Nine musicians, nine movements, one suite. More than just an album, “Cinema Brazil” is a journey to the boundaries of sonic experience. This ambitious project comes from Marcello Giannini, the Neapolitan guitarist known for his work with Nu Genea, Flo, Guru, Psychè, Slivovitz, and Arduo.
“Cinema Brazil” is not just an album but an organic suite, where each of the nine tracks forms a part of a broader picture. At its core lies an essential melodic idea: the notes E, F♯, D, and C♯, accompanied by a 5/8 ostinato that winds through the tracks like a guiding thread, leading the listener through a sound universe rich in detail. Yet, the record is never static: the theme repeats and transforms, with instruments and arrangements exploring its expressive potential.
At times, the composition leans toward song form, with voice, vibraphone, and violins repeating the melody while the other instruments respond in a play of tension and release. In other passages, the piece opens up to broader sonic landscapes: the drums become lighter, hinting at a Jazz Waltz that evokes rarefied atmospheres, while a Western-flavored guitar introduces Morricone-like suggestions. The piano, initially taking the lead, hands the theme over to the voice and strings, eventually guiding the listener back to the original ostinato, which in the finale prepares the transition to the next movement.
The title “Cinema Brazil,” only seemingly geographical, evokes an abstract world—a fictional film made of sounds, electric intuitions, and deep pulses. Balancing between experimentation, urban groove, and psychedelic drift, Marcello Giannini constructs sonic landscapes that move freely beyond any genre label, exploring the border between composition and improvisation. In this sound world, repetition becomes a means for exploration, and limitation becomes a challenge for creativity. Jazz, Minimalism, and Avant-Garde merge into an intense, Cinematic experience, where every note is a tile in a larger narrative. Compositional rigor and expressive freedom intertwine in a hypnotic, Cinematic flow.
Guitarist of Nu Genea, Flo, La Famiglia, Arduo, Guru feat. Marco Messina, and Psychè, Marcello Giannini (Naples, 1982) is the founder of the historic group Slivovitz, with whom he has recorded five albums released by the New York–based label MoonJune. He has collaborated and recorded with numerous artists from the Italian Jazz and Pop scene and has performed at major festivals around the world.
He has played on and appeared in albums by Enrico Rava (Jazz Italiano 2009 and 2016, and Rava on the Dancefloor – ECM), 99 Posse (Cattivi Guaglioni and Curre Curre Guagliò 2.0), Daniele Sepe (Fessbook and Canzoniere Illustrato), Nu Guinea (Nuova Napoli), and Flo (La Mentirosa and 31Salvitutti), as well as on numerous other Jazz recordings. He has released four solo albums (Frammenti, Digital Desert, Delirium Tremens, Teresa).
Watch and listen to the full suite visualizer via YouTube player below:
Purchase “Cinema Brazil” on Bandcamp: https://marcellogiannini.bandcamp.com/album/cinema-brazil
Lineup:
Marcello Giannini / Guitar, Bass, Voice
Ludovica Manzo / Vocals
Marco Castaldo / Drums
Pasquale Bardaro / Vibraphone
Roberto Porzio / Piano
Caterina Bianco & Francesca Masucci / Violin
Roberto Bianco / Viola
Pasquale Termini / Cello