Marino Marini (musician)

Marino Marini (musician)
Marino Marini (11 May 1924 – 20 March 1997) was an Italian musician who achieved international success in the 1950s and 1960s.
Biography
He was born into a family of musicians in Seggiano in the province of Grosseto to parents originally from Montecelio, Lazio. 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 1954, 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 Gaetano “Totò” Savio (guitar), Sergio Peppino (drums) and Ruggero Cori (bass and vocal) for a quartet, Marini playing piano and occasionally singing solo. This quartet played together from 1954 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 "Guaglione", "Don Ciccio o' piscatore", "Rico Vacilon", "La Pansè", and "Maruzzella" were very popular, "Guaglione" becoming the first European single to sell more than five million copies. (It was used on the soundtrack of the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley.) Following this successful debut, Marini commenced touring with his quartet, in the following years performing in hundreds of concerts in western and eastern Europe, the US, the Middle East and Japan.
Marini's recordings in the late 1950s and early 1960s included covers of Domenico Modugno's "Volare" and "Ciao ciao bambina" and Rocco Granata's "Marina". In 1960, he won the first and the second prizes in the Naples song festival with "Serenata a Margellina" and "Uè uè uè che femmena". In 1958 he performed Mikis Theodorakis's "The Honeymoon Song" in Michael Powell's film Honeymoon.
In 1960 the first quartet disbanded and in 1961 new quartet was formed with Marini, Bruno Guarnera (guitar), Pepito di Pace (drums) and Vittorio Benvenuti (bass, vocal, dance). The quartet was re-formed again in 1963 with Francesco Ventura (guitar), Sergio (drums), and Franco Cesarico (bass guitar and vocal).
Marino Marini's music was rooted in the tradition of Italian song, and in particular Neapolitan song, as he sometimes performed in the Neapolitan language (e.g. "Maruzzella"). Many of his numbers are in 4/4 or 4/8 time, but he sometimes used the 6/8 tarantella rhythm with an off-beat tempo accentuated by the piano on the second and fourth beat. He performed in several styles and genres, reinterpreting American standards or current pop songs (e.g. "Just Young") and using dance rhythms such as cha-cha-cha, the twist, the letkiss and the samba. He often combined genres (e.g. Neapolitan song and samba in "Ciccio 'o piscatore").
He made innovative use of the echo chamber (using one made to his own design) and is said to have been the first European performer to use sound mixing on stage, anticipating the techniques used by rock musicians in the 1960s.
Among the performers he influenced were the French singer Dalida and the French-Italian Caterina Valente.
He retired from performing in 1966 but continued to compose. He died in March 1997.
UK discography
Studio albums
Marino Marini in London TLU 97008 Durium Records 12/1957
Marino Marini at The London Palladium TLU 97018 Durium Records 3/1959
The Marino Marini Quartet TLU 97028 Durium Records 1959
Marino Marini ed il suo Quartetto DRL 50003 Durium Records 1963
Marino Marini ed il suo Quartetto – Volume 5 DRL 50019 Durium Records 1966
EP's
Marino Marini and his Happy Music Vol. 1 U 20007 Durium Records 12/1957
Marino Marini and his Happy Music Vol. 2 U 20020 Durium Records 12/1957
The Marino Marini Quartet U 20027 Durium Records 12/1957
Marino Marini and his Quartet Vol. 3 U 20028 Durium Records 1958
That Crazy Quartet U 20030 Durium Records 1958
The Marino Marini Quartet Vol. 2 U 20031 Durium Records 5/1958
The Marino Marini Quartet Vol. 3 U 20036 Durium Records 12/1958
Marino with a Latin Beat U 20042 Durium Records 1959
Marino at San Remo U 20047 Durium Records 10/1959
New Spotlight on Marino U 20049 Durium Records 1959
Marino Marini at The London Palladium Vol. 1 U 20053 Durium Records 1959
Marino Marini at The London Palladium Vol. 2 U 20054 Durium Records 1959
San Remo Festival 1960 U 20063 Durium Records 1960
Marino Sings The Hits U 20065 Durium Records 10/1960
Marino Marini in Paris U 20069 Durium Records 1961
Here Comes Marino U 20073 Durium Records 1961
Marino Marini at San Remo 1962 U 20078 Durium Records 1962
On The Dance Floor U 20080 Durium Records 1963
On The Dance Floor Vol. 2 U 20081 Durium Records 1963
The San Remo Festival 1964 U 20082 Durium Records 1964
Singles
Chella 'lla / Basta un poco di musica DC 16625 Durium Records
Guaglione / La piu' bella del mondo DC 16626 Durium Records
With All My Heart / The Pansy DC 16629 Durium Records
Guitar Boogie / Armen's Theme DC 16631 Durium Records
Come prima / Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu) DC 16632 Durium Records
I Could Have Danced All Night / Saunabad (Les gars de Rochechouart) DC 16634 Durium Records
Stella Stella (Star Of Love) / Lazzarella DC 16635 Durium Records
Ciao ciao bambina (Piove) / Avevamo la stessa eta' DC 16636 Durium Records
The Honeymoon Song / Pimpollo DC 16640 Durium Records
Sarra' chi sa' / Guarda che luna DC 16642 Durium Records
Sei bella / Marina DC 16644 Durium Records
Romantica / Libero DC 16645 Durium Records
Abbracciami / Mustapha DC 16648 Durium Records
Luna napoletana / Oh! Oh! Rosy DC 16650 Durium Records
Palma de Majorca / Fermati DC 16658 Durium Records
Love And Kisses / The Beat Of My Heart DC 16662 Durium Records
Jessica / It Is Better To Love DC 16664 Durium Records
Rosita cha cha cha / Moliendo cafe DC 16666 Durium Records
References
1924 births
1997 deaths
People from the Province of Grosseto
Italian pop musicians
Italian bandleaders
Neapolitan language
Italian male singer-songwriters
Italian singer-songwriters
20th-century Italian male singers