Take one Italian guitarist active in the Downtown Improvisation and New Music scene, combine with youthful influences of movie music and Spaghetti Westerns, mix well with a love of ‘60s Surf Sound (think The Ventures, Beach Boys, etc.) bathed in reverb, anchor with a solid rhythm section of bass and drums… and you get the Italian Surf Academy! The baddest bad Morricone you’ve ever heard!

Cappelli explains the genesis of the project: “Back then in the ‘50s - ‘70s, the U.S. was more than a geographic place, it was a concept which we dreamed of belonging to: the prairies, a cowboy on his horse riding into the sunset encompassed by that warm guitar sound with a lot of reverb. This image was made up by the American movie industry and copied in many movies with a “made in Italy” label, shouted in Italy or abroad by Italian directors. That’s why we decided to work on our “Italian Surf Sound” version. We also pay homage to an “original” by reinterpreting Secret Agent Man, the only American cover in the CD.”

Django, Cinque Bambole, The Sundown/San Antonio Mission, Deep Deep Down (featuring Gaia Mattiuzzi), Tiffany Sequence, Blood and Black Lace, Sesso Matto (featuring Gaia Mattiuzzi), Driving Decoy, Secret Agent Man, Eva Kant

Marco Cappelli, electric guitar
Luca Lo Bianco, bass guitar
Francesco Cusa, drums
Gaia Mattiuzzi, voice (special guest)