Released: 2009 (CD) / 2019 (2LP)
SCCD 448 | EAN: 8018344014487 | 
Buy CD
SCLP 448 | EAN: 8018344114484 | Buy 2LP
First love is something you will never forget. I was a child when I had my first encounter with music. Everything around me was black, pitch-black… But at the end of this dark tunnel I could see the light!
No, I was not in a coma, I was at the movies! An old neighbourhood theatre, where first-run films had not been shown for years. But suddenly the screen turned pink, and an unexpected sound gave me butterflies in my stomach… It was a piano chord, and it sounded incredibly sophisticated to the ears of a five-year-old boy: it was the opening chord to the theme of The Pink Panther.”
Alessandro Magnanini
SOMEWAY STILL I DO
The main sources of inspiration for Someway Still I Do lie in the great adult-pop productions of the past, where immediately accessible melodies were filtered through a sophisticated jazz sensibility and a more cultured musical language.
Among the guiding influences are the elegant arrangements of Claus Ogerman, particularly those created for Astrud Gilberto; the lush orchestral atmospheres of Shirley Bassey; and the playful, cinematic imagination of Henry Mancini. These may seem like unreachable artistic landmarks, but for Magnanini they represented a direction, a musical language, and above all a path to follow.
Someway Still I Do is a record where the immediacy of pop meets the refinement of exceptional arrangements: timeless music that echoes the golden age of unforgettable soundtracks and the finest traditions of orchestral jazz.
A remarkable cast of collaborators further enriches the album. Jenny B. takes centre stage on “Secret Lover” and “Open Up Your Eyes”, evoking the cinematic elegance of John Williams as well as the more contemporary soul-pop sensibility of artists such as Duffy and Amy Winehouse. Her sensual interpretation of “So Long Goodbye” reveals an entirely different side of the project, embracing the delicate intimacy of bossa nova.
The album’s international guest star is Liam McKahey, the unmistakable voice of the English band Cousteau, who appears on three tracks. “Livin My Life” is a sophisticated ballad that recalls the traditional jazz splendour of 1930s New Orleans; “But Not For You” explores a delightful bossa-jazz territory; while the title track, “Someway Still I Do”, unfolds like a dreamy, cinematic daydream.
“L’estate è Qua” presents a rare and unexpected side of Rosalia De Souza, with the Brazilian singer delivering an Italian-language interpretation infused with the romantic sensibility of her homeland.
“Something Fine” is beautifully performed by Stefania Rava, who worked for many years alongside renowned Italian musicians including Giorgio Gaslini, Paolo Tomelleri and Giovanni Tommaso.
“Stay Into My Life”, featuring the vibrant vocals of Renata Tosi, brings an unmistakably uptempo dimension to the album, with a rhythm perfectly suited to the dancefloor. Tosi had previously worked with musicians such as Nicola Stilo, Dusko Gojkovic and Tony Scott.
Ten Years After Its Original Release
Ten years after its original release, Someway Still I Do returns in a new edition, available both digitally and on vinyl, enriched with two additional tracks specially recorded to celebrate this important milestone.
“Cried For You” features Liam McKahey once again at the microphone, bringing back the unmistakable voice of Cousteau, while “Morning Light” introduces the smooth and expressive vocals of Elisa Aramonte, a new talent joining Magnanini’s Someway Still I Do project.
Two new songs added to the original repertoire, completing a journey that began many years earlier, when a young boy sitting in an old neighbourhood cinema was captivated by the very first notes of The Pink Panther. From that first musical revelation, and from the discovery of a world where pop, jazz, cinema and orchestral music could coexist, Alessandro Magnanini’s musical vision began to take shape.
CREDITS
Original release:acoustic piano: Luca Mannutza
acoustic piano on "Someway Still I Do": Nicola Peruch
fender rhodes: John Guerretti
trumpet & fluegelhorn: Fabrizio Bosso
trumpet: Andrea Giuffredi
tenor saxophone: Daniele Scannapieco
trombone: Giuseppe di Benedetto
double bass: Pietro Ciancaglini
double bass on "Someway still I do": Enrico Lazzarini
electric bass: Paolo Gialdi
acoustic/electric guitar and background vocals: Alessandro Magnanini
vibraphone: Pasquale Bardaro
drums: Lorenzo Tucci
drums Alessandro Lugli on "Secret Lover", Open up your eyes" and "Someway still I do"
percussion: Luca Florian and Oscar Abelli
background vocals: Stefania Rava, Renata Tosi, and Alberto Carra
Bonus tracks:
drums: Piero Mozzoni
piano: Giovanni Guerretti
flugelhorn on "Morning Light": Tiziano Bianchi
vocals on “Morning Light”: Elisa Aramonte
vocals on “Cried for You”: Liam McKahey
music written, arranged & produced by Alessandro Magnanini