CARLA MARCIANO

DAYDREAMING

Challenge Records

Carla Marciano, alto & sopranino saxophones/composer; Alessandro La Corte, piano/ keyboards; Aldo Vigorito, double bass; Gaetano Fasano, drums; Dario Deidda, acoustic bass. Philharmonic Orchestra of the “Giuseppe Verdi” Theater, Salerno; Conductor: Antonio Sinagra.

Carla Marciano is an internationally renowned Italian saxophonist and composer based in Salerno.  She is an alto and sopranino saxophone specialist. Her recent album release is dedicated to her father, Giovanni, and titled “Daydreaming.” Carla is celebrated in Europe and the United States as a musician full of passion and energy, with great strength in composing as witnessed by this sixth release where she has penned all seven songs.

Accompanied by the exquisite beauty of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the “Giuseppe Verdi” Theater, Salerno (under the direction of conductor, Antonio Sinagra) they assist Marciano in interpreting her original music.  A graduate of The Conservatory of Music in Salerno, she is lauded to be on the most talented new Italian musicians on the scene. In addition to playing both alto and sopranino saxophones, Marciano is also a competent composer and arranger. The sopranino saxophone is smaller and pitched higher in E♭. It produces a sharper, more piercing tone than the soprano saxophone, the soprano being an instrument that is larger, pitched in B♭, and has a full, warm sound.

Her title tune floats across my listening room like sunrays, with an amiable melody supported by an incredible string section. Carla Marciano’s saxophone spirals above the strings in a lovely way. After playing the tune one-time down, the groove kicks in and the arrangement becomes more contemporary. A choir of voices enhance the production with drama towards the end of the arrangement.

Track #2 is titled “Giovanni (Your Sweet Smile)” and is a musical tribute to memories of her father who was a doctor with a warm smile. Giovanni was also a musician who played guitar and sang.  The strings tremble at the introduction of this beautiful ballad. Marciano’s alto saxophone sings the melody in a pensive, emotional way.

“My father was my true music teacher.  He passed this fierce passion on to me, teaching me to have dreams and to pursue them with dedication and courage, as if every day were the last of my life,” Carla Marciano says with conviction.

“Flying” is a composition she wrote in waltz time.  This time she is sharing her sopranino saxophone talents. Her longtime pianist, Alessandro La Corte adds trembling notes that tumble over each other during an impressive solo. She has incorporated her long-time rhythm section into this orchestrated production  They include Aldo Vigorito on double bass and Gaetano Fasano’s drums.

This music reflects romantic melodies, moments of funk and groove, and Marciano’s original compositions that blend with the beauty of these orchestra arrangements. However, It is the woodwind talents of Carla Marciano, her mastery of the sopranino saxophone and her incredible composer gifts that power-lift this project to incredible heights.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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