adEIdJ – Associazione delle Etichette Indipendenti di Jazz

Press Release

Koro Almost Brass is an atypical ensemble, especially in jazz. It’s somewhat comparable to the brass quintet in classical music, and the difference lies in Cristiano Arcelli’s alto sax replacing the second trumpet. After dedicating their debut album to Thelonious Monk, Koro turned to one of the great composers of the 20th century for their second release: Kurt Weill (Dessau 1900 – New York 1950). After composing some of his masterpieces in Germany and spending two years in France, in 1935 Weill settled in the United States. He succeeded in incorporating jazz elements into his music, creating an accessible and modern language that could speak equally across Broadway stages and Hollywood movies. His musical universe lies at the crossroads of highbrow and popular culture, jazz and contemporary music, in perfect harmony with Koro’s intentions. Cristiano Arcelli, the quintet’s arranger, has revisited six of Weill’s pieces and composed three new works in inspiration of his style, aided in this endeavor by extraordinary musicians such as Fulvio Sigurtà, Massimo Morganti, Giovanni Hoffer ands Glauco Benedetti. The ensemble also commissioned three more pieces – a custom borrowed from classical music – to composers Stefano Bellon, Roberto Martinelli, and Mauro Montalbetti. Of the six Weill compositions included here, four date from his American period, from September Song (1938) to Lost in the Stars (1949), and only the famous Mack the Knife, from the 1928 play by Bertolt Brecht «The Threepenny Opera», belongs to his German years. All we have to do is welcome this little gem that answers to the name of  «Koro Kurt».
The recording by one of the most highly regarded sound engineers active in Italy, Marti Jane Robertson, is magnificent!

Album released with contributions from Nuovo Imaie

  

Track List

01) Youkali (Kurt Weill)
02) People of Youkali (Cristiano Arcelli)
03) Kabarett (Roberto Martinelli)
04) September Song (K.Weill)
05) It's Raining (Mauro Montalbetti)
06) This Is New (K.Weill)
07) Danza dell'uomo comune (C.Arcelli)
08) Kurt Weill Commentaries (Stefano Bellon)
09) A Lifeboat for Kurt (C.Arcelli)
10) My Ship (K.Weill)
11) Mack the Knife (K.Weill)
12) Lost in the Stars (K.Weill)

All arrangements by Cristiano Arcelli

 

Personnel

Cristiano Arcelli (alto sax)
Fulvio Sigurtà (trumpet, flugelhorn)
Massimo Morganti (trombone)
Giovanni Hoffer (French horn)
Glauco Benedetti (tuba)
 

Recording Data

Recorded at Marzi Recording Studio, Riccione (Rimini), on October 26/27/28, 2025; mixed and mastered at Studio della Giraffa, Cagliari, in December 2025.
Sound engineer: Marti Jane Robertson