| Marino Marini was an Italian popular musician who achieved international success in the 1950s and 1960s. (from Wikipedia) He was born into a family of musicians in Seggiano in the Grosetto region of Italy. After briefly studying electronics, he studied piano, violin and composition at the Conservatorio Rossini at Bologna, teaching music on his graduation. In 1947, after military service, he was appointed artistic director of the Metropolitan music hall in Naples, where he developed a liking for Neapolitan music. In 1948 he visited the United States for six months, meeting Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton and Charlie Ventura. American jazz was also a formative influence. On his return, Marini wrote music for films and revues and played in cabaret in Rome and Naples. In 1955, he placed a newspaper advert seeking "young musicians without experience, singing in tune. If not cheerful, don't apply." From the many applicants he chose Tony "Toto" Savio (guitar), Sergio (drums) and Ruggiero Cori (bass and vocal) for a quartet, Marini playing piano and occasionally singing solo. This quartet played together from 1955 to 1960, a period regarded as the Marino Marini Quartet's most prolific and successful. They made their first recording on the Durium label in 1955. The following year they appeared on Italian TV. Their recordings of Marini's compositions Guaglione, Don Ciccio o' piscatore, Rico Vacilon, La Pansè, and Maruzzella were very popular, Guaglione becoming the first European ... |
