UNDER THE LEO SIGN is the fourth album by guitarist and composer RobertoTola.
After his debut on the international Jazz music scene, with his award-winning album
Bein’ Green in May 2017, and which included artists of absolute fame and prestige,
such as the legendary saxophonist and Grammy Award Bob Mintzer and the
sensational saxophonist Najee, only to name a few, here is another important stage in
the long musical life of the Sardinian artist.
A crackling debut which was followed by the albums Colors (2020) and Kon Tiki
(2021), including an stellar international artists, as the stellar and unattainable
American drummer Billy Cobham, sesnsational sax players as Eric Marienthal and
Michael Lington, pianist and keyboardist Scott Wilkie and Italian trumpeter
Andrea Tofanelli. This is a demonstration of how Roberto Tola is an artist loved and
appreciated by artists of the genre all over the world.
The new album, linked to the vibrant energy of the sign of Leo (Roberto’s zodiac
sign), available from 27 June 2023, tells of vitality, creativity and brightness, intense
colors, romanticism and idealism, but also of sweetness and melancholy.
The 9 songs on this new album are in fact fragments of life lived by the artist,
portraits of intimate moments, of a special journey, of places of the heart and of
special people dear to the artist. All the songs on the album are true stories that the
artist has transliterated into music, with particular spiritual sensitivity and emotional
involvement.
The album opens with the track entitled “DRIVING TO MADRID“, inspired by a
special journey undertaken by the artist aboard his convertible under the Spanish sky
in 2019, which took him from the warm port of Barcelona to the royal city of Madrid,
for a tour that saw him busy on important stages in several concerts in Spain, with
special guests as Payl Taylor and Paula Atherton.
The musical journey of the album continues with a special tribute to Roberto’s
mother, to whom the artist dedicates the song “MARAYA”, with the American
trumpeter from Richmond Bill McGee as a special guest.
The musical roundup continues with the intimate and poignant “A CHRISTMAS
AGO”, a song with an absolutely Christmas flavor, inspired by the memory of his
beloved sister Tiana on the day of the first Christmas after her untimely death in
2021.
Another song of this new musical work by Roberto is dedicated to the most
enchanting and breathtaking places of Sardinia (Italy) and the Mediterranean, natural,
mysterious, enchanting bucolic and contemplative monuments in which to find
inspiration, such as the “VALLE DELLA LUNA” ” (moon valley), which gives its
title to the fifth track of the album.
Valle della Luna is therefore a place dear to Roberto’s heart, also because it is
connected to a friendship that the artist cultivated and cherished with his friend Paolo,
a naturalistic guide in that area and who recently passed away, who lived in this place
like a king, among the scents of the Mediterranean scrub and the original megalithic
granite formations unique in the world and which create a breathtaking, almost lunar,
original landscape.
In this new musical work Roberto also paints the talent of one of those artists who
have inspired him the most during his long musical career, among these is Al Jarreau.
Roberto celebrates the unforgotten legendary American singer in the roaring songs
“SAYS” and “ROOF GARDEN”, the only covers of the album, totally arranged by
Roberto.
Other tracks on the album, such as “SUN KISS” and “SUNNY MORNING
(SUMMER PARTY)”, reflect Roberto’s predilection for light and the sun, to return
to the theme of the sign of the lion, symbol of energy, passion and euphoria, as well
as the Roberto’s roaring music, always rigorous and refined.
Another tune of particular interest is the track MEN ON GROOVE (featuting the
Grammy Award saxophonist Eric Marienthal). This track is a true exercise in style,
with a Jazz Rock and Latin Jazz taste that the protagonists of this musical gem
embellish with their instrumental talent.
We are faced with a virtuoso album in which Roberto and his musician friends show
all their talent in the various spaces of improvisation throughout the album, including
the multifaceted acoustic, electric and distorted solos of Roberto himself, as well as
the prestigious famous Californian saxophonist Eric Marienthal in his bombastic
solo on the track “Men On Groove”, as well as the aforementioned trumpeter Bill
McGee in the emotional solo on the track “Maraya”, followed by the engaging and
passionate solos by the talented Spanish pianist Marco Rasa on “Driving To
Madrid” and the youngest and most sensational 21-year-old Venezuelan pianist
Luciano De La Rosa in “Valle Della Luna”; as well as the eclectic and multifaceted
Polish bassist Maciek Szczyciński in his vibrant double bass solo in “Men On
Groove” and, last but not least, the sensational and talented singer from Grenada
island Zorina Andall in “Sunny Morning (Summer Party) and “A Chrismas
Ago”.
UNDER THE LEO SIGN is an album of jazz, funk, soul, progressive and cultured
fusion, with a touch of good rock and Latin jazz that show the spirit and personality
of Roberto Tola and his predilection for the combination of different musical styles in
each track of the album.
All the songs on the album are composed and arranged by Roberto Tola, except for
the songs Says and Roof Garden, originally sung by the iconic singer Al Jarreau
and totally arranged by Roberto Tola for this new musical project that is already
making people talk internationally, thanks to the preview launch of the single
Driving To Madrid on June 6, 2023
TRACKS AND CREDITS
- Driving to Madrid (feat. Marco Rasa) – Radio Edit
- Maraya (feat. Bill McGee)
- Says (cover)
- Sun Kiss
- Valle della Luna (feat. Luciano De La Rosa)
- Roof Garden (Cover)
- Men On Groove (feat. Eric Marienthal and Maciek Szczycinski)
- Sunny Morning – Summer Party (feat. Zorina Andall)
- A Christmas Ago (feat. Zorina Andall)
All tracks composed and arranged by Roberto Tola, except: - “Says” – arranged by Roberto Tola and originally composed by Philippe Saisse and Al Jarreau;
- “Roof Garden” – arranged by Roberto Tola and originally composed by Al Jarreau, Tom Canning and Jay Graydon