PIERO UMILIANI Schallplatten & CDs

Review: In 1971, this revered figure of Italian jazz, facilitated a remarkable session that brought together a talented ensemble of musicians, including trumpetist Francesco "Cicci" Santucci, saxophonist Enzo Scoppa and renowned keyboardist Franco d'Andrea. This collaboration, recorded at Umiliani's Sound Workshop studio in Rome, resulted in a brilliant jazz-funk album that blends intricate rhythms with melodic improvisation. Santucci and Scoppa, both seasoned in the late 50s Italian jazz scene, are joined by Belgian organist Joel Vendrokenbrak, adding a unique flavor to the mix. The album features d'Andrea on electric piano, a precursor to his future work with the progressive jazz group Perigeo. Originally released under a different name, this album is now reissued for the first time with its striking original cover art. The reissue includes a poster and a printed insert featuring images of the Sound Workshop studio, offering a deeper connection to the historical significance of the recording. With its masterful blend of jazz, funk and Italian creativity, this reissue is a significant addition to any collection of rare and influential jazz recordings.

Review: For the first time, Piero Umiliani's entire Liuto label production is collected together in a remarkable 19-CD box set. This set includes 18 albums (with the final album being a double CD), each housed in a replica of its original sleeve. Accompanied by a 72-page booklet featuring rare photos, essays by Maurizio Corbella and Niccolo Galliano, and a detailed discography, this release is fully endorsed by the Umiliani family. Umiliani's contributions were pivotal in shaping the Italian sound in jazz, film, and library music. His ability to merge creativity with production and publishing made him a true modern musician who was integral to Italy's rich musical heritage, as this collection proves beyond doubt.

Review: The Complete Sound Work Shop Heritage box set is an extraordinary tribute to Piero Umiliani's prolific career, gathering his entire output on the Sound Work Shop label into an unparalleled 17-CD collection. Housed in faithful reproductions of the original album covers, this set is complemented by a 72-page booklet featuring rare photographs, insightful essays by Maurizio Corbella and Niccolo Galliano, and a comprehensive discography and tracklist. For the first time, Umiliani's extensive contributions to Italian jazz, film scores, and library music are showcased in one collection. His work at the Sound Work Shop studio, which he opened in 1968, played a crucial role in shaping the sound of Italian popular music. The studio was a hub of creativity where Umiliani explored a vast array of genres, from funk and psychedelic rock to avant-garde and electronic music. This collection reveals Umiliani's genius not just as a composer, but as a producer and visionary who controlled every aspect of his music's creation and distribution. The box set is a comprehensive portrait of a modern musician whose influence on Italian music during the 1970s remains indelible, making this collection essential for historical reasons.

Review: Four Flies thrillingly reissues Piero Umiliani's soundtrack to the 1969?giallo thrille Orgasmo (curiously retitled Paranoia in English speaking countries), the firstof three erotically charged? ilms directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring cult siren (and Oscar nominee) Following the first ever release of this OST in 2020, this follow-up version hears Four Flies top up the release with a fuller restoration, after some serious detective work in the composer's archives revealed a post-hoc salvaging of the original tapes, where they where first thought to be lost or unusable. Bringing Umiliani's score back to life for all to enjoy, Orgasmo perfectly captures the stylish and sleazy vibe of Lenzi's film, its acid-drenched visuals, and its themes of sick psychological mind games (courtesy of the devious characters played by Swedish enfant terrible Lou Castel and?French beauty?Colette Descombes).

Review: Four Flies present another masterpiece from one of the all-time greats of Italian soundtrack and library music, Piero Umiliani. His work on the 1974 film Il Corpo ranks amongst his most famous work, and now two pieces have been selected from the soundtrack and presented on this exclusive single. 'Chaser' on the A side appears in an exclusive extended form which has never been released before, while 'Hard Times' on the flip remains the archetype of Italian jazz-funk perfection. This is a limited edition so don't hang around as these are sure to fly out.

Review: The first official reissue of Playtime by popular and prolific Italian composer, Piero Umiliani. Incorporating styles like jazz, easy listening/lounge, rock, funk, and bossa nova to a genre largely dominated by orchestral scores, he penned some of the most outstanding kosmische music from the '60s and '70s with over 150 titles under his belt. Originally released on Umiliani's own Omicron label in 1968, the album has been remastered from the original recordings by Noah Mintz.

Review: The fact Paesaggi is being released on Four Flies, an Italian label that has tasked itself with unearthing, or rather catching obscure soundtracks from the country's golden age before they fall into complete obscurity and off the face of the Earth, should tell you everything there is to know about this one. One of the all-time masters of film scores, Umiliani delivered the album in 1971, and it's a wonderful example of his work.

It's probably important to point out that his output leant towards the less high brow genres, including Spaghetti Westerns, and soft core sex movies. This version of the album itself, which is number three after the original in 1971 and re-release (with different sleeve) in 1980, features performances by legendary session supergroup I Marc 4, and is as wistful and beguiling as it is lounging and made to make background moods. Flutes, guitars, strings and all.