Franco Micalizzi and his “Big Bubbling Band” play in Rome, Italy 20/12/2013

Franco Micalizzi was born in 1939 and is an Italian composer and conductor who is best known for his musical scores of Italian action movies. His first big success came about for the musical score of the 1970 Spaghetti Western movie, “They Call Me Trinity” (with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill).  The soundtrack to the Italian film Italia A Mano Armata was eventually used in the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof”.   Tarantino’s last movie, “Django Unchained”, also contained a Micalizzi piece, which was played in Rome.   

Other Micalizzi soundtracks have appeared in movies such as “The Last Hunter”, “Beyond The Door”, The Last Snows of Spring, “The Visitor” and “The Curse”.  Micalizzi’s 19-piece ensemble, the “Big Bubbling Band” (which he founded and which also includes American musicians), plays an entertaining mixture of both funk and jazz music.

 

 

Premier pianist Remo Anzovino puts on a touching performance in Rome, December 7th, 2013

Italian pianist Remo Anzovino exquisitely played a piano concerto in Rome’s “Palazzo delle Esposizioni”

Remo Anzovino is a 37 year-old musician, composer and lawyer from the northern Italian town of Pordenone.  Anzovino first approached the world of music at the tender age of 10.  His early career involved producing soundtracks for silent movies (Buster Keaton just happens to be one of his heroes.  One of his songs is “No Smile Buster Keaton”).  Between 2002 and 2007 he worked on approximately 30 silent movies.  Anzovino is the recipient of several Italian awards with many of his albums that have reached the no. 1 position in the Italian jazz section of iTunes.   

His performance at the 2007 Venice Film Festival was regarded as one of the highlights of the same festival.  One of his most touching pieces, which he also performed in Rome, is “October  1963 (Suite for Vajont)” which commemorates the immense tragedy which hit the northern town of Longarone 50 years ago when part of a mountain collapsed in a dam causing the death of nearly 2,000 people.   The Italian presidency awarded Anzovino a special merit for this piece.   Anzovino’s latest and fifth album is called “Vivo” (Alive) and consists of his first-ever live album of his career which was recorded last April in Rome’s Auditorium.