CD Review: Giampaolo Ascolese - Le it Be...atles

Featured Artist: Giampaolo Ascolese

CD Title: Le it Be...atles

Year: 2009

Record Label: Lake Records

Style: Various Jazz Styles

Musicians: Giampaolo Ascolese (drums, vibraphone, marimba, percussion, vibes, xylophone, glockenspiel), Gerardo Iacoucci (piano, accordion), Elio Tatti (bass), Filiberto Palermini (alto sax, soprano sax), Rodolfo Rossi (marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, steel drums, tubular bells, percussion), Vittorio Iue (piano), Roberto Forlini (drums), Rino Vernizzi (bassoon), Michele Ascolese (guitar)

Review: Let it Be...atles is an interesting CD and DVD homage to the legendary British group The Beatles. Part of what makes this project different to other homages is the reproduction through paintings by artist Marie Reine Levrat of some of the classic Beatles songs. These paintings are included in the booklet and the DVD. For some of the songs, there are a number of drawings that describe each verse. The DVD also includes interviews and live performances.

The CD contains some of the Beatles classics played wonderfully by Giampaolo Ascolese and his group. What distinguish this CD from others, is the arrangements and the unusual instruments chosen for each song.

Giampaolo play vibraphone on For no one, I feel fine, Strawberry fields, And your bird can sing, Martha my dear, Within you Without you, Tomorrow never knows, Here comes the sun and When I'm sixty four. In almost every track Elio Tati played an acoustic instead of an electric bass, giving the songs a more jazzy feeling.

Rodolfo Rossi and Giampaolo Ascolese even play the marimba on And I love her, Eleanor Rigby, Here comes the sun and When I'm sixty four. The lovely sound of the bassoon played by Rino Vernizzi carries the melody on Don't pass me by, Yellow Submarine and Octopus's Garden. But is Filiberto Palermini who does an amazing job playing almost all the song melodies either on alto or soprano sax.

Giampaolo Ascolese, Gerardo Iacoucci, and Rino Vernizzi did most of the arrangements. Some of the arrangements had more of a classical feel and some feel like jazz, with more room for improvisations. A wonderful project for either Beatles and Jazz fans.

Tracks: For no one, And I love her, I feel fine, Strawberry fields forever, Day Tripper, And your bird can sing, Martha my dear, Blackbird, Don't pass me by, Within you without you, Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Submarine, Tomorrow never comes, Here comes the sun, When I'm sixty four, Let it be, Octopus's Garden, Yellow Submarine 2

Artist's Website: http://www.giampaoloascolese.com

Reviewed by: Wilbert Sostre