"I'm happy that Gino Paoli has accepted to be a guest in Sanremo for this tribute. He hasn't been performing in concerts for at least three years, the last one was before the lockdown. Tonight we'll meet together on the stage of the Ariston theater. After all, it will be a beautiful emotion this time": to speak is
Danilo Rea,
refined pianist who with the singer-songwriter has played countless times in duo, piano and voice, or in jazz quintet together with Flavio Boltro, Rosario Bonaccorso and Roberto Gatto.
Five years after the last time at the Festival, Paoli will interpret some of his timeless hits of him.
"We are a tested couple", smiles Rea, remembering that it is the third time he has participated as a guest in Sanremo accompanying Paoli.
The first was when Fabio Fazio was leading, the second with Claudio Baglioni.
Theirs is an artistic partnership which translates into a unique live performance and which has produced the successful albums 'Due come noi che…' (2012), 'Napoli con amore' (2013) and '3' (2017), dedicated to the masterpieces of french music.
Danilo Rea is also co-producer, together with Aldo Mercurio, and arranger of Paoli's latest work 'Appunti di un lungo viaggio' (2019), a double album that collects the CDs 'Canzoni interrotte' with new songs, and 'I Ricordi' with his most famous hits revisited together with great jazz musicians and the contribution of the Roma Jazz String Orchestra..
"Gino is great and every note that comes out of his mouth is already poetry", underlines Danilo.
"Between us there is a great feeling - he explains - made of extemporary. Our performances are different every time.
Despite the many concerts together, there is no arrangement in the notes that come out. atmosphere, but he moves as he feels, he explains. A jazz spirit for an artist "willing to risk always and in any case", observes Rea. "A strong emotional contact" like when, he says, he happens to accompany Mina on the piano, with who has recorded many songs, either Claudio Baglioni or Fiorella Mannoia.
"There are few singers with whom something like this can happen", explains Rea, underlining that "songs from Paoli's repertoire such as 'Senza fine' are also performed and appreciated by important American jazz musicians. The same fate of some masterpieces by Luigi Tenco ".
Bound to Paoli by deep esteem and friendship, his companion in musical adventures traces his artistic journey with admiration "which began with the great French chansonniers and with the Americans and jazz music".
Here, too, it bears a similarity to the story of Mina "who was called by Frank Sinatra to tour with him," she recalls.
The author of timeless songs such as
'Sapore di sale', 'Il cielo in una stanza', 'A long love story', 'La gatta', 'Senza fine'"
he is one of those unique artists, a poet who adds intonation to his acting when he sings, a great chansonnier who represents something different". When, before meeting him personally, Rea saw Paoli on TV, he was struck "by his approach and also from his particular look, but above all from the emotion he expressed", he says. "Once Gino said to me 'You and I have something similar: I don't know if I sing well but I know that when I sing I get emotional'", says the great pianist who with the unmistakable touch of her piano she gives each time a different look and magic to the masterpieces of Paoli's 60-year career. She will do it again tonight during the final of the 73rd Festival. Ornella Vanoni will also be a guest, but at the moment only two distinct spaces are foreseen in the lineup.
