Blues Alley e' il piu' antico jazz ckub degli Stati Uniti.
Si esibiscono i migliori artisti .
Abbiamo ascoltato e applaudito Chieli Minucci e la sua band EFX.
Minucci e' il massimo rappresentante della 'fusion music'.
A Washington ha dedicato solo una sera del suo intenso tour che lo vede schizzare giorno dopo giorno nei locali piu' qualificati della Federazione.
Di seguito proponiamo una parte della sua lunga biografia.
Al Blues Alley Chieli Minucci si e' esibito, a caro prezzo, in due spettacoli.
Abbiamo fatto le nostre prenotazioni per quello delle venti dove abbiamo gustato la sua musica e la cena stile creolo.
Suggeriamo agli amanti del jaz, comunque vissuto e interpretato, di ascoltare qualcuno dei tanti CD di Chieli Minucci per capire a quali livelli alcuni musicisti americani riescono a portare la loro musica fatta di profonda preparazione sia come strumentisti che come compositori e di grande ispirazione.
Il video non si riferisce alla serata al Blues Alley.
Il video non si riferisce alla serata al Blues Alley.
Chieli Minucci was born in NYC, and grew up in nearby Forest Hills, Queens, where he still resides. His father (a concert pianist in Italy and a successful composer whose songs were sung by Nat ‘King’ Cole, Bing Crosby and Julius LaRosa and who later wrote the theme for the cult anime series “Robotech) introduced him to the piano at age six and encouraged him to become a composer. Chieli’s son, who is in his 20s, is also a musician thus making the Minucci clan three generations of musicians! Chieli shares, “I am sure that my father’s influence will always be with me. My love of classic American songbook music as well as jazz comes directly from growing up hearing him tinkering on the piano, working out the details of his own compositions, day after day.”
Chieli Minucci formed his first group, Taurus, at age 13. The following year he performed with his best friends on a cruise ship three sets every night. “I fell in love with the whole package – music making with my friends, meeting girls, barely-chaperoned travel, independence, and quite a bit of indulgence!” recalls Chieli. “Then, at 23, after getting paid $350 for 7 gigs in a NYC club ($50/night!) I was convinced it could be done!” While a student at Ithaca College in upstate New York, Chieli got his introduction to jazz. After college he gained some invaluable on-the-gig training with the NYC-based R&B group, The BB & Q Band. In 1983 he met percussionist George Jinda and together they formed Special EFX, recording for GRP, JVC and ultimately Shanachie as they helped chart the evolution of contemporary jazz. Minucci also recorded three solo projects for JVC before Special EFX made their debut on Shanachie in 1999 with Masterpiece. His previous Shanachie releases, Sweet on You and Night Grooves (2003) both spawned top charting Smooth Jazz radio singles (with “Cruise Control” from Special EFX’s Butterfly staying at #1 an incredible five weeks and “” from Sweet on You hitting #2, and “Kickin’ It Hard,” from Night Grooves staying on the My Girl Sunday charts for a record breaking 33 weeks!) Clearly Chieli has arrived as a solo artist.
