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I met (and played with) zampognaro Pietro Ricci (of Isernia) at the Scapoli Festa in 1996,
I heard the extra notes (played with his thumb) on his back drone.
Pietro does a very nice chord progression with it, chording under Mauro Gioelli's Piffaro playing.
Mauro is the man without an instrument in the photo above,
I guess he wanted to show us his singing gestures?
Mauro is a good Piffari and Singer (AND he compiled a book of Bagpipe folk-tales entitled: "Il Zampogna Fatata"="The Fateful Bagpipe" OR
"The Bagpipe of Fate"... you choose which title-trans. you prefer).
There was a really good member of their group who played Accordion,
but he's not in the current line-up, too bad, I liked his playing.
"Il Tratturo" was very much the "Super-Group" of the 1996 Festa.
Orazio Corsaro's Sicilian Chiramedda mixed in with the Jazz band
(I don't remember the group's name) was not that great, in my opinion, how-some-ever... I respect the attempt, and the spirit in which it was made.
It's a fact that I used to play Jazz and Rock on my Saxes,
so my problem with Euro-Jazz in general, is that it doesn't "Swing",
and Euro-Rock doesn't "ROCK".
I think it has to do with the "Classical" music training most European musicians undergo...and it makes for a much more intellectual approach
to playing music of any kind (including their own folk music).
Now, there are many European musicians who pay their dues, spending time in the USA, playing with, and getting exposed to, OUR Music and Musicians.
The same is true of us U.S.A.er's, learning Euro-folk traditions (of course...and it's also the "been-to's" problem of respect, "HAVE YOU BEEN TO ?" this or that country). There's always a dispute about "When, Where, and How Much".. could you learn from "Whoever" it was who was your mentor.
I have to add: Pietro Ricci IS a professional music teacher, and he plays
Piano (and electronic key board with the group), as well as other modern instruments.
Even more impressive is the fact that, he also makes his own Zampogna, that he plays solo, or with the group (his Zampogna is made in a kind of "Danish Modern" wood-working style).
In CONCLUSION...you gotta take your chances with FUSION, some-times it really WORKS !
So keep at it...YOU MUSICIANS !!!
Sean Folsom
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