GARDENIA​-​Ten contemporary songs in homage to Billie Holiday

by La Jovenc & Nei Shi

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1.
Don't explain 04:49
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2.
He's funny that way 05:03
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3.
I'm a fool to want you 03:50
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4.
Big Stuff 02:37
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5.
Lady sings the blues 03:52
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6.
Come rain or come shine 04:02
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7.
Lover man 02:54
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8.
Nobody's business if I do 03:25
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9.
Strange Fruit 03:14
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10.
I've got it bad (and that ain't good) 04:46
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about

Gardenia was born in 2019, when Giovanni Dal Monte and Alessandro Petrillo found themselves with other musicians to play jam sessions inspired by the charm of Billie Holiday.
From here was born the project of a record in homage to the great artist which was not only jazz, but which also reflected the passion of both for musical research, expressed according to the keys of rock and electronics.
The album is a passionate and sincere tribute, a respectful and delicate work of reinterpretation, in which some famous classics take on new sounds and are updated while still remaining faithful to their authentic spirit, as when the guitar takes up the piano arrangements or uses of samples taken from the original songs.

Giovanni approached Billie's singing in a completely natural, relaxed way, choosing to act by subtraction rather than seeking trivializing, fashionable or experimental solutions. On the other hand, any vocal interpretation would have been superfluous and unsuitable, given the perfect synthesis that Billie already distills in her performances. We wanted to "evoke" his magical song in a simple way, with the same intensity and with the same emotional nuances, maintaining its spontaneous setting and embracing its fragility. Furthermore, the fact that it is a male voice singing Billie Holiday is neither obvious nor frequent.

Alessandro has always loved the music of "Lady Day" and in particular some of the songs chosen for the album, captivated by their poignant melodies, the intensity of the lyrics and the themes covered, as in Strange fruit, a raw cry of pain and denunciation against the violence suffered by African Americans, then and now. Songs like this or even love songs, the so-called "torch songs", lend themselves well to being rearranged based on the guitarist's multiple reference genres.

credits

released May 26, 2023

La Jovenc (Giovanni Dal Monte): voice, electronics, bass, electronic drums, samples
Nei Shi (Alessandro Petrillo): guitar, electronics, bass, samples, phototheremin


Doublebass: Henrique Molinario on tracks 3,4,8
Drums: Dario Mazzucco on tracks 1,3,4,6,8
Piano: Luca Bonucci on tracks 7,8
Midi data: Fabio Landi on track 4

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Giovanni Dal Monte/La Jovenc image

Giovanni Dal Monte/La Jovenc Bologna, Italy

Electronic composer, video artist, musician. La Jovenc has composed original scores for classic silent movies and soundtracks for the television and the film industry. His music is performed in many films by cult director Bruce LaBruce. In 2006 he was prized with PAI (Italian Avant-garde Award) and in 2007 he won Live!iXem -Palermo). ... more

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