On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Salone del Mobile di Milano, the celebrated standard Groovin' High by Dizzy Gillespie was reinterpreted in an orchestral key by Andrea Ravizza. The arrangement, designed for Big Band, was featured within the monumental site-specific installation "La Scatola Magica" (The Magic Box), hosted in the prestigious Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale.
Arrangement Aesthetics: Between Tradition and Orchestral Power
The writing focused on extracting the maximum expressive density from the original 1945 material. Without altering the essence of Gillespie's bebop language, the orchestration centered on the dynamic management of the instrumental chromatic spectrum. The objective was to transform the rhythmic and harmonic structure of the standard into a pulsating organism, capable of interacting with the visual and immersive dimension of the Milanese installation.
The recording session featured prominent musicians:
- Andrea Tofanelli, trumpets
- Claudio Chiara, alto saxes
- Fulvio Albano, tenor saxes
- Gianfranco Marchesi, trombones
- Fabio Giachino, piano
- Stefano Senni, bass
- Adam Pache, drums
La Scatola Magica: An Audiovisual Narrative
The installation, a massive "camera oscura" of imposing proportions (6x24 meters), celebrated the eleven founding values of the Salone through the eyes of eleven Italian directors, translating the principles of "Ingenuity" and "Quality" into complex sound structures.
Production and Credits
The recording session was managed by Punto Rec Studios in Turin, with executive production by Davide Rampello & Partners.