholy and wonder when one comes into contact with other cultures, therefore feeling transported and enchanted.

I think it was exactly this feeling of transport that Marco experienced, and which inspired him to dare to go beyond certain schematic ideas, that although beautiful, could have seemed closed in a tagged, typical genre. Albani comes out a winner on this count.

- A journey through songs

Cadeau Cadeau
The CD begins with this delicate song, with an African introduction. A classical guitar spins a very simple melody, woven with beautiful flute solos, all sustained by a precious tapestry of percussion: sabar, djembe and ocean drum and obviously drums that penetratingly lead the mind to exotic places. Excellent voicing by Umberto Vitiello, who offers the best of himself in almost every track of Encuentro.

Pasión
True passion in music has only one word: Tango. One crosses the ocean on this distant journey from our European shores, to explore musical horizons so dear to Albani. The bandoneon and the guitar create the synergy of legs and body, that passion and erotic tension only Tango can create. This typical instrument, played masterfully by Gianni Iorio, leaves us with goose bumps. Thanks to the beautiful arrangements by Gnu (string) Quartet, and a note of merit to the bass player with his captivatingly spicy progressions… it is truly one of my favourites!

Hermano
Sonorities that are born from an intelligent fusion of flamenco and salsa, with an influence of new age create a pleasant, easy listening. Marco is able to create disarming melodies with his classical guitar, while leaving significant space to the other musicians. In this case, the accordion of Francesco Sciarretta becomes the entrusted guide. The percussion is played by Roland Ricaurte, who also lends his vocals, and percussion in many other tracks.

Edson Arantes
Let’s fly to Brazil to experience this joyful and danceable Samba, with a final polish of Martino Onorato’s Hammond and the amazing percussions of Umberto Vitiello that shakes up the whole track.

O Meu Avo
This track is dedicated to grandfather Ottavio, who passed on his love for music to Marco. It is a very intimate piece, and the only non instrumental work in the CD, sung in Portuguese by the unforgettable Vitiello, who lays out the text in a way which really goes to the soul. This piece goes quite deep, with the warm voice accompanied by the guitars arpeggio and an array of keyboards that opens up into a jazz-fusion feeling, where we hear some of the most beautiful passages in the whole CD, the cherry on the top of the cake is Maurizio Giammarco sax.

Aladdin Dance
This track is made up of Indian and Arabic sonorities with prestigious collaborations. This is the most daring and experimental of all the tracks, in that the Trio sounds are the farthest from all the other cultural sonorities in the CD. This dance is also accompanied by Rocco Zifarelli, leaving his beloved electric six string guitar at home and venturing with his electric oud, a very particular instrument of Turkish origin, a fantastic sound that reminds us of the buzuki and the sitar. The entire piece is held together by Sanjay Kansa Banik, the wonderful Indian tabla player. This is one of the most difficult but most beautiful percussion instruments to play. It’s a must to listen!

Encuentro
This title track is an exultation of colour and celebration, a personal dedication by Marco for the music he most loved: that of Inti Illimani.

Carmen
This track is a Bossa inspired with the classical guitar lending a very intimate melodic line. The arrangement is very old style with a string section by the Gnu Quartet and the flute of Marco Moro, who creates a precious melodic lace in between delicate harmonies. A dreamy track.

Brazilian Gipsy
The title is self explanatory for the genre it represents, very joyful and well played.

Buena Suerte
And here we have the blossoming and awaited example of Cuban salsa, with the piano cliché, the precise rhythms of the conga tumbador and timbales, that together create a melodic rhythm, even a bit jazz oriented. The listener has the feeling of having already arrived on the Caribbean beach. This piece is an homage to one of the most fundamental sounds of the Caribbean as opposed to just being an obligatory musical passage. Cuba is the maximum expression of danceable and singable music. Not to mention the wonderful piano of Carlo Sarmiento and Marco Siniscalco on double-bass.

Niños Por Siempre
If there’s something I adore, it’s the idea that the last track of a CD turns out to be your favourite… Personally, it only happens in the old LP’s that cover my musical past. This CD is part of that old vanguard, where the track Niños Por Siempre ends up, in effect, being my favourite. It’s a sort of ‘je ne sais quoi’ that brings on a kind of melancholy and dreaminess suspended in a melody that follows itself, together with an interspersed, pulling rhythm. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a small masterpiece. We’re all children, in that we can appreciate good music, to which we can dance, sing, listen and love.

- Conclusions
Marco Albani is an artist and an eclectic musician, before being a guitarist. This is very clear at the first listening of Encuentro. The title is, in fact, evermore true to the nature of this work, in its wide cultural, musical and artistic endeavour, that comes from extremely different styles and genres. Marco had a grand vision and merit to unite all in a single CD, in a single music.

In synthesis, I would like to underline the amazing studio work, the organization of 25 high level musicians, among which we have the collaboration of the outstanding Umberto Vitiello, whose contribution gave the CD that extra touch.

Alessandro Alviti, 2-april-2010

Translation: Tosi Poleri - Laster Guitar

After four years from the release of his first CD "Chronos", guitarist Marco Albani is releasing his second CD "Encuentro". This work has proven to be a mature and diversified, from the atmosphere to the varied musical genres. A sort of fusion that combines Latin, Jazz and African, all dressed with classical guitar phrasing created by the composer.

Maurizio Giammarco, Rocco Zifarelli, Umberto Vitiello and Gnu Quartet are among the many guest artists called upon to enriching this work.

"Encuentro" represents a voyage where every piece is a musical destination, though Brazil seems to be the preferred one; the only non instrumental piece (O Meu Avo) is sung in Portuguese by Umberto Vitiello.

This album is refined and destined for anyone who wants to lose themselves among pleasant melodies and class arrangements.

- Artistic vote: 7
- Technical vote: 8

Paolo Perilli - November 2010

Translation: Tosi Poleri - Suono (Sound)

It’s not easy carving out a path in the musical field, especially in Italy. Very often, it is quite difficult. There are always impossible sidereal dynamics out of which a miracle shines through, and sometimes, nonetheless, the press notices you, and perhaps, you’ve already paid years of musical dues, however, we are light years away from concrete commercial possibilities.

Marco Albani is a splendid guitarist and an excellent composer. He has an uncommonly high sensibility and a good soul. I don’t think it’s an offence to say that he’s a musical artisan, a competent perfectionist and a true ‘chaser’. The American radio station Smooth Jazz compared his lively and film like style to that of Pat Metheny.

Albani has recorded two CD’s; "Chronos" in 2007 and his recently released "Encuentro". In his website (www.marcoalbani.com) he explains his ‘Concept’ and how he communicates ideas and emotions through sound… a form of communication without barriers, permitting us to enter into contact with other cultures, helping us to understand them and compare them with our own experiences….a music made of passion and inspiration, that communicates to the body, heart and mind of anyone who’s ready to listen. Marco Albani does just that. He grabs you by creating a vast atmosphere, with the pizzicato of his rigorous classical guitar and its timeless melodies without place or time.

The atmosphere is absolutely the distinctive character of his music. Each piece is in and of itself. It could be best described as colourful music. If you close your eyes, every piece tells of different colours and sensations. You travel from the heat of the African desert into the shade of an oasis (‘Agua’, opening track of Chronos), to the streets of Naples, in a tender, affectionate story of a well known friend, Massimo Troisi, (‘Au Revoir, Massimo’, dedicated to Massimo Troisi, in the same album) or to let oneself go in an embrace in ‘Mare del Sud’ to the quiet certitude of the only possible path in life, Love (‘Love… the only way’), where one experiences that same feeling when you look into the sincere gaze of the one you love. And then one can dance to ‘Pasión", or remember that moment of abandon in a friendly game of soccer on the beach in Bahia in ‘Edson Arantes’, telling the story of a child dreaming to become a famous player, and closing with ‘Carmen’, between the Atlantic heat and wind, on a soft beach in Itopoa, sipping coconut milk with Toquinho and Vinicious.

These endless sensations and colours express themselves through the cure and profound research of ‘sounds’. In ‘Cadeau Cadeau’ we hear a light, dissonant sound of a flute that comes from some indefinable place, while the percussion creates a tapestry of sonorities. In ‘Aladdin Dance’ we hear the longing melody of Albani’s guitar enriched with the electrified oud of Rocco Zifarelli and the particular sounds of an Indian tabla. In ‘Encuentro’, the charango takes the role of master, and one has the impression that Inti Illimani have come for a musical visit.

Obviously the ethnic sounds go hand in hand with the more classical sonorities such as the warm sound of a Hammond that colours with Rhythm’n'Blues in ‘Edson Arantes’ together with a luminous wind section. The sax of Maurizio Giammarco creates an high class solo in ‘O Meu Avo’, the only sung track in the second CD.

And so we travel in time.. If this last track tells of a grandfather figure who recounts his passion for music, in ‘Pasion’, now it seems we could find ourselves in a smoky Tango salon in the heart of Buenos Aires, in the 50’s. In ‘Buena Suerte’, we’re launched into the mambo land of Cuba in an apparent, far away epoch, while "Au Revoir…" reminds us of the first years of the last century.

Marco Albani’s music is just that way. He is so adept at absorbing sounds, emotions and sensations, then infusing his music, all the while imposing his style in that vastness of musical space and time. This is Marco Albani’s’ style.

Fernando Casaretti, 21-may-2010

Translation: Tosi Poleri - Music on the Rock

This anthological album, composed and played by Marco Albani, is dedicated to his roots of origin and musical passions.

Eleven tracks that range from Latin music to Brazilian, Mediterranean and African.

Albani’s guitar flies high above the different ethnic melodies and atmospheres, creating a sort of musical glue that connects the musical interventions of the multi-ethnic musicians.

Among the many guest musicians who took part to this work: Maurizio Giammarco on sax, Marco Siniscalco on double-bass, Gianni Iorio on bandoneon, Carlos Sarmiento on piano, Gnu Quartet on strings, Rocco Zifarelli on oud, and a large group of percussionists like Umberto Vitiello, Raul Scebba, Sanjay Kansa Banik, Roland Ricaurte and Valerio Perla.

Encuentro is a pleasant voyage to different, yet adjoining worlds, highly recommended for lovers of good quality acoustic music.

Antonio Gentile, July 2010

Translation: Tosi Poleri - Ritmi (Rithms)

Guitarist and composer Marco Albani comes to us by way of the Mediterranean.
The Roman born musician layers his music with dazzling textures from this region as well as sounds from South America.

Marco has managed to absorb the warmth and energy of these locations into his music to create a dreamy listening environment.

Marco’s approach to the music is through his study of drums and percussion, so while the nylon string guitar is his primary instrument, the feeling is deep and rich.
His influences are many, but he sites three guitarists of import to him: they are Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and the "painter" Pat Metheny.

Like Metheny, Marco Albani’s style is vibrant and cinematic.

CHRONOS features beautiful, moving melodies and rhythms that showcase unusual instruments such as the charango, bandoneon and kamanja, creating a world-fusion sound that will surely transport the listener.

Marco’s website says that CHRONOS "is permeated by the idea of a global, ethno-world music…" Thus providing an opportunity to "travel" through the rhythm and melody.

There is a passionate combination of music, melody and movement on this project. I have to say that this is a delightful discovery and it is reaffirming our vision to reach around the world to introduce new music on SmoothJazz.com, which is indeed a global platform for music enthusiasts.
Marco sums up the collection of songs as, "a personal route through style and composition to a space-time dimension without boundaries."
Bravissimo, Marco!

Sandy Shore, 15-March-2007 - Smoothjazz.com

Serene sensations mingled with joy of living and touching goodbyes, an album of memories, rain, sensuality and, most of all, the Mediterranean sea.

Marco Albani is a great classic guitarist, composer and Roman born; but in this compilation I feel the sea of Sicily, the voice of Africa, the waves of the open sea.
No doubt, there are Eastern and African percussions, vocal samplings of Arabic choruses, a mixture of rhythms that sometimes reminds me of Agricantus or Pat Metheny ’s albums such as Secret Story, which Marco admits having taken as a model. But we are well far from considering this project as a mere citation to great works.

A remarkable composer’s vein never placing guitar in the centre of the world, but that makes a point of reference of it towards a conception of music beyond the instrument. The piano, the fantastic interlaces of percussions wisely performed on sampled bases, never invading but, on the contrary, exalting melody as warmly as only nylon guitar strings could do.

The echoes of the sea and a summer of conflicting feelings, peace and melancholy in Mirage, the gorgeous harmony of the sinuous curves of Esmeralda, charango and bandoneon in Tuareg, are only examples of an album which is to be listened to, over and over again, to reveal its quintessence, a music quality which is never vain or self-referential.

A particular praise to Marco, a never banal guitarist, whose impeccable instrument is far from subduing the others but that, on the contrary, is able to exalt them.

Thus in Flamenco Para Ti there is a sense of transmitting passion and sensuality with hands, fingers and heart becoming as one, the great music vision beyond frontiers, and yet passionately Italian. And then, a taste of Naples during the last few instants, a dedication to Massimo Troisi, never to be forgotten, a touching celebration of guitar and mandolins.

The quality of this CD is simply perfect, very good production and arrangements, and absolutely professional in content, even though its unadorned booklet format and the quite anonymous graphic design are not able, I think, to express the brightness of music.

This artist reminds me of Francesco Bruno, the great guitarist and composer of the late 80’s and early 90’s music scene in Rome, whose class and style Marco totally inherits. I wish Marco the same huge success abroad, and of course many positive answers to a CD which is absolutely worth a buy.

Alessandro Alviti, 27-February-2007

Translation: Paola Cametti - Accordo

The imaginary atmospheres standing out in this CD are manifold, starting from ‘’Agua’’, which is probably the most significant composition of this ten track full-length.

This acoustic smooth jazz creeps into listener mind with a sound deep of percussions (typical of far lands) and soft melodies.

Very interesting ideas are the vocal backgrounds in ‘’Esmeralda’’ as well as the cadenced melody of ‘’Mirage’’.

This is an album deep of interesting and never ordinary expedients; see as reference the melancholic and languished composition ‘’Au Revoir, Massimo’’, dedicated to Massimo Troisi.

You can find in ‘’Chronos" very well played tricks, which perfectly identify Marco Albani’s band, thanks to the good techniques but also to direct and never forced atmospheres.

Stefano De Vito, 04-April-2007

Translation: Paola Cametti - City Music

Not always words need to enjoy the charm coming from a record.
It is true… the new Marco Albani’s album titled Chronos does not need lyrics to touch heart-strings of listeners.

The whole CD recalls a musical voyage from East to West, cradling the listener by the excellent sounds of a full-of-pathos guitar.

All proposed tracks, from ‘’Agua’’ to ‘’Esmeralda’’, ‘’Agadir’’, ‘’Tuareg’’ or ‘’Au Revoir, Massimo’’ - languished dedication to Massimo Troisi - enchant since from the first notes, taking the glad listener up to the end of the album, let him forgetting the flow of time, led by heart emotions, towed by the lyricism of music.

The entire album is deep of Hispanic-Mediterranean and - at times - oriental sounds. The harmonious development of all ten tracks is wonderful …guitar solos are dynamic. And, what else … really a genius.

Alba Cosentino, 03-april-2007

Translation: Paola Cametti - Gufetto